A/N: This took an awful long time but I loved writing it and it really pushed my talent, I think, to a new level. Over 5000 words here and it took 10 pages. I remember way back when 10 pages meant 1000 words. One more chapter left but I don't know when it'll be finished because my exams are next week :( Not good.
This chapter is dedicated to my grandparents. It was my birthday last week (17 - I'm legal on the road!) and it was the first birthday without either of my grandparents and I was writing this at the time. One particular part means a lot to me and I sincerely hope you enjoy this.
Don't own HSM x
Troy sipped his coffee absentmindedly as he kept his eyes locked on the lane coming from the highway. He kept hoping to see Jack's jeep but nothing came. It was the same old dusty lane he'd seen every day since he was born. His friends were chatting amongst themselves but he couldn't concentrate on any one conversation at all. Since Jack and Gabriella had driven off this morning, he had stood there patiently at the window, only leaving to get more coffee or to go to the bathroom. All he could think about was his Gabriella fighting for their home.
The strange thing with life is that no matter who you're in love with, who you fight with or who dies, the world keeps spinning, clocks keep ticking and, quite frankly, time marches on. Time has no concept for grief when you want time to speed up. It has no concept of love when you want time to slow down. It just keeps going and you just have to wait. So that was what Troy was doing. That's what Troy had been doing since he was sixteen. When he was sixteen, he fell in love with Ellie and wished time would just stop so that they could be together forever. Then, when she passed away, he didn't know what he wanted. He wanted time to go slower so that he could have more time with Kaden but he wanted time to speed up so that he wouldn't have to suffer too badly.
Why are people always worrying about time?
He sighed. Things were changing. Finally. He and Gabriella had an honest chance at happiness and that's what he wanted. Things were moving forward and he knew that it was time for him to let go of things that had been holding him back from everything. He couldn't live that way anymore and he wasn't willing to make Gabriella live like that either. He knew that the past would also be there, but the future would always be there, too. And now, instead of dwelling on the past, he had to focus on his future with Gabriella and Kaden. Nobody expected him to forget everything and he knew he couldn't. But he couldn't let those memories run his life anymore. He admired Gabriella. A lot. Once their relationship had been fully declared 'serious', she had been completely focussed on Troy and Kaden and yet, he was still talking to an imaginary vision of his dead wife.
Damn. If he said that out loud, he'd be locked in a mental asylum.
He set his cup on the mantel, turned to his friends and sighed. "Excuse me," he murmured as he made his way towards the hallway.
"You okay?" Chad asked.
Troy nodded. "Yeah. I just need to do something important." He turned away from his bewildered friends and went upstairs to his bedroom. He opened his closet and reached up to the top shelf to take down the cardboard box that was, almost literally, filled with his life. He looked down on the photo album, yearbooks, Ellie's jewellery, and even one of Ellie's shirts. He went over to his dresser and opened one of the drawers, taking out all of the photo frames he'd stowed there when he'd taken them all down the first night he'd slept with Gabriella in this very room. He began placing them all in the cardboard box along with his other memories and counted all of the photos. Fifteen. On the night he'd made love to Gabriella for the first time in this house, there had been fifteen pictures of Ellie in the bedroom. He supposed, for that reason, that night could've been a lot better for Gabriella.
He looked down on the box. He was ready. He looked at the picture of their wedding day on his bedside cabinet and knew that he couldn't do that. He couldn't take his wedding picture down. But, he concluded, one picture was better than fifteen. He carried the box out of the bedroom and stared at the door at the end of the landing. He almost felt scared at the thought of walking though that door. The wood was darker than the other doors. It was the only place that hadn't been renovated when Troy and Ellie moved in. He gripped the box with a death-like grip as he slowly crossed the landing.
"Troy? You okay?" Sharpay yelled from the living room.
Troy paused and rolled his eyes. He could just picture his friends worrying about him and wondering what the hell he was doing upstairs. He could see them all discussing whether they should go upstairs and see if he was okay and then Sharpay, being her usual I-can't-stand-up-when-I-have-a-voice-like-mine self, decided to just yell the whole of Albuquerque down.
"Shar, that isn't what we meant," he heard Taylor exclaim.
Troy smiled to himself. "Guys, I'm fine. I'll be back down soon," he yelled back.
He balanced the box with one arm as he opened the door. He stared at the impending staircase before him and took a deep breath. "Please, Lord, give me strength, give me courage," he mumbled a quiet prayer.
Before he lost the much needed courage, he slowly climbed the stairs. It seemed a lifetime since he last set foot in the attic and he knew it would be a while, perhaps when Kaden was old enough to comprehend his mother's death, until he set foot in there again. He emerged in the dusty loft and set the box the floor. He wandered around the space, taking down cobwebs and wiping his hands over surfaces. Three years' worth of dirt and still he thought everything looked beautiful. He slowly turned around and saw the mannequin in the far corner that was covered by a sheet that was discoloured by time. He walked towards it and reached out, taking a fistful of material in his hand. He slowly pulled the sheet from the mannequin, coughing violently at the dust which fell from the sheet. When he regulated his breathing, he smiled to himself. Not one single dust particle on the dress which the mannequin was wearing.
Ellie's wedding dress.
He reached out and traced the beads which had been sewn so carefully across the chest section, then he felt the lace across the torso and finally the white silk material which flared out to her feet. She had looked like an angel, standing there at the back of the church. Her blonde hair had been pinned up, letting a few ringlets frame her face. A silver cross, which had been her mother's, had hung around her neck and a bunch of white roses had been held in her hands.
Troy's eyes watered. When she had entered the church, looking like an angel, their eyes had connected and all they could do was smile at each other. And when they had recited their vows, traditional, of course, and said 'I do', all Troy could do was grin because she was finally his wife. His wife, Eloise Bolton.
Troy wiped his eyes and then draped the sheet back over her dress. He wandered back over to the box he had carried up and began setting the pictures on every available surface. He set her jewellery box on one of the tables and lifted the lid. A tiny ballerina figurine popped up on a spring and began turning around whilst an old piece of piano music played in the background. It had been given to Ellie by his parents when they moved in together. She would sit at her dresser and, more often than not, Troy would simply watch her as she arranged her hair and then chose what jewellery to wear. He picked up some of the necklaces, holding them up in the air and admiring their beauty. As he was about to shut the jewellery box, he spotted something that made him stop. He reached in and pulled out a crumpled envelope. He sat down slowly on the floor and blew the dust from the envelope. He saw his name in Ellie's handwriting and tore the seal, taking out the single piece of paper.
He read the date in the top right hand corner and realised she had written it the day before their wedding.
Dearest Troy,
If you've found this letter, it means that I'm gone. I'm sat here, writing this, knowing that at some point in the future, I will die. Tomorrow, I will be Eloise Bolton and you cannot imagine the excitement I am feeling. I know you've always been faithful to me but I think I can be just a little selfish by wanting a wedding ring on your finger to put off all of those girls at Berkeley.
This feeling is strange. In September, we're heading off to college as Mr and Mrs Bolton. I feel like everything is changing but at the same time, everything's staying the same. I've never asked for much from this world. The only thing I have asked for is you. And tomorrow, you'll be mine forever.
I love you.
You have to know that before you read the rest of this letter. I don't know how I'm going to die but I hope that I will have left some children for you to remember me by.
I know it won't be easy. I know it won't be easy for me if I lose you first. But you have to promise me you will not give up, okay? I know you and I know you'll love me forever and I'll love you, too. But you have to live your life like you've only got one day to live. You have to take chances and risks and I know that you'll never leave Albuquerque but try to be a little adventurous every now and then.
Don't be afraid just because I'm not there. I'll protect as best as I can and I'll help you but sometimes you need to brave and do things for yourself. You can do it if you just believe in yourself as much as I do.
If I'm dead and we haven't been married long, I don't expect you to live the rest of your life being lonely. If you feel you're ready and you love her and treat her like you treated me and she treats you exactly how you deserve to be treated, and she loves you, too, I want you to marry her as soon as you can. No matter who she is, she won't hang around and wait forever until you make up your mind whether to let me go or not. If you truly love another woman, don't live in the past just to be with me. It won't be fair on her and you know it.
I suppose I should get some rest now. Early rise in the morning. I'll see you at the altar tomorrow.
Live every day like it's your last. Stay true to that because that's what I want you to do.
I love you. Forever and always
Trust your heart, Troy Bolton.
Eloise Bolton
xxx
Troy held the letter to his chest as he curled up and cried into his knees. He'd heard her whispering in his ear as if she was right there with him. He couldn't think of anything but the truth. What Ellie had written was perfectly true. All Gabriella had done was love him and he had been in a constant dilemma. The more he was with Gabriella, the less he could be with Ellie. Now it was time to choose which life he wanted.
He didn't know if it should've been easy but it was. He hadn't been fair on Gabriella at all. The first time they'd made love in his house, pictures of Ellie had been everywhere. While she had simply gained strength from Troy, he couldn't stop thinking about Ellie. She hadn't frozen in weeks and she was putting everything into the fact that they'd keep the ranch. It was Gabriella now and would stay that way. If he wanted her to stay, and to be his wife, he had to prove to her that he wasn't giving a half-hearted go at their relationship and that he honestly wanted her for the rest of his life.
It was time. He knew it. As he stood up, surveying the mass of Ellie's belongings, he knew that someday, he'd have to give the stuff away. But for now, he'd have to take it one step at a time. He slipped the letter in the envelope and set it next to the jewellery box. He kissed his fingers and touched the enveloped. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
"Goodbye, Ellie," he whispered softly.
He began arranging the rest of Ellie's things around the attic. He slowly turned around and sighed. He'd done it. He'd said goodbye.
He didn't belong up in the attic. He didn't belong with Ellie anymore. He knew that. He picked up the empty box and glanced back at the attic. He smiled wistfully to himself as he turned out the lights and went back downstairs.
"They're here," Kaden yelled excitedly as he and Naomi raced towards the front door. Kaden reached up and pulled the door open. He waved excitedly as Jack and Gabriella climbed out of the beat up old jeep. Gabriella's hair had been freed from the hair tie and a few buttons of her blouse were undone. Her briefcase was held in her hand and she smiled at Jack before she hugged him. "Gabi," Kaden yelled as he ran out towards her.
"Hold there, little guy," Gabriella said as she smiled and bent down to his level. She hugged him tightly. "How are you, Kaden?"
"I'm good. Naomi's here, too." He wrapped his arms tightly around the little girl.
Gabriella laughed. "I can see that."
"Did you do it? Did you get the ranch?" he asked excitedly.
Gabriella laughed. "I think your daddy should know before you do. But," she started as she reached into her briefcase and pulled out a large, brown envelope. "Kaden, Naomi, I want you to run straight inside and give this to your daddy. Run as fast as you can because he'll be waiting, okay?"
"Okay," they said in unison.
As they reached for the envelope, Gabriella moved it out of reach. "No peeking?"
"No peeking," they promised.
Gabriella sighed and handed it over. "Go on," she murmured as they ran into the house. She turned to Jack as they began walking towards the house. "I hope Troy's okay with the result."
Jack nodded reassuringly. "He'll be fine." They stood in the hallway together, taking off their jackets.
Gabriella pointed towards the kitchen. "I'm going to find Troy." She kissed Jack's cheek and smiled comfortingly. She walked into the kitchen to find Troy stood with Kaden on his hip, opening the envelope. Everybody was crowded around the island, anxiously awaiting the verdict.
Troy took the large piece of paper, more importantly the deed to the ranch, out and read it before his face broke out into a wide grin. He kissed Kaden's head before stuffing the deed under Mike's nose and bringing him forward for a hug. "Mike, it's ours," Troy exclaimed excitedly as they embraced tightly.
Gabriella smiled faintly as she watched the Bolton brothers celebrate together and their friends congratulate them. It finally paid off. All of the worry and concern had been worth it just so that she could see that look of pure bliss and excitement spread across Troy's face. She thought back to when Troy showed her pictures of him and Ellie in high school and he looked exactly like the boy she had seen in those pictures. But, something was different. Something was playing on his mind, despite the good news, and she wanted to know what.
As their friends went back into the lounge, giving Gabriella their praises and congratulations as they passed, Gabriella stepped into the kitchen, making her presence known to the Bolton brothers and Kaden. "Hey," she murmured.
Troy smiled. "So it worked, right? This place is ours?"
Gabriella shrugged, resting her hands on the island counter. "Every part of it. Your dad will keep working here. Mike, he and Troy will deal with finances and supplies until you graduate college but everything's yours. But, you can guarantee that Jack will still have an input until the day he dies."
Jack walked in, loosening his tie and rolling his sleeves up. He grinned, resting a hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "You got that right. You can't get rid of me that easily."
Mike hugged Jack tightly. "Dad, this is incredible," he exclaimed. "Thanks."
Jack shook his head. "I didn't do all that much. It was mostly Gabriella."
Mike moved over to hug Gabriella. He pulled back and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Gabs. You don't know how much place means to us."
"Yeah. I think I do. I'm not going anywhere and I don't think Troy will let me, either, so I like to believe that this is my home, too, and that it'll stay that way," she murmured as she walked over to Troy and kissed him softly in greeting.
"Dude," Mike exclaimed as he hit Troy over the head.
Troy pulled back the kiss and glared. "Mikey. Stop it. You're so immature, you should be back in kindergarten."
"Googly eyes," Mike sang.
Gabriella frowned and glanced at Jack who shrugged. "Troy, what's he talking about?"
At the risk of people discovering the heart-to-heart the two brothers had shared about their significant others, Troy paused for a minute. "Nothing. Mikey's just being a pain again like he's always been. Right, Mikey?"
Mike frowned. "Dang, I hate being the youngest."
"Having an annoying kid brother is no picnic either. Try being the oldest and having to cope with you," Troy exclaimed.
"Well," Mike started before he poked his tongue out.
"Wow," Gabriella said slowly. "I think Kaden is more mature than you."
"Gabi, what does mature mean?" Kaden asked.
"Grown up," she replied.
Kaden grinned up at Troy. "I'm more mature than you," he exclaimed, obviously excited about how he had learnt a new word. He poked Troy's cheek.
Troy nodded and set Kaden on the ground. "That's nice. Go and find Naomi. Do you guys mind if I have a minute with Gabi, please?"
"Ah, suit yourself," Mike concluded. "I don't want to ruin this perfect day by seeing you playing tonsil tennis."
Troy opened his mouth but before he could speak, Jack had steered his youngest son and grandson into the lounge. Troy shook his head to himself. "Kids, who'd have them?"
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "You do know you have a son, right? And Mikey isn't a kid anymore. He's going to college."
Troy frowned. "He can't," he muttered, leaning against the counter and folding his arms.
"Why not? I thought he was accepted?" Gabriella asked in confusion.
Troy nodded. "He was. He can't go because he's my baby brother."
Gabriella smiled. "That's sweet."
Troy clapped his hands. "Anyway, this isn't about Mikey. Come here." He reached forward, bringing Gabriella into his arms. He kissed her temple as he revelled in the feel of his body against his. "How'd you do it, Gabi?" he whispered.
She closed her eyes in bliss. "It wasn't easy," she admitted, "but I think that Meaghan seeing me as your partner, not her lawyer, helped a lot." She pulled back to look into his eyes. "I meant what I said. This is my home now."
Troy smiled and curled some hair behind her ear. "Exactly how it should be. Sharpay complains because she thinks that Bolton men needs a woman to keep us in place."
She breathed deeply as she tentatively ran her thumb across his forehead. Her eyes danced playfully as she answered, "She's speaking the truth."
Troy chuckled. "I love you," he whispered as he leaned down and kissed her passionately.
Gabriella responded slowly. She had thought that Troy would give some playful, teasing response relating to her hopping skills and the kiss came as a shock to her. Their arms tightened around each other as Gabriella frowned. Whilst she loved Troy's kisses, something had changed and she wasn't exactly sure why. She pulled back. "What is it?"
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.
Troy kissed her forehead and held her tightly in her arms. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Troy stepped out onto the back porch and saw Mike sat on the wooden steps, a bottle of beer in his hands. "Hey, Mikey. Can I join you?"
Mike smiled and nodded at his older brother. "Of course."
Troy sat next to him on the steps and looked over at the setting sun. "You admiring our home?"
Mike nodded. "Yeah, I am. It's only struck me now that this place is actually really beautiful. It's like what they say, you don't notice what's right in front of you."
Troy smiled. "Yeah. We used to play out in the fields with the animals so much when we were kids. I thought I couldn't wait to see the rest of the world and come back once I graduated college but when I went to California for Berkeley, I realised how much this place is in my blood. I couldn't wait to come back here to smell this place and have the dust and dirt on my truck. Don't get me wrong, California is beautiful but there's something about this place."
"Dad always said to me that if I get the chance to play pro, I have to remember that I can only be happy if I remember where I come from and that home is where the heart is," Mike murmured.
"Well, it's true. As far as I've seen, Albuquerque has two types of people. The type that can't wait to leave this place and never look back and the type like me and dad that never thinks of leaving except for college," Troy said quietly. He paused for a moment. "Have you called Jenny with the news?"
Mike nodded. "She was so happy for me."
Troy nudged his brother's shoulder. "We'll be okay. Don't worry so much."
"Were you scared about college?" Mike whispered.
Troy laughed. "Hell yeah."
"I didn't know. Why were you scared?" Mike asked.
Troy shrugged. "I didn't want things to change. High school was amazing and I know that it seems like the greatest thing in the world when you're in it but things change. You graduate and things will be better, I promise. Especially when you've got someone beside you."
"I told Jenny I love her," Mike admitted. "It was the other day. We were just in my truck together. I was driving her home from school and before she got out, I just said it. It felt like the most natural thing in the world."
Troy smiled. "What did she say?"
"She said she loved me, too." Mike ran a hand through his hair. "Do you really think we'll be okay? You and me?"
Troy nodded. "Of course. No matter what happens in life, we're brothers. We'll always be brothers. I promise."
Mike hugged Troy tightly. "You're the greatest brother in the world."
Troy pulled back and swatted Mike over the head. "Don't go all sissy on me." His face turned serious as he hugged Mike. "You're the greatest brother in the world, too."
Gabriella sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was happy and excited that the ranch was now with its rightful owners but she was tired. She was glad it was over and she was happy to be sat in Troy's tree house, with a breeze blowing in her face and the setting sun in front of her. She supposed she should be in the house with everybody else, celebrating and she had been for a while but she just needed some time to herself. It had been a long day and now all she wanted was Troy to be there beside her.
She couldn't help thinking about Troy and his love for her. She felt somewhat guilty for thinking this way but it came to her without any warning. She had to wonder how far Troy's love for Ellie went. She hated having these thoughts. They sounded bitter and heartless but she couldn't stop them. She had gone through enough to account for her selfish thoughts. She was alive and Ellie wasn't. She wanted to be the one Troy focussed on. She wanted to be the only one that Troy thought about.
She rolled her eyes. She knew that was impossible and she didn't expect Troy to just not think about Ellie. She really wouldn't be a good girlfriend if she expected that. But, she wanted him to just love her. No comparisons. None at all. Just...love. She closed her eyes and wiped them with the backs of her hands. It wasn't that she wanted Troy to simply forget Ellie. That was like Troy asking her to forget the feeling of her baby inside of her. She didn't want it to control his life anymore. When he was with her, no one would have guessed what he'd been through and that's the Troy she wanted to see. She didn't want to see him preoccupied like the guy she met for the first time at the shindig. She wanted him to be free and happy with no worries like the guy from the East High yearbooks.
"Hey, are you okay?" Troy asked as he looked down on Gabriella. She had changed into a gorgeous summer dress and was now currently sat on the decking around the tree house, dangling her feet over the edge.
She looked up and smiled at him. "Yeah. Are you going to stand there or sit with me?"
Troy smiled as he sat behind her, allowing her to lean back against his chest. He linked his fingers with hers and then lifted one of her hands to his lips. "I love you so much, Gabi," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting their linked fingers on her stomach.
She smiled as she turned her head, closing her eyes as she breathed in his cologne. "I love you, too."
Troy kissed her temple softly as they savoured the moment of peace they had together. "Why did you come up here by yourself?"
She shrugged as she opened her eyes and tilted her head to look at him. "Things were a bit crowded. I mean, I know they're just celebrating but I guess I wanted some quiet time."
"Do you want me to go?" Troy asked, brushing some curls from her forehead.
She smiled and shook her head. "No." She turned back so that they were both watching the stars. She was quiet for a moment. "I know stars are suns billions of light years away but sometimes it's nice to believe that they're angels, isn't it?"
Troy kissed her temple again, closing his eyes in peace. "Yeah, it is." He paused, letting his lips linger on her skin.
"What happened earlier?" Gabriella asked. "You're different and I want to know why."
Troy sighed. She needed to know. "I decided to do something while you were getting the ranch. I took Ellie's stuff, her pictures and the box from the closet, up to the attic where the rest of her things are. It's been so long and I'm not sure why I waited this long to do it. It's like I've been living two different lives and it's just not possible anymore. I found a letter. She wrote it the day before our wedding and she told me that I have to be brave. I realised I haven't been fair on you through any of this. I mean, the pictures while we made love, the bad days and I'm going to try to make this perfect for you. This is me being brave."
Gabriella's eyes watered. "You don't have to forget her. I mean, you have a right to-"
"Gabi, stop," he interrupted softly. "I know I don't have to forget her. And I won't. But, now I have you to love and that's the way it should be. You're so perfect, you don't mention Austin at all, you just love me and that's it. It's time for it to be about you." He kissed her temple and felt her sigh against his body. He was so proud of her and he loved her more than ever. He felt the weight of the square little box in his jeans pocket and knew that this was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. "Gabi, remember when you wondered what was on my mind?"
She smiled to herself. "Yeah."
He took her hand and pointed towards a random star. "Do you see that star?"
Gabriella nodded. "Of course."
"If I could, I'd take you to that star and that star and that star," he said moving her hand to point to others. "Because I love you. I was thinking the other day. I was lying in bed one night, just feeling you beside me and if I could make it so that it was just you, me and Kaden, I would because you're both my entire world. That night in bed, I thought that you're the one I want next to me when the world is spinning and the one I want next to me when it stops." He let go of her hand to dig the box out of his pocket. He wrapped her fingers around it and then kissed the back of her hand.
"Troy," Gabriella whispered.
"Just do me one favour to make me the happiest man alive," he whispered. "Just one."
"What?" she asked as she stared at the box.
"Marry me," he whispered.
She turned the box over in her hands and inhaled deeply. "I really can't do that," she admitted as she twisted her head to face him.
His face fell a little bit, hurt evident on his face. "Why not?" he asked quietly.
She shrugged nonchalantly and looked back towards the sky. "It's simple, really. I can't marry you because you can't take me to any of those stars without us having to go faster than the speed of light which would probably result in us bursting into flames."
Troy lifted Gabriella up and pulled her further into the tree house. He ignored her giggles and yelps of protest and straddled her hips so that he was looking down on her. "You're so clever, aren't you?" he murmured.
She smiled up at him and shrugged. "I like to think so."
Troy sighed. "So, will you marry me? Only serious answers will be accepted this time."
She laughed in disbelief as she opened the square box and saw the engagement ring sitting there, perfectly. She looked up at him and nodded frantically. "Of course, I will, Cowboy," she exclaimed as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Troy brought them up into a sitting position and slipped the ring on her finger. "So, Gabi, you really want to marry a cowboy?"
"Only if I'm marrying my cowboy," she whispered as she kissed him. They shuffled to edge again, letting their legs dangle over the edge. She leant against him and sighed. "Kaden said he wants me to be his mommy," she admitted.
"Really?" Troy asked quietly.
Gabriella nodded and tilted her head to see him. "Yeah. That gave me a little bit of confidence as far as maternity is concerned."
"Rightly so," he murmured. "You're brilliant with him. You really are."
They looked down when they heard the screen door open. They saw Jack and Lucille come out and stand facing each other in the back yard. "Oh my god," Gabriella whispered.
"What?" Troy asked quietly.
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Just watch." They watched closely as Jack held Lucille's hands and said something softly. Lucille nodded gently and Gabriella squeezed Troy's hand as Jack leaned closer and kissed Lucille softly on the lips. Gabriella turned to Troy and studied his enigmatic expression. "What are you thinking?"
Troy shrugged. "It's true, isn't it?"
"What is?"
"I had a conversation with Ms Darbus, my drama teacher, in my junior year of high school. Chad and I had had a fight and I was so angry. I can't remember why, I just remember feeling sick whenever I saw him. Obviously, we worked things out about a day later." He chuckled. "But Ms Darbus told me that everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. I never really believed it before now."
Gabriella smiled up at him. "I'm glad you do," she whispered. "Now it's just us and things will be okay just like you promised."
Troy chuckled and leaned down to kiss her softly, knowing that although he didn't know what would happen in the future, he could take comfort from the ranch and everybody who lived there.
