"Do you miss anything about LA?" Diana asks Miley. So far, the dinner has been quite good. No mental break downs, no one has cried yet, no arguments… so far, everything is fine. We're just a happy - and still nervous on my side - family. This is so not an Evans/Montez Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing reminds me of Vance, Sharpay or Victoria. There is no catering service, there are no insanely expensive champagne or wine… there are not the hundreds of people, judging me. Here there is no one who judges me because of what I said, did or thought. No judgement. No anger. No suppressed feelings. Nothing but my family. My true family.
This might be the best Thanksgiving dinner yet.
Miley shakes her head before taking a sip of her red wine. "No. And certainly not the people. I mean, the ocean is something I miss occasionally. But there are beautiful beaches in England as well."
I nod, "Swansea has some nice beaches."
"Swansea?" Lucas asks me surprised, "You guys were in Swansea?"
I frown. Did Troy not tell Lucas? Didn't he tell anyone? I thought Luc knew… "Yes."
"Last weekend?" Kelsi asks. "You fled to Swansea?"
"We didn't flee. We took a break." Troy answers. "We needed some time for ourselves."
"So, it was not because Dad freaked out on you?" Lucas fights back, raising an eyebrow.
"Who told you?" Troy asks back.
"The tabloids."
I frown. I didn't know the tabloids knew about the dinner. But considering the paparazzi are chasing us 24/7 it shouldn't be a surprise. The news must've broken out the morning after the dinner. Luckily, we were hiding and recovering in Swansea. No newsstand was on our minds.
"Franklin freaked out?" Diana asks. "What did you do, Troy?"
"Why does everybody think I did something wrong?" my fiancé asks.
"Because it's usually you." Lucas says, smirking. "Or Shai. But she didn't screw things up nearly as often as you."
My fiancé the troublemaker. I grin.
Troy shakes his head, "I am not the black sheep in our family."
"True. That's me." Diana says, taking a sip of her water.
Both, Lucas and Troy are silent. So, it's true. Diana's the black sheep. Considering she tried to kill Troy when he was three, she really had earned this status.
"Why did he freak out?" Mils asks, breaking the silence.
"Because of me." I say, "Because of us… Because of… Because of everything, I guess. It wasn't the best dinner."
"He is against your relationship?" Kelsi asks frowning, "But he loved you, Gabs."
"When I sued Troy and his company. Not now when I am… becoming part of the family, I guess." I shrug.
"He thinks she's like… her mother." Troy explains with clenched teeth.
"Oh…" Kelsi breathes out.
"He is so wrong." Ryan, Miley and Lucas say out of one mouth.
"You are nothing like Victoria." Lucas says in a strong voice.
"Exactly. I mean, why can't he see that?" Miley asks.
"I don't know." I say, shaking my head.
"But I do." Diana says.
"What do you know?" Lucas asks, frowning.
"He had an affaire with Victoria." she explains with a shrug. How can she be so cool about that? I'd go crazy and turn into an avenging angel. No one will get my man.
"WHAT?!" Lucas, Kelsi, Miley and Ryan say out of one mouth.
"You knew?" Troy asks surprised.
"Of course I knew. A wife knows when her husband is betraying her."
I gulp. Does Troy know I had something with Lucas then? I mean, we are nearly husband and wife.
"Why didn't you do anything then?" Troy asks her slowly. It's a question which has been on our minds for days no.
She shrugs, "I wanted to hold on to this illusion I had created in my mind. A happy family."
"Only the truth was that we were more broken than ever." Lucas says, his bright green eyes filled with pain. It rips my heart apart to see him like this, knowing that he knows what Diana did to his three year old brother. I feel goosebumps all over my body. I try to ignore the picture of the two three year old boys: One with fearful green eyes and one with a strangulation mark and bright blue eyes, who doen't really understand what just happened.
I close my eyes to avoid the tears from building, "Do you know what happened?" I ask her slowly.
"She was after his money - she's always after wealth. He found out and broke up with her. She found Vance Evans. By then she knew how to handle wealthy men… he fell in love with her. The rest is history." she says with a shrug.
"Doesn't it effect you in any way?" Kelsi asks a little surprised.
"Not anymore. I accepted it. I mean, it effected me in the past, but… not anymore. I am not okay with it, but I let it go. He has a new wife, a new family and I have my life in Los Angeles. We live on two different countries. It was the best decision we ever made. We don't see each other."
"Not even on your children's birthdays?" Miley asks surprised.
"No… it would be a disaster." she says laughing. "It would end up in arguments in a situation neither of us wants to experience. There might have been a time when we were a perfect match, but that time was not more than a moment."
"Why?" Kelsi asks.
"Because he loves to provoke me. Or anyone else around him. I assume, he did the same with you during the dinner." she says, looking at her blue eyed son. She clearly knows as good as me that Troy Bolton doesn't like to get provoked.
"Yes. Usually I can deal with his provocative side but that night… how he offended my family that was… I simply lost control."
Diana frowns, her green eyes fill with worry. "You… You lost control?" she asks slowly, the worry clearly hearable.
"Why didn't you fight for him?" Ryan asks, changing the subject.
"There's nothing left to fight for if he wants someone else. I couldn't make him love me if he loved someone else." she says, her eyes glued to Troy. Clearly, Ryan hasn't changed the subject. She raises an eyebrow at her blue eyed son.
Troy looks down, "Yes."
"What did you do?" she asks, her voice a little shaky now.
I look to my right, seeing my fiancé fighting his inner demons. He doesn't want to tell. Why doesn't he want to tell her?
"Luc, did Shailene talk to you?" I ask, trying to figure out if he knows.
The green eyed Bolton brother shakes his head, "No. Why would she?"
"Because she was at the dinner."
"She was in London?" Lucas asks surprised.
I nod, "She still is. She's doing an internship at St. Mary's." I explain. Why doesn't he know that? I thought the Bolton children were all close, talkative and… well, there for each other. Something I've only experienced with Ryan.
"Oh… Well, I didn't talk to her since your accident."
I frown, "You didn't?"
"No…" Lucas says, letting the words linger in the air, getting lost in silence eventually.
"What did you do, Troy?" Diana asks again.
He remains silent.
"Shall we leave you alone?" Kelsi asks, wondering now as well what happened to the dinner.
I look over to Diana, whose eyes are slowly filling with anger. Why is she angry? She shouldn't be angry with him. He protected me. He protected our daughter. He protected our family.
But the totally freaked out on Franklin. He really lost control. "Yes, I think we should leave them alone." I say before rising from the chair. Whatever is going to happen now, it's going to be a mother-son kind of thing. Without Lucas, Miley, Ryan, Kelsi and even me. They need to talk things out. Clear things up. Get all this frustration out.
We all leave the dinning table, walking into the living area.
"What's our dessert?" Kelsi asks, throwing herself on the couch.
"Kelsi!" Ryan hisses at her. "How can you think about food right now?!"
She shrugs, "I get hungry when I feel stressed."
"What happened at the dinner?" Lucas asks me slowly.
I sigh, "It was… difficult."
"What aspect was difficult?" Miley asks me as we sit down next to Kelsi.
"Franklin made some really heavy accusations…" I travel off. Maybe I shouldn't talk about this as well.
"What did he say?"
I shake my head. I should not tell them.
"Gabriella…" Ryan says in a soft voice, "We're your family."
He is my family. Troy Bolton is my family. But they are as well. "He thinks I am after the wealth and the name. He thinks I planed my relationship to Troy. He thinks I made him fall in love with me. He thinks I influenced Troy so much that he eventually proposed. Franklin thinks… he thinks that this child… our daughter…" I brush through my hair, "he thinks she's part of my plan to bond him to me." I breathe out, looking at the floor. I can't face any pair of eyes right now.
Silence fills the room as all of my friends, the members of my family, are speechless. I look up at Ryan. His bright blue eyes are filled with pain, worry and a lot of anger. "He fucking thinks you're Victoria's clone!"
I nod, "That's what hurts the most. He said like mother like daughter."
"That's…" Kelsi starts, shaking her head. "It's just…"
"I know." I say to her slowly.
"How… how dare he!" Miley starts, "I mean, what father would be so-"
Suddenly Lucas jumps up from the couch, running straight back to the dining table.
"Luc!" Miley calls after him, standing up to go after him.
"Let him go." Ryan says, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"So that's why you guys fled to Swansea." Kelsi concludes.
I shrug, "Yes…"
"I hope you fucking showed him that she's nothing like her mother!" we all jump up as Lucas' angry voice fills the house.
I quickly walk over to the dining table, seeing Lucas' angry bright green eyes staring at Troy. Diana's standing between her sons.
"You shouldn't have punched him, Troy. He is your father!" Diana says to her older son.
"You've punched him?" Lucas asks shocked.
"He now has a nasty black eye thanks to me." Troy answers with a shrug but a smugly grin on his lips.
Lucas shakes his head, "You… How did you… And why did…" he closes his mouth, clearly no useful words are going to come out.
"How dare you lose control like this!" Diana hisses at him. "And that in front of your little sister!"
"Shailene's big enough to know that this family is more than just screwed up." Troy explains.
Diana shakes her head, before brushing through her wavy hair, "Don't… don't let him provoke you, Troy."
"You weren't there!" Troy hisses back, "You didn't hear what he said! What accusations he made! What picture he has of her!"
"That doesn't matter, Troy." she says in a soft voice. "It doesn't matter what your father, Shailene, Lucas or me think of her. All that matters is what you think of her. Don't let anyone ever provoke you like this, understood?"
"But-"
"You can not foresee the consequences." she explains again.
I frown. What kind of consequences? Is she talking about the press?
"Do you think he'd do it?" Lucas asks his mother.
She shrugs, "I hope not."
What would he do? What is Franklin capable of?
"Do you think he's going to disinherit me?" Troy asks, frowning. Clearly he didn't think of that when he freaked out.
Disinherit Troy? He's over 21. He should have access to his trust fond by now.
"Not because of you losing control." she explains slowly, "But he may do it if you're going to marry her."
"I don't care." he says with clenched teeth. "I don't care if I'm never going to see him again. If he can't accept her as my wife and mother of my child, then I can no longer respect him."
"I'm with you on this." Lucas says nodding.
Diana sighs, "God, this woman must really mean the world to you guys…"
"She's part of our family." Lucas explains.
"I'd do the same if it were Miley." Troy explains with a simple shrug.
"I know." Lucas says, smiling.
"How can 21 million dollar for each of you not be reason enough? Wait at least until your 26th birthday. Wait until you have access to it. Does it really make a difference if you marry her in three weeks or in seven months?" she asks Troy, brushing through his silky hair, "It's not going to make you love her less. But it will strengthen your position."
"I don't care about the money." Troy says into her eyes, "I have enough money."
"It's not about the money, Troy." Lucas says frowning before looking at Diana. "You want to weaken him. You want revenge."
"I am only concerned about your well-being." she answers.
"No, Lucas is right. You want to take revenge on him." Troy says her. "And you're using us against him!"
"He used you guys against me as well. All these birthdays, all these Thanksgiving dinners… Christmas Eves… every holiday I didn't spent with you guys…"
"You were sick!" I hear Lucas' shaky voice, giving me goosebumps.
"But that didn't mean I didn't want to spend time with you guys. He made you believe I was sicker than I actually was."
"Mom, I…" Troy starts, before sighing. "I appreciate you being here, spending Thanksgiving with all of us… But you can't turn back time. No one is going to be able to turn back time and give you all the memories we have with Dad."
"I know…" she says, nodding.
"It's useless to take now revenge on him…" Lucas says slowly. "We love you. Both of our parents."
"I don't love-" Troy starts.
"You lost control. You protected her - the only person you've ever loved so much. He will understand. Maybe not today. Maybe not before you guys are wedded, but he will understand." Lucas says into his eyes before looking at Diana again, "And you… Enjoy the time we have now. Enjoy the time you get to spend with your new family. With Ryan, Kelsi, Miley, Gabriella… and your unborn niece. A happy family."
"Is everything alright with you guys?" I hear Miley's voice before she rushes by.
All Bolton members smile at her before Lucas pulls her into his arms.
"Everything's fine." Diana ensures, smiling at her.
"Good, because I am craving Troy's raspberry cake." she says with a wink.
"It's nearly done." Troy says as I walk over to them.
"You guys sit down, we'll get the cake and make some tea." I say to them. "You are our guests tonight. No helping."
"But-"
"Don't even try to convince her otherwise." Miley interrupts Lucas. "We all know how stubborn she is. Kelsi? Ryan? The dessert's done!" she calls out.
Troy and I walk back into the kitchen. Although Ryan and me have been working nearly all day in this kitchen it almost looks flawless and very clean. It's fascinating how well we all work together. While I cooked, Ryan cleaned after me - and otherwise. We make a good team. We know how the other person works - which is why we enjoyed living together for so long. I can already smell the raspberry cake, which is still baking in the oven. It smells delicious!
"Are you okay?" I ask him as we're alone.
His hand on my hips, twists me around. His crystal bright blue eyes stare into mine, giving me goosebumps while making me breathless. Only he is able to make me feel this way. "Do you know how much I love you?" he whispers, brushing through my hair. His smile is so addicting. It fills my heart with warmth and joy.
I smile lightly, "I do and I love you even more." I whisper back before kissing him lightly.
He returns my kiss, filling it with passion. Within seconds I feel the desire floating through my veins, setting my skin on fire. I feel his hands on my neck as our tongues are still battling. His kisses are gifts, they are sealed with pure love. I live for these kisses. I feel his hands moving underneath my champagne colored dress, moving upwards. I feel my nerves reacting to every single touch, my sex reacting to my fiancé's skills. He knows how to get what he wants from me so easily. He knows me inside out.
"Guys, we're starving!" I hear Ry's voice calling, breaking the bond immediately.
"The cake…" I breathe out, still recovering from his kiss. How can he control mine and her's feeling at the same time? Only Troy Bolton would be able to do that.
"The cake." Troy says, before opening the oven to get out the cake.
"You did the right thing, you know." I say, getting the plates for the cake.
"You are the only one thinking this way."
"That's not true. Lucas is behind you as well. So are Ryan, Kelsi and Miley. We have your back."
"Okay, who's playing tonight?" Kelsi asks smiling.
My eyes move over to Troy, "Troy will." I say, grinning at my fiancé. It's time they hear what he is capable of.
"Troy?" Lucas asks, surprised.
"He's good." I say to them, "Trust me."
"It's been years since I've heard you last." Lucas says to him, "You sure?"
"100 %." I announce.
"You're the expert when it comes to music…" Ryan mumbles.
"That's right! Mils, will you do the head voice this time?" I ask her.
"Sure thing. Who's going to sing in harmony?"
"That's me." I say looking at Troy once more. "You're in this right?"
"Sure, I am. I didn't play the last weekend for nothing. I think they're ready for me." he says before squeezing my hand.
Diana frowns at us, having no clue what we're talking about.
"Oh, maybe someone should explain Diana what's going on." Kelsi says, seeing her confused expression as we all rise from the chairs.
"We do this every time we have dinner together, Mom." Lucas starts explaining as we walk into the living room, where the piano is. "After dinner they like to make some music. Random songs. Sometimes it's not a song when someone starts playing at the piano… a couple of minutes later it's the best song you've ever heard of."
"They… they sing?" Diana asks surprised. "I didn't know you could sing."
Lucas flushes, "They sing. I listen. Along with Kelsi… we don't… Troy has inherit Dad's voice. He's the singer in our family." he explains with a shrug.
"Ah… yeah, that's what I thought." she says before sitting down at the comfortable couch along with Lucas, Kelsi and Ryan this time. "Is this a tradition?"
I frown… A tradition… I never really considered it being one. But it is. It's our way to let off steam. To express our feelings… to be ourselves.
"Yes. And you will love it. Trust me on this, Diana." Miley says smiling as Troy sits down on the piano stool.
"Are you okay?" I ask him in a whisper.
"I've got this, Gabs. You taught me some pretty nice things the last time I sat in front of a piano." he says back, smiling at me.
"Okay. Mils: Head voice. I'll be in harmony with you. And Troy…" I say looking back at him again. "I'd like you to use you're chest voice."
Troy frowns at me. "But that's Ryan's part."
I look at Ryan, who smiles at me. "I am fine with having one song off." he says, nodding towards Troy. "She has her reasons, Bolton."
"Okay?" I ask again. Maybe I am asking too much of him…
"Okay…" he whispers back.
"Are you ready?" Lucas asks Diana.
"I'm excited." she says, grinning a little, "I haven't heard my son singing in years!"
Troy starts playing on the piano, creating a soft music. I recognize the song right away. It was one of my favorite songs when I was young. It's a song we have to modify a little, though.
Cruel to the eye,
I see the way she makes you smile,
Cruel to the eye,
Watching her hold what used to be mine,
Why did I lie?Why did I walk away to find?
Ohh, why?
Ohh, why?
I jump in at the chorus, knowing that Troy still needs time to find the confidence to actually use his wonderful voice and present it in front of his family.
I...can't breathe easy,
Can't sleep at night,
Till you're by my side.
No, I...can't breathe easy,
I can't dream yet another dream,
Without you lying next to me
There's no air.
Miley nods at me, showing me that I get to sing the next verse.
Curse me inside,
For every word that caused you to cry,
Curse me inside,
I won't forget, no I won't baby I
don't know why (don't know why)
I left the one I was looking to find,
Oohh...why?
Ooohhh, why?...why?
Out of the sudden I hear Troy's voice singing the chorus with Miley and me. It's a wonderful deep addition to our rather high voices.
I...can't breathe easy,
Can't sleep at night,
Till you're by my side,
No, I...can't breathe easy (breathe easy)
I can't dream yet another dream,
Without you lying next to me
There's no air.
No, I...can't breathe easy (breathe easy)
I can't dream yet another dream,
Without you lying next to me
There's no air.
Miley let's me and Troy do the bridge, something I thank her for. She knows how to hit the high notes, how to hold them so long… but so do Troy and I.
Out of my mind,
Nothing makes sense anymore,
I want you back in my life,
That's all I'm breathing for
Ooooohhhh..
She jumps in at the chorus again.
Tell me why...
oh to tell me why I can't
dream yet another dream
Without you lying next to me
There's no air
I...can't breathe easy,
Can't sleep at night
Till you're by my side (yeah)
can't breathe easy (Oh no)
I can't dream yet another dream
Without you lying next to me
There's no air
There's no air
I look over to Ryan, Kelsi, Lucas and Diana. All have shock written all over their faces. Shock and fascination.
Miley, Troy and me burst out of laughter. They clearly didn't expect this.
"That was…"
"Uhm you…"
"Wow…"
"Yes. Wow." Diana says to us, having watery eyes. "That was really emotional… And you all sang so… so beautifully. It was literally breathtaking."
"Thank you." Miley and me say out of one mouth.
"I had no idea you had that in you." she says, looking at Troy. I can see the pride in her green eyes.
"I didn't know about that either." he says, rising from the piano stool. "But you showed me that there's so much more than just a man who can play some notes at the piano inside of me." he says into my eyes.
I smile at him, "It was my pleasure."
"Speaking of pleasure," Ryan starts, rising from the couch. "I think we need something more fun now." he announces before sitting down on the stool. "My turn." he says with a smirk on his lips as he starts playing. "Feel free to jump in."
Oh he doesn't have to say that twice. Miley and me grin at each other, knowing the lyrics by heart. I watch my fiancé getting seated on the couch between his brother and his mother. It's a beautiful picture. He smiles at me before mouthing I love you.
You won't find him drinking at the table
Rolling dice and staying out till three
You won't ever find him being unfaithful
You will find him, you'll find him next to me
You won't find him trying to change the devil
For money, fame, for power, out of greed
You won't ever find him where the rest go
You will find him, you'll find him next to me
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
You will find him, you'll find him next to me
When the money's spent and all my friends have vanished
And I can't seem to find no help or love for free
I know there's no need for me to panic
'Cause I'll find him, I'll find him next to me
When the skies are grey and all the doors are closing
And the rising pressure makes it hard to breathe
When all I need's a hand to stop the tears from falling
I will find him, I'll find him next to me
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
I will find him, I'll find him next to me
When the end has come and buildings falling down fast
When we spoilt the land and dried up all the sea
When everyone has lost their heads around us
You will find him, you'll find him next to me
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
You will find him, you'll find him next to me
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
Next to me ooh hooo
You will find him, you'll find him next to me
"And you guys do this every time you have dinner with each other?" Diana asks, still in shock. "I mean that is… this is a wonderful tradition."
We all walk over to the couch, getting seated as well.
"Well we can't sing in a restaurant…" Ryan starts.
"But totally in a Jazz bar downtown." Miley says, laughing.
I laugh along, remembering this night.
Flashback
"You sure that we're right here?" Ryan asks as we walk through a paved street in the night. It's a side road and it looks a little… dangerous, to be honest. But it's a wonderful warm night in London. And it's 100 per cent paparazzi free. A miracle nowadays.
"Trust me on this." Mils insist, lacing her fingers with Luc's.
"Guess we have to." Troy says, embracing me with one arm.
I smile at him, enjoying his touch. Somehow, it still feels surreal that he's here with me - although he's been here since three weeks now. "I hope giving you my time will be worth it." I say without thinking.
"Gabriella," Miley starts, looking at me, "Have I ever done something that wasn't worthy of your time?"
"I didn't mean… What I meant was…" I should think before I talk, I remind myself.
"I know." she says, smiling at me. "I know that you have to work your ass off to pay your employees and the rent. I also know that you really want to start writing black numbers with Unfaithful records asap. But one night won't change that. You can take one night off, Gabriella. We all know that you're working seven days a week."
"I'm not!" I protest.
"You are." Ryan says.
"Who told you that?"
Troy slowly raises his hand, "That would be me!"
"Troy!" I hiss at him.
"And me…" Kelsi mumbles before I give her a killer-glance.
"But it's true. When you're not working in the studio, you're sitting at the piano at home. If you're not sitting at the piano, you are singing in the kitchen, under the shower or in the closet trying to find something to wear. It's a miracle you don't sing in your sleep." he says before kissing me on my cheek, "You need time to relax as well. To cool down. So much stress is not healthy… for both, you and my daughter."
"We're here, aren't we? Relaxation enough."
"You're a pure workaholic!" Ryan says with a sigh.
"That's why you love me, guys." I say with a smirk.
"We're here." Miley says, pointing at a closed door before she opens it. Soft Jazz music fills our ears immediately as we slowly walk in. I notice that we used the backdoor, since we're in a long hallway.
"How did you find this place?" Ryan asks as we enter the Jazz bar. The bar is stuffed with humans dancing and chatting with each other. Some are sitting at the bar, just listening to this amazing saxophone player on stage. He's in his mid forties and tanned.
"Luc showed me." she explains with a simple shrug, lacing her fingers with her big love before we follow her to an empty table.
"It's so cool!" Kelsi says, her bright blue eyes filled with sparkles. "If we're lucky, we're going to find a couple of artists for Unfaithful records here."
I raise my eyebrow at Troy, "Who said I'd work 24/7 again?"
He chuckles, "I take that back. Kelsi's the real workaholic."
"I'm not a workaholic!" she protests as we sit down, "I'm just seeing to many opportunities here…"
"Speaking of opportunities, we're up next on stage." Mils announces, grinning from head to toe.
"What?" I ask her surprised.
"Ryan, you and me. We're next. With Carlos." she announces.
"With Carlos?" both Bolton men ask skeptically.
Miley sighs, before nodding towards the saxophone player on stage. "He's the saxophone player. Forty something years old. Way to old for us to be interested in. But man can he play!"
"I'm in." Ryan announces smiling.
"Okay, if Ry's in this, I am as well." I say, giving in. Usually I don't go on stage. But with Ryan and Miley as my protection shield, I will do this. No one knows me in the bar anyways. It's so hidden from the life outside these walls, that no one will see or hear whatever we're doing in here.
End of Flashback
"It was amazing with this saxophone player…" Ryan says, grinning.
"That was one of your best nights!" Lucas says. "Until tonight."
"Really?" Miley asks, frowning.
"Sure. I haven't heard Troy singing for… I don't know six years?" he asks.
"About five…" Troy nods.
"Seriously?" Kelsi asks shocked. "You should use that voice more often then."
"Well, my voice needed a little bit of private training before I was able to present it to you guys." he smirks at me, making me blush.
I place the dishes into the dishwasher after rinsing the last bits of our Thanksgiving dinner away. It was a good Thanksgiving dinner - a new tradition with food we actually cooked ourselves. It may not have been perfect, but nothing's perfect. Lucas and Miley were the first to leave our dinner and soon Kelsi and Ryan followed. Both couples took some of food of our dinner home.
"Are you sure, you don't need any help?" Diana asks.
I shake my head, "No, Troy and I got it all covered. You're our guest - you won't help." I smile.
She returns my smile, "Alright, I'm going to head to bed then."
After all, it's nearly midnight. And I feel a bit tired as well.
"Goodnight." Troy says, hugging Diana.
"Sleep well." I say smiling before my eyes watch the lean and tall figure walking upstairs. She's trying her best. Diana has raised two fine men - both have argued with her on Thanksgiving, but other than that they are perfect. She's lucky - her behavior has rarely left any scars. Lucas is more or less fine and Troy... He has me to heal the bruises. We heal each other.
Suddenly I feel Troy lips on mine, making me lose all of my breath at once. I return his kiss, letting my fingers glide through his silky chestnut colored hair. He's making me forget everything around me once more. I forget about the dishes. I forget about the bad turn the dinner made for a while. I forget the argument. My thoughts are only on him and me.
I feel his warm strong hands glide beneath my dress, setting my skin on fire. I feel desire floating through my veins, demanding more and more. It's crazy how strong his effect is on me, how he is able to control mine and my daughter's feelings at the same time. How he is not only the centre of my world, no he is my world.
He lets go of my lips, giving me time to recover and air to breathe. "What was that?"
He kisses me softly, "That was part one of my Thanksgiving to you."
His Thanksgiving to me? "What's part two?"
He grabs my hand, leading me away from the kitchen. Away from the dishes. Away from reality.
We walk downstairs, through the long narrow hallway. We pass our indoor pool and sauna. We even walk by his office.
"Where are we going?" I ask him, feeling excitement and desire floating through my veins.
"It's Thanksgiving. And what I really am thankful for is something I will let you know somewhere we are alone. So alone, that you forget about our guest upstairs." He whispers to me, a dirty grin on his lips. My dirty grin.
I return his grin, although I am still a bit clueless. We stop in front of the library. "Why do we need two floors between your mother and us?" I ask him as I walk into the library. It's huge and filled with books I will never have time to read. Plus it has a pool table. I suck at playing pool.
His hands on my hips twist me around and I feel the wooden door pressing against my back. I feel the heat inside of me rising right away, as his blue orbs stare into mine, making me feel his lust, his hunger, for me. His lips form a seductive grin, "Because I will fuck your brain out."
I grin. My fiancé and his dirty, dirty words... He's making me horny within a second. "Is that a promise?"
"You bet it is." He says before his lips lead me back to paradise.
I rest my head on his chest, letting his heartbeat fill my ears. It's still as fast as mine, he is still recovering from the demanding, dominating, breathtaking sex. I draw circles on his chest with my fingers, smiling.
"How is my daughter?" He asks, brushing through my locks with the same smile on his lips as me.
Right on cue she starts dancing inside of me. "She's dancing."
He places his hand on my bump, "She's happy."
"Just like her mother."
"I love you unconditionally, Gabriella Maria Montez. Do you know that?"
I kiss him softly, "I love you more." Way more. So much more that it hurts to be without him. Our connection, our bond, is stronger than ever.
"I'm sorry about this morning." I whisper, lacing my fingers with his. My head is resting on his chest, my ears are listening to his steady heartbeat. I thought sex was not an option after what happened this morning. I thought he'd be mad for at least a few days. After all, I really did screw up.
"I know. Now you are." He whispers back, his eyes focused on my engagement ring. "I can't wait for us to get married."
A smile appears on my lips, "Me, too."
"We still have to choose our wedding bands." He says out of the sudden.
"I know. How about we do that at the end of the week?"
He nods, "We're going to pick our wedding bands and then go shopping with Anna."
I raise an eyebrow, why do we have to go shopping with our interior designer? "She should be doing the shopping. That's why we hired an interior designer in the first place."
"True, but there are two things we have to pick out ourselves."
"Which would be?"
"Our bed and the couches."
"I agree with choosing a bed, but the couches can be picked out by Anna."
"If we go bed shopping, we might as well go shopping for couches." He points out.
I sigh, "Fine. Could we stop talking about furniture now and go back to breathtaking sex?"
His eyes glitter in a dark sapphire blue. I am his addiction. And he is mine.
"Your mother seems nice." I say as we're throwing the small pillows from our king-sized bed. It's been a long day and I am so tired - and so happy.
"She is. When she takes her medicine."
"She doesn't seem sick." I say, looking out of the window. There's a beautiful view of London's famous Eye as well as the Themes. In less than two weeks we're going to live in Richmond. I'm going to miss the neighborhood. And the view.
"That's the tricky part of her disease. It doesn't show what's going on inside of her head, until one day she freaks out." he says, embracing me from behind.
"Were you afraid she'd freak out tonight?"
He frowns, "What showed you my concerns?"
"You were a bit tensed during the dinner. You were a bit... thoughtful. Your eyes didn't give me a second to breathe. At first I thought it was just because you were worried about the dinner and the meeting itself..."
His beautiful blue orbs stare into mine,"And then?"
"And then you kissed me passionately after your argument with Diana and Lucas. You weren't just relieved... You were happy I was alive."
"I am happy every day that you're alive."
"No, this kiss, this moment... It was more. It filled with grace and gratitude. It was then when I realized you were anxious the whole evening - and it has something to do with Diana and me. You were afraid Diana wouldn't like me… You were afraid you would have to stand up for your family once more." I explain into his eyes, "And you'd do it again in a blink of an eye. You are my rock. You have my back on whatever I do or say. And I'd do the same for you."
He brushes through my hair, "Am I so easy to read?"
I shake my head, "It's the other way around. I know what you felt, what you thought, what your emotions were, when it is already to late. Because you don't tell me about your unease. You try to hide it from me."
"There's nothing I can hide from you, my angel." He whispers to me.
"That's not true. You wore your poker face the whole evening."
"You are the only one who can look behind any mask I wear. With you, I am unmasked. With you, I am naked. With you, I am myself."
I close my eyes, leaning back. Maybe some day he's going to be right. "It was a good first Thanksgiving dinner."
"Next year we're going to have our daughter with us." he whispers, resting his head on my shoulder before lifting my shirt, exposing my bump.
"I can't wait." I say with a smile on my lips.
"Me either." he says, kissing my cheek. He puts bio oil into his hand before massaging it into my skin. Weirdly, I do not have any stretch marks yet. I guess, I am lucky. "Do you know she's the size of a head of lettuce right now?"
He's really reading the baby books! I mean, he's all stressed out due to his work and he still finds time to read the baby books! He's giving his best. "I also know that she's developing her lungs right now." I say smiling with tears in my eyes.
"Have I said something wrong?" he asks worried. Of course, he notices the tears right away. There's nothing I can hide from him.
I shake my head, "I'm just overwhelmed that you're trying so hard."
"You're doing all the work. Right now, all I can do is make sure that you feel comfortable 24/7. My job starts when she's born. And I'd like to be prepared for it. She's our daughter."
"You're going to be the best dad ever." I whisper, kissing him softly.
I stare at the ceiling, unable to find any sleep. While my fiancé is steady asleep next to me, I can't seem to find any sleep at all. It's not that I don't want to sleep. It's not that I am not tired enough. It's not that… My daughter just won't let me. She's boxing, dancing, doing an aerobic show inside of my stomach. She's doing everything, I mean everything, to keep me awake.
And I so hate her for that right now.
I thought the worst part of a pregnancy is the morning sickness. I thought I had that behind me, but… boy, this dancing is really nerve-wrecking!
I sigh before I decide to get up. There is no way I'm going to find any sleep soon. Not in the next few hours. I slide my feet into my slippers before I wrap myself in my morning gown and walk downstairs. It's already five thirty in the morning. Troy and I would be up at around seven, since we took a couple of days off to keep Diana company. She's going to leave in two days.
I yawn as I switch on the lights in the kitchen to make myself a cup of lemon tea. I pour water into the electric kettle and wait for the water to boil. I slice some lemons and squeeze out half a lemon into my cup before I pour the water into my cup. Weirdly, I do not have any food cravings. Maybe it's even too early for that - but it doesn't stop my daughter from dancing.
I walk into the living room and stare out of the french windows, looking at our little garden in the middle of London. The rain clashes against the windows. Heavy drops slide down the glass as I take a sip of my tea. In New York there'd be already a little snow. Here in London there's rain. Lots and lots and lots of rain!
I love it.
"Gabriella?"
I jump up as I hear my name, letting the tea nearly drop out of my cup. I turn around.
It's Diana. "Oh, I didn't mean to scare you. I am so sorry." she apologizes, her bright green eyes still a little cloudy and sleepy.
"No, you don't have to apologize. I am okay." I say with a smile on my lips. I have no idea why she's already awake at this time. No one should be awake at this time. Not even my unborn daughter. "Why are you awake?"
"Jet-lag." she explains with a shrug, "I heard someone downstairs and when I walked downstairs I saw the light so…"
She embodies the Californian glow. It may be five thirty in the morning, but Diana Bolton looks like she just had a ten hour sleep. Just her bright green eyes give me the hint that she - just like me - was unable to find any sleep. "Oh yeah… Uhm, do you want a cup of tea maybe?" I ask her, still a bit confused.
She shakes her head, "A bottle of water would be nice. I have to take my medicine." she explains with a shrug.
I place the cup on the coffee table in front of the couch before I walk back into the kitchen. "Do you always take your medicine at this time?" I ask her confused as I open the fridge and get out a bottle of Evian water for her. Maybe the question was too direct. I hand the bottle to her and she takes it with a smile.
"No, but thanks to the time difference, I have to now. A downside of visiting my son and his fiancé here in London." she explains before opening the bottle and taking two different pills.
She still doesn't look sick, I think as Diana drinks the water. She seems so normal.
"But that's a disadvantage I can deal with. It's worth it. I mean, seeing Troy in this joy again was…" she doesn't end her sentence. Instead she smiles.
My mother has never felt this kind of feeling towards me. She never felt love. Troy is a lucky man. He knows how mother love feels like. I don't. I never will. My daughter on the other side... She will be loved until the day I die - and even after my death I will still love her. "We love having you here. It's been really a long time coming. We should have met earlier, but somehow there was always something which came in-between. Whether it was my accident or other things, we've been really busy."
"I know… Believe me, I know how busy life can get when your young and successful." she smiles again. "Speaking of a busy life, how are things going with the wedding?"
Now it's my time to smile, "We're going to send out the invitations in the next couple of days."
"How many are coming?"
"Originally we wanted to keep the wedding very small and intimate… And then we started writing guest lists. In the end we are far, far, far away from an intimate wedding." I explain, "We now are inviting about 300 guests."
I expect her mouth to drop open or her eyes to widen, but nothing happens. She has every single muscle in her face under control. Troy is so much like her. "That's a decent amount of guests." she says, "Considering you two are public persons and you have lots of friends means you have to invite a lot of people. On my wedding with Franklin we had six hundred guests." she says with a wink.
Six hundred guests?! Wow!
"Are your parents coming as well? Troy mentioned that your relationship is quite difficult."
I shake my head, "No, we decided to not invite my parents. It would just cause unnecessary drama and make me feel very uncomfortable. But we invited my step-sister, Sharpay. She probably won't come, though." I explain. I can't believe Troy mentioned Victoria! The worst mother ever. Towards Diana. But then again, Diana's his mother. She surely asked about my parents and stuff…
"Do you already know what you're going to do with your wedding photos?"
I frown at her.
"Are you going to sell them exclusively to a magazine? Or will you make an exclusive interview as a married couple?"
Oh… I haven't thought about that yet. "We haven't decided that yet. But I'm sure we'll think of something." And do nothing but keep the photos to ourselves, I add in silence.
She nods, "What about your honeymoon?"
"Troy chooses the location. He's quite good at surprising me."
She smiles, "I'm sure he is."
"But I told him to choose something sunny and warm. I don't want to spend it in the cold."
"You're due in March, aren't you?" she asks, looking at my bump.
"Yes. The 3rd to be exact."
"Do you guys already have a name for my granddaughter?"
I shake my head, "We've been searching and reading name books but… no, we're still clueless. There are just too many names to decide! But we'll give her three names to keep up with the Bolton tradition."
"You'll find a name. When she's here, you know her name."
"Was it like that with Troy and Lucas?"
"No, we had the name before they were born… But I'm sure you find a name. A name which suits her."
I smile in return. She's so nice. So unlike Victoria. She doesn't have any hidden agenda. She's just… she's a mom. Something mine never was.
"Listen, Gabriella, I'd like to thank you."
I raise an eyebrow, "What for?"
"For everything." she says, her eyes filled with kindness. "For being with my son. For loving him with all your heart…"
Awww, I think I'm going to cry!
"I know things haven't been exactly easy with you two. But from the day you guys met, he… he was under your spell right away." she says with a small smile on her lips, "I remember him calling me in the night, telling me that you knocked his socks completely off. He called your meeting magical. He has never called something magical before. Not even when he met Katherine. Not with any other women in his life… And no matter how many times you ran or pushed him away, he made sure to catch you or give you air to breathe. He said he couldn't live without you, no matter how hard he tried to. Even the fact that his company was going to buy your's didn't keep him from falling deeper and deeper in love with you with each day passing. And when you moved to London… you took his heart with you." she says with a shrug, "Even the scandal you created didn't change anything for him. You are the pulse to his heartbeat. You are his soulmate, Gabriella. His other half… You are his life. You and now your little daughter." she says, looking at my bump. " I know he wasn't exactly cheering when he found out about your pregnancy, but that's only because he likes to have things under control. He likes to know what's going on. He's not a fan of secrets… But you are full of surprises for my son. Every day you surprise him with your strength and kindness." she smiles again, her bright green eyes now watery as well, "You've turned my bachelor of a son, my party-going son into… himself again. You gave him a home. You showed him it's okay to let someone in, to feel and be loved. And now… Now you're giving him his most precious present. Your daughter. He's going to be an amazing father, because he has you beside him. Both of you will master this lifelong adventure. You will be amazing parents, raising my granddaughter."
My vision gets blurry, seriously why does she have to tell me this now?
"And I know you never really had a mother, since Victoria… she's just unable to feel love towards her own blood and flesh. She saves this love for money and expensive handbags." she explains, making me laugh, "Because of Victoria's egoism you never had a mother. That's why I'd like to be yours. I'd like to be what she never was. We're a family. I saw that last night. Ryan, Kelsi, Miley, Lucas, Troy, you and me. We may not all be blood related, but family's so much more than that. It excepts you the way you are. It loves you unconditionally, no matter how many times you screw things up. Within a family you fight, but you always make up. So, what do you say?"
Tears are rolling down my face. What did I do to deserve this? To deserve this family? I nod, unable to form any words and hug her as tight as possible. Diana's been sent straight out of heaven. She may have broken wings, but that doesn't make me love this woman less. She's going to be the only grandmother my child with have - and she's going to be the best!
"I have one question though." I start, "Why don't you like to be called by your first name?" I mean, her first name is Evelyn, not Diana.
A laughter escapes her lungs, "Let's say I have a complicated relationship with my mother, who decided to name me after herself, as well. Something we have in common."
I know, I'm suppeeer late with this one. Anyways a new chapter. Please review.
Xoxo Nic