Chapter 35:

She is leaning against the white wall across me. She still looks like crap. Like walking death.

The silver gun gliters back at me. Fuck, does she even know how to use it? Is she going to kill me now?!

"Close the door!" she yells at me.

I do what she asks me to. After all, this is a big gun.

"Irina, please put the gun down." I beg her, feeling the adrenalin rushing through my veins.

"You know," she starts, twisting the gun in her hands, "I never really knew what the whole deal was with a gun. Until... Until I killed for the first time."

I gulmp. Kill?! She already killed someone?! "Irina, I'm sure you don't want to do this..." I say, looking into her deathly green eyes. She seems scared and sophisticated at the same time. She reminds me of Troy.

Oh no, Troy! I put my hand on my stomach right away. My little horserace. No one gets to hurt my little horserace. No one!

"Just answer me one question, Gabriella." she says, walking over to me.

I nodd, "Anything." I reach into the pocket of my coat and start to dial his number. Luckily, I know Troy's number by heart. Then I push the green button before I put the volume on a very low level, so she won't hear him.

"Why did he chose you?" she asks me, her head slightly turned to the side. "I mean out of all these women he could have chosen anyone. But he chose you." she says, pointing the gun right at my chest.

Is she going to pull the trigger now? I am silent.

"Answer me!" she yells.

"I... I don't know."

"Don't lie to me!" she says and hits me with the silver gun in the face. Ouch, that hurts!

I feel my blood pounding. My cheek is red and it really hurts. "He fell in love with me." I answer back in a whisper, feeling the tears rolling down my cheek. No, don't cry Gabriella! That way she will only have more power over you.

"Love?!" she asks me and fakes a laugh. "Oh no, honey. Troy Bolton doesn't love!" she says and hits me again. This time in my rips.

I feel the pain running through my veins right away. They just healed you fucking skank!

"Irina, please put the gun down. You don't want to hurt anyone, do you?"

"He should have picked me! ME!" she yells at me, pointing with the gun at me. "Not you! You are just... A whore he met on the streets!"

I am anything but a whore! "What are you going to do after you killed me, Irina?" I ask her. I need to keep her talking. It will give me time. Time to think. Time for Troy to come and save me.

"He loves me! Me!" she yells, "You have no idea what history we have. How can he throw it away in an blink of an eye?!" she asks me and suddenly I understand. She is not after me. She's just hurt. Her heart is shattered. He broke her heart. She loved him.

I nodd, "I'm sorry."

"No! I don't need your fucking sorrow! You are the reason why he left me!" she yells again.

I am silent.

"It is all your fault!" she yells again and I hear a knock at the door.

Oh finally!

"Who is on the door?" she asks me. "Did you call anyone?!"

I shake my head, feeling the gun pressed against my chest. Tears roll down my cheek.

"Open the door!" she yells and I open the door with shaky fingers.

It's not Troy. I remark and feel my heart crash on the floor. It's my neighbour. Eric.

"Are you okay?" the african american man asks me.

I nodd. "I'm fine, Eric."

"I heard someone yelling."

"Everything is alright." I answer, feeling the gun pressing it's way through my back.

"Good... See you around, Gabriella." he says and walks away again.

I close my eyes, letting the tears roll down my cheeks as I close the door again.

"He's gone."

"Good. Now sit down, I think we should have a little chat." she says pointing with the gun at the dark red couch.

I sit down at the couch and stare into her scared eyes. "Irina, you don't want to do this."

"Quite!" she hits me again. "Gosh, are you so talkative when you're with Troy as well?!"

Oh yes I am.

Suddenly the door gets torn open. I see Taylor storming in. Behind him are Nick and Troy. Everything then happens in a blink of an eye.

Irina starts shooting. First at Taylor, whom she didn't hit. Taylor has amazing insticts! Nick hits the gun out of her hand so fast that my eyes nearly don't follow. Within a blink of an eye, Irina is laying on the floor, her hands getting enchained by Nick.

Wow, their education clearly payed off. They're excellent. Suddenly, I'm glad Troy hired them.

Troy...

I look over at Troy, his eyes are black. His body is tensed. His face is emotionless. He doesn't even recognize me fully. He's focused on her.

"I'll take it from here, gentlemen." he says in a sharp tone. "Taylor, I want you to get Miss Montez out of this apartment."

Taylor nodds at him. "Yes, Sir."

"Nick, I want you to wait for me in front of the door." he says to him.

"Of course, Sir." Nick says to him.

Irina looks into Troy's eyes. She stares into them and I can see the sparkle which seemed to be lost. He is her sparkle. Oh my God!

"I'll stay." I say in one breath. This scene fascinates me. The broken girl who gets saved by her hero. A hero who is mine.

Troy turns around and shoots a dark look at me. "No, you won't."

"Yes, I will!" I start argueing with him. His dark glance nearly scares me... Nearly.

"Taylor." he says to him.

"Of course, Sir." Taylor says, picking me up.

What the hell?! "Let me down!" I yell as he walks out with me.

I hear Troy and Irina talking in flawless Russian. He's furious with her. She's trying to apologize. That's all I can hear from the distance which is getting bigger and bigger since Taylor is walking down the hallway - with me still over his shoulders. God, how embarrassing!

"Mr. Bolton wants you out of the danger zone, Miss Montez. I believe it's only for your both safety." Both. Fuck, I almost forgot my little horserace!

He places me on the floor in front of the building. "Thank you, Taylor." I say and pull him in a long hug. Something he didn't expect from me.

"No problem, Miss Montez." he says to me and hands me another tissue as the tears start rolling down my cheeks again.

"Would you like to go home?" he asks me.

The penthouse. Is it my home? I don't know. I think that's still up to debatte - along with the discussion about our little horserace.

I shake my head, "No. Let's get something to eat. I'm hungry." I say to him.

He smiles softly at me before we cross the streets and walk into a local diner across from my apartment building.

Taylor orders pancakes and an omlett for me, while he sticks to plain coffee.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" I ask him as I start eating my pancakes.

"I don't know, Miss Montez. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

Another premier. I laugh before I continue eating.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me slowly.

I shrugg, "The adrenaline is holding me up so far. And my stomach is really hungry."

He smiles, "Of course. You have to eat for two now."

I blush and look away, "Have you heard the whole fight, Taylor?"

"I'm afraid so. Miss Smith and I were in the kitchen when you came."

I nodd, "What has he done after I left?"

Taylor's lip form a thin line. Is that a bad sign?

"Taylor, I need to know." I urge him. I have to know.

"He freaked out and threw things around."

Oh my God! "Things?"

"Books, dishes, glasses... Things."

My chin falls down, "He freaked out."

"Yes, he did. Miss Smith is currently cleaning everything up. Including the spot on the wall."

The spot on the wall?! "Which spot, Taylor?"

"The blood spot. Troy hit against the wall."

Fuck! I cover my open mouth with my hand. Suddenly, I am no longer hungry.

My eyes move over to my apartment building. He's walking out. Alone. Only now I recognize what he is wearing: A light grey coat beneath a suit. His usual business outfit.

What did he do to her?!

I turn my head around and take a sip of the orange juice. I am still mad at him. Greatfull that he saved me, but yet mad.

Troy walks into the little diner and stops at our table. "We're set to go, Taylor. Are you finished?" he asks me. Is he still mad?

I nodd.

"Let's go then." he says and we all walk out of the diner.

"What did you do to her?" I ask him as we walk back to the car.

"Not now, Miss Montez." he hisses at me, "Get into the car."

I roll my eyes before I climb into the black SUV. He sits down next to me, all business like. Is he still mad? I don't know. He's wearing his poker face - along with his poker eyes.

I sigh. Will I ever be able to read his eyes?

"Where to, Mr. Bolton?"

"Home." he says and looks at me.

I stare back into his dark blue eyes before I feel his hands pulling me on his lap. I wrap my arms around his muscular body. Suddenly all my anger seems to be disappeared. "Troy..."

"Oh Ella..." he whispers, his nose burried in my neck. Then he kisses me softly and carefully.

"Are you okay?" he asks me, putting a strand of hair behind my ear.

I nodd, "Now I am."

He smiles at me softly before he pulls me into another kiss - this time filled with a little more passion. "Gosh, I thought I lost you again."

I smile back at him, "You will never lose me."

Taylor parks the car in private garage and we get out. We walk into the familiar hallway hand in hand. Taylor has disappeared.

"Where did Taylor go?"

"Home."

I frown, "Where does he live?"

"He has an apartment in the same building. With Miss Smith."

Oh. "Are they a couple?"

"You didn't know?"

I raise an eyebrow at him, "Obviously, I didn't, Mr. Bolton." I say as we get into the elevator.

"Hold it please!" I hear someone yell and hold the elevator doors open.

A dark brown haired man walks in. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I smile.

"Which floor?" he asks us. He has warm green eyes.

"Penthouse."

"Oh. You must be Mr. Bolton then." he says pushing the 8th button. "I'm Daniel Rhodes."

Troy nodds, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Rhodes."

"Gabriella Montez." I introduce myself and shake hands with him. I can't ignore the way he stares at me - and neither can Troy who is squeezing my hand. Daniel's fantasies seem to go crazy in his mind. Fantasies with me and him. God, he's so not my type!

"I just moved into this building a week ago. It's really nice."

"Yes it is." Troy agrees with him, his eyes in a dark blue. Oh is he jealous?!

The elevator doors glide open and Daniel Rhodes steps out. "It was nice meeting you."

"I don't like him." Troy says as he gives in the code, so the elevator could move up to the penthouse.

"He seems nice."

"He wanted nothing but to undress you. He ate you with his eyes."

I roll my eyes, "He did not."

"He did. End of discussion."

I raise an eyebrow at him as the elevator doors glide open. End of what?! "You can't do that!"

"Yes, I can." he says back to me as we walk out.

I don't follow him in the living area.

"What?" he asks me.

"What did you do to her?"

"I teached her a lesson." he says briefly.

"What did you do to her, Troy?"

"I didn't touch her, if that's what you mean." he says and rolls his eyes. "We talked."

"What about?"

"You... Us."

"Did she get it?"

He shruggs, "I hope she did."

"What will Nick to do her now?"

"He knows what he has to do with her." his eyes are colored in a dark blue.

I am silent. He's scaring me. It's the first time he actually scares me. It's a shade of him I didn't get to see... Until now.

"She will never ever get near you again." he says into my eyes. His eyes are shining back into mine in an icy blue now. I shiver.

"Is he going to kill her?" I ask him in one breath.

"No. He'll get her away from here. Back to Russia. Where she will stay. Although, I'd rather see her dead right now."

"Did she say that to you?"

"Yes. And she sticks to her words." he ensures me.

I nodd. "We'll see."

"I give you my word." he promises me.

"Okay..." I say into his eyes. "We still need to talk about the baby." I say in a short breath. The baby. There, I said it. Called it by it's name. I like little horserace better. "You don't want a child, do you?

"Yes. I don't want children. Ever." he says in a stiff voice. A voice which hurts me so badly. A pain, I didn't know I could feel. We could feel.

I nodd and put on my best poker face.

"But I don't want to lose you as well. Why can't you just make it easy?"

"Easy?! The choice is easy! You've chosen. That seems to be easy for you, since you don't even want to understand how I feel about this... About our child."

He shruggs, "I don't want children. End of dicussion."

"No! Not end of discussion, Troy!" I yell back at him. "You don't want me to leave you then chose me!"

"I've chosen you. But I didn't think you'd come in such a package!"

"Oh well, then maybe me and my package should go." I hiss at him, turning around.

"No!" he hisses back, grabbing my wrist. "I won't let you go again."

I look at him. "Oh but you don't want a child with me!

He is silent. It's the truth. "It wasn't suppose to happen like this, okay?!" he hisses at me. "That isn't according to my plan!"

Plan?! What plan? "Life doesn't go according to a plan, Troy. What was your plan? Did it include me?"

He looks at me. His eyes are colored in a beautifull turqouise color. A color filled with fear and hurt and confusion.

"Answer me." I say in a strict voice to him.

He brushes through his sandy brown hair and walks away from me.

Oh no! Not again! "Where are you going?" I follow him as he storms down the hallway. He walks into his office. What the hell does he want in his office?!

"What are we doing in your office?" I ask him confused as he types in the code of his safe.

The safe door opens and I see that the folders are gone. Instead there's a small little box in it. I recognize the box, it's from Cartier.

He gets the box out of the safe and hands it to me. "Open it."

I look scared at him.

"Open it." he says again, his face is tensed. Is he mad at me?

I open the box, feeling my heart pounding heavily in my chest. It's a ring. A beautifull, 14 carat, diamond ring. An engagement ring. Oh fuck!

"Now you know my plan. Ask you, marry you, grow old with you. No children. No grandchildren." he says into my shocked brown orbs.

WHAT?!

"F-For how long h-have you had this... P-plan?" I ask him shocked, giving him the box back with shaky fingers. Oh my God! He wants to marry me! Or wanted. Want or wanted?

He is silent. "For six weeks."

Six weeks?! Six, fucking weeks?! My chin falls down. "Six fucking weeks?! Why... What... How..." What the hell?!

"Christmas Eve." he whispers. "It doesn't matter. You ruined everything."

"I ruined everything?!" I ask him shocked.

"Yes. If you took the shots, then we wouldn't be in this situation right now!"

"Don't give me all the fucking fault Troy!" I yell at him.

"Oh so you-"

I sigh and hold up my hand causing him to stop. This is getting nowhere. I turn around.

"Gabriella," he breaths out.

"We're getting nowhere, Troy. You still don't want a child with me. But fact is, you will get a child with me - whether you like it or not."

"I'm not ready to share you yet." he whispers to me.

"I had to share you with seven other women, you should call yourself lucky to share me with your child! Your own flesh and blood, Troy." I hiss at him.

He is silent. It's the truth.

"If you don't want to become a father, then why the hell were you at my bedside the whole fucking week, huh?!" I yell at him.

"Who-"

"Taylor." I answer with a shrugg, "Tell me why Troy!"

He looks at me, his eyes reflecting shock and hurt. He's afraid. Of what?

"I tried to imagine my life with children." he answers in a short breath.

He did what?!

"You... You tried?" I ask him and gulp.

"Yes."

And?!

"I couldn't imagine it." he answers my unsaid question.

My chin falls down. I feel the tears building up in my eyes within a second. Oh god! God, he doesn't... Want us. I place my hand on my mouth, to avoid a breakdown. How could he... "You...you couldn't imagine it?!"

He is silent.

It's true.

"I... Is that it?" I ask him briefly. "I mean, does that... Are we... Can..."

He shruggs.

"It is." Oh my God! "Why... Why are you doing this?" I ask him in a broken voice. "Why are you pushing me away? Again?"

He punishs me with silence again.

"I deserve a reason, Troy! I deserve to know!" I cry at him, unable to hide the tears which are running down my cheeks.

He doesn't say anything. Instead his eyes stare into mine. His scared eyes...

"What's scaring you so much that you won't take that challenge with me?"

He is silent. For at least five unbearable minutes he is punishing me with silence. But he can't walk away now. Not again. If this is going to end then... Then I at least need a reason.

Does he want me to leave? Is he unable to say the words?

He brushes through his sandy brown hair, "Because I am barely holding up. I am fucked up. And someone who's fucked up can't take care of a human being. A human being created by you and me. I barely have my life under control. How am I suppose to take care of a child?"

Self-doubt. That's what has been on his mind. Self-confidence and... Self-doubt? Another combination only he can embody at the same time. "We." I say with a soft smile on my lips.

"What?"

"We will take care of it. We're in this together. I am not leaving you. Your child won't leave you. It will love you as much as I do. We will take it step by step, day by day. We may be both fucked up but... But maybe our child will be able to fix us. Once and for all. Maybe this is something good. No, I know it is something good, Troy." I say and touch his cheek for the first time. It's exactly this broken shade of him which fascinates me. The mixture of fear and confidence which is in his eyes. This pure blue color...

"Ella..." He closes his eyes, as if this touch was all he would ever need from me.

"We can do this. Together, there's nothing we can't do. We may be weak without each other but together... Together there's no challenge we won't be able to take." I say into his blue colored orbs.

"What if we screw up? Then we have another fucked up life..."

I smile, "We won't. And even if we do... It will love us anyway."

"I don't love my mother. She screwed me up."

"You do. Or you wouldn't have kept her picture in your office. A part of you loves her. It may be tiny, but it's there. Because she's your mother. She gave birth to you."

He sighs, before he laces his long skinny fingers with mine. "Just like you will give birth to our child."

I blink, "So, you're in this?"

"No. We're in this. Together." he says to me before his soft lips meet mine. "I love you."

I smile, "I love you, too."

A new chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it.

Pleeaaaaassssseeeeee review! :D

Xoxo Nic