So sorry that I forgot to upload a chapter yesterday! Here it is. I hope the "big reveal" is okay. I had a hard time figuring out how to do it, but I finally got something written down.
(November continued)
"Luis, Stef," Jack reached out to shake both of their hands cordially as he entered their home with his son. He was there to offer Troy the moral support he had pleaded for mere minutes ago.
"We've just stopped by so Troy could ask if your lovely daughter would be able to accompany us on a university tour this weekend."
"Is that so?" Stef crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at the teen. "Which university?"
"U of A, ma'am. So just here in the city," he answered and watched her wave a hand, as if brushing the insulting word away.
"Oh, honey. Stef is just fine. No need for 'ma'am,'" the adults laughed. "And I'm sure Tori would love to tour with you."
"Actually," Troy fidgeted nervously and blushed, "I was hoping Gabriella would be allowed to go?"
Troy watched as Luis and Stef shared an unreadable look with one another.
Troy backtracked, "I…I mean Tori is welcome to come as well. I can invite whoever I want. I just figured she might not be interested, because she mentioned that she was looking at schools on the East Coast."
"Well," Stef was searching for words, "Gabriella isn't really thinking about universities just yet, but I suppose it would be okay for her to go. Right, Luis?"
He simply looked at his wife and shrugged, "If she wants to go, then I don't see why not. It's just across town."
Troy had come to find that Luis Montez was not a man of many words. He was friendly enough and could hold a conversation, but this was probably the most Troy had heard him say in one breath.
"I mean, I'm not sure how interested she will be, but if you want her to go…" Stef trailed off.
"And Tori is welcome too," Troy assured, holding his hands out almost imploringly, "if she wants to come."
Stef smiled tightly at both Troy and Jack, "I'll talk to the girls. If they want to go, then they have our permission."
Troy thanked them profusely and asked if he could go say hi while his father indulged the Montezes in a bit of small talk.
Troy saw that Gabriella's door was already open. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, looking at something on her laptop.
"Guess who gets to join me at U of A this weekend?" Gabriella's startle was short-lived as she realized that it was Troy who was standing in her doorframe talking to her.
Her face visibly brightened at seeing the boy from next door leaning casually in her doorway, "Seriously?" she leapt from her bed and greeted Troy with a hug. "I thought for sure they would say no."
"I think having my dad here as back-up helped. Also, I'm pretty sure Tori is going with us, so that probably helps."
Gabriella could not hide the slight frown on her face. Troy thought it was cute.
"They weren't going to let you go by yourself, Brie, but now you can, so this is a good thing," he told her.
"Except she hates me, and she hates that you don't hate me," Gabriella's lower lip stuck out in a pout – something he had not seen before. He was also surprised to hear Gabriella admit something so personal. Troy had figured this out too, but he still didn't understand it.
"Have you told your friends that we're dating now?" she asked.
"Not just yet," Troy scratched at the back of his neck, a little embarrassed and not wanting Gabriella to think that it had anything to do with her.
"No, it's okay," she assured, seemingly reading his mind. "You just asked me this morning. I was wondering because I think as soon as you do, Tori is going to find out, and she's going to be pissed."
"We'll deal with it together," he tucked a curl behind her ear comfortingly. "We also don't have to tell anyone. I mean, not like keep it a secret or anything. But I also don't have to volunteer the information. We could just keep doing what we're doing and let everyone slowly figure it out."
"We could do that," Gabriella mused, then Troy saw the twinkle in her eye before she spoke, "Although, I don't think it will be very hard to figure out when people see us kissing."
Troy let out a soft chuckle, "You're right. I'm surprised no one saw us at tryouts or today in the library."
"Or in front of the chemistry lab," Gabriella beamed, enjoying the memories of being swept up in his arms and lips.
…
It was Saturday morning as Troy, his parents, and two of the Montez daughters piled into his family's SUV, heading thirty minutes across town to tour U of A's sprawling campus.
To Troy's immense delight, Gabriella was sitting in the middle seat. He could smell the shampoo of her hair and scent of her skin. He could also feel the heat of her body. Without caring what Victoria thought, Troy reached for Gabriella's hand.
She was nervous about being in such close proximity to her sister for the day. Troy could tell by the slight wobble in her smile, the tremble of her fingers. She had also texted him, telling him that she and Victoria had never spent much time together, and letting him know that she didn't want her older sister to feel like a third wheel.
And that simple, reflexive care she had for those around her made him marvel at Gabriella Montez. Troy knew, without really knowing Victoria, that she would not think twice about making Gabriella feel out of place. She had already done it. Her family did it. Unraveling why was still on Troy's list of goals to accomplish.
"What schools have you been thinking about, Tori?" Troy asked, giving Gabriella's hand a squeeze to reassure her that he was taking her early morning text message to heart.
Victoria turned slightly in her seat, a flash of anger flitting across her face like a dancing flame before she was able to extinguish it, "I've applied to NYU, Brown, Vasser, Boston, William & Mary, U Penn, Columbia, and Duke," she listed them off on her fingers. "I'm covering all my bases," she smirked.
"Wow," Troy breathed an impressed sigh, "yes you are. What's your top pick?"
"I'm interested in Brown, but they have an acceptance rate of eight percent. We took a summer trip last year and toured. It's beautiful, and I want to study law. It's a good place for that."
"That is quite impressive, Tori," Lucy said from the front seat, turning to look at the teenagers. "And Gabriella have you given university any thought yet?"
"Uhm…no. Not yet. MIT has sent me some promotional material, but I haven't thought too much about it," Gabriella replied modestly.
"I dare say," Jack spoke. "If you are interested in the sciences, you can't do better than MIT."
They all chatted for a while longer as they made their way to campus. The rest of the day passed easily. Gabriella swooned as she watched Troy. He had an ease about him that drew people in. The basketball team laughed and joked with him. The coach let him practice with the team and showed him infamous places in U of A's history. All the while, Gabriella and Victoria tagged along, Gabriela marveling at the campus. This was her first university visit. She had not traveled to Rhode Island with Stef, Victoria, and Ana last year to tour Brown. Instead, she stayed home with her dad. This was all new to her, and it made her yearn for a time when she would get to live on a university campus.
"I have a surprise for you," Troy announced as he made his way over to Gabriella. She was sitting with her sister and the Boltons as they had lunch in the student union. Troy sat down at their table and began to take heaping bites from the plate of food in front of him, in no hurry to reveal Gabriella's surprise.
He laughed when she shoved him lightly, "What's my surprise?"
"We're going to go tour the theatre, and we get to watch a dress rehearsal!"
Gabriella's eyes shone in wonder at the boy beside her. She forgot that they had their own audience as she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his side, "Really?!" she could not contain the excitement in her voice as she looked up at the boy she so easily loved.
In typical fashion, Gabriella had spent a bit of time researching what was happening on campus for the weekend. Last night she had laid on her bed, phone to her ear recounting all the events she had discovered to Troy, but the one she was most excited to learn about what a production of Radium Girls that would be premiering Sunday evening.
"Mmhmm," he said around a bite of food, "I know how disappointed you were that they wouldn't have a Saturday showing for us to watch, so I asked the coach if he could call around and figure something out for us."
"Thank you," her voice dropped an octave, filled with tenderness and love.
"You're welcome," Troy's food was forgotten as he caressed her cheek and ran his fingers through her hair, "but it was really nothing. They were doing the dress rehearsal. We just happen to be here at the right time," his affection matched hers as he spoke. "It starts in an hour. We'll watch it and then head home."
Neither teen seemed to notice the other three people at their table: Tori's utter disgust, or Lucy and Jack's bewilderment. They knew that their son had taken a liking to the middle Montez girl, but they had not realized to what extent. Troy was a good kid, but the devoted affection aimed at Gabriella was something new and sweet. When Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek, Lucy nudged Jack and smiled at him. Their son was falling in love.
…
Gabriella almost floated into her house later that evening, completely oblivious to Victoria's anger.
"How was the tour?" Stef asked as the girls made their way into their home.
Gabriella just smiled and blushed, lost for words to describe her day. She had not experienced such a wonderful day in years, "It was –"
But she was cut off because Victoria was not lost for words, "It was fine if you like watching a hormonal jock flirt with your loser sister all day," Victoria kicked off her shoes aggressively, leaving them in a heap next to the front door. "Seriously, Gabriella, can you not see how obvious it is that he wants to sleep with you, or are you really that dumb?
"Maybe she wants to sleep with him too," Ana added with a giggle. "He's pretty hot."
Victoria rolled her eyes, "Yeah. It's not like she was trying very hard to fend him off."
Gabriella looked up, wide-eyed at being spoken about. Her voice was timid, trying to explain, "I didn't…" she wanted to explain that that was not what was happening. She didn't want Victoria's words to ruin the sweetness and innocence that came with first love. She wanted to explain that Troy really did like her and that it was genuine and reciprocated, but as she looked at her family's eyes – all directed to varying accusatory extents at her – she couldn't speak past the lump in her throat. "Troy wasn't." She shook her head.
Ana interrupted her, "No offence, Gabi, but I'm surprised that Troy flirted with you," the upturn of Ana's nose at the possibility that Troy liked her was almost more hurtful than Victoria's words. "I mean, I guess you're pretty enough, but you aren't that interesting."
Before Gabriella could register her own body's reaction, she inhaled sharply, audibly. Ana was not particularly nice or loving towards Gabriella, but she also had never been mean.
Ana's whole lifetime flashed through Gabriella's mind. She remembered her little sister as a baby, remembered loving her immediately. Remembered handing over her favorite toys to Ana because it was impossible to love a stuffed animal more than she loved Ana. And she remembered what it felt like to love someone who would never love her back even after a lifetime of knowing her.
Gabriella's hurt was replaced with acceptance. It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair.
She looked at them, resolved and numb, "I know you all hate me. I have known it my whole life, yet it has never stopped me from loving you. Two more years," Gabriella said as silent, pleading tears finally streamed down her face, "and I promise I'll leave. But please don't make him hate me too in the meantime. I don't think I'll survive if he does."
November (still – it's been eventful)
"Ana told me about your plans for Thanksgiving," Troy was flopped over Gabriella's bed, watching her as she typed a final paper for school. They were alone in the house, neither oblivious to the fact that Troy's relationship with Gabriella was unwelcome in the presence of anyone else. No one – besides Victoria – ever made this outwardly known, but it was obvious that Gabriella's family did not support her relationship with the boy next door. And they had not even broached the subject of the romantic nature of their relationship with anyone. People may have their assumptions, but as far as anyone knew, they had not put into words what their relationship really was. They were both afraid of what her family's reaction would be, so they made a point not to raise suspicion. They were both afraid that it would be forbidden – a ridiculous Romeo and Juliet-esque situation – if they said aloud that they were dating.
For the most part, however, Gabriella was becoming a permanent fixture in the Bolton's home, sharing more intimate moments when they were not privy to his parents' curious eyes. Soft, stolen kisses and lingering, exploratory touches.
Today was a rare chance for Troy to enjoy Gabriella's company in her natural habitat. Her bed was warm and soft, and her pillows smelled of the sweet and spicy scent that lingered constantly on her skin.
"It's nothing special. El Paso isn't Disney Land or anything," she told him of the Thanksgiving plans without averting her gaze.
"It sounds fun," Troy encouraged. "She told me that your grandmother is there and that tons of cousins come to visit. Aren't you excited to see everyone? Will Lina come from Ensenada?"
Gabriella turned and smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes, "You are distracting me, which you said you wouldn't do," she reminded. Troy leaned up and pressed a kiss to her pouting mouth, further distracting her. Gabriella let herself indulge in his close proximity for a brief time before using both of her palms to push him back on the bed. She giggled at his affronted expression, and then she returned her attention to the laptop, "I have got to finish this paper."
"I wish you were staying here for Thanksgiving," Troy sighed dramatically. "Chad invited me and my folks over, since we aren't going to Lubbock this year, but it would be a thousand times better if you were there."
"Why aren't you going to Lubbock?" Gabriella asked curiously.
Troy was still flopped back on her bed, but he turned his head in an appreciative stare that she didn't notice. She was still focused on her laptop, the clicking of keys filling the room, so he took the moment to admire her profile. Her dark hair hung loose around her face and down her back. She was biting her lip in concentration, but he knew if he didn't answer her soon she would notice.
"My grandparents decided that this was the year they wanted to travel, and they are the only family there. No need to go if they aren't there. So now," he added dramatically, "I won't be seeing my grandparents or my girlfriend."
"Is this a formal invitation to Chad's?" Gabriella rose an arched brow and finally looked at Troy over her shoulder.
"It would be if you would be here."
Gabriella stared at him for a long moment. The debate she was having in her mind was evident in the way her eyes flickered between emotions, "Well, I will be here. I'm not going to El Paso," she admitted.
Troy sat up, "Why not? You don't want to see everyone?"
Gabriella bit her lip and the vulnerability he recognized clouded her eyes. She closed her laptop and crawled over to sit closer to Troy.
"I have to tell you something," she tucked a stray curl behind her ear and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
"What is it?" he ran his fingers through the same curls she had just tamed.
"I'm going to tell you, but I'm afraid," they looked at one another and Troy was hit with the full force of how desperately he wanted to kiss her and reassure her that she could tell him anything.
"I'm afraid once I tell you, you won't think of me the same. I'm scared that maybe you won't want to be my boyfriend anymore. It's why Tori has such an issue with me."
"Hey," Troy didn't know his voice could be so soft. "Nothing you could ever say would make me want to stop being with you."
She smiled at his reassurance and took a shaky breath, "I'm not going to El Paso with everyone, because they aren't visiting my family. My grandmother and my cousins won't be there. Tori's and Ana's will, but not mine."
"What do you mean?" the question was gentle, but Troy did not understand what she was saying.
"Stef isn't my mom, Troy. Just Tori's and Ana's, but not mine," Gabriella could no longer meet his gaze as she spoke. "They are going to visit their family. Everyone else is going, but I'm staying here by myself."
It took Troy a moment to process what Gabriella was telling him, "So you were adopted?" he hedged slightly.
"Not exactly," Gabriella said, and Troy stared into her brown eyes and felt something unsettling tug in the pit of his stomach. He was certain that whatever she was about to tell him was going to explain what Victoria had said to him, explain what she meant when she said that Gabriella ruined lives.
" I'll show you," Gabriella said. Quietly, she rose from her place on the bed and padded across her room to her closet. Troy watched her bend and rummage through whatever was on the floor. When she turned around, she was holding a large, worn box.
Gabriella sat down beside him again and began to gingerly lift items out of the box. Troy could tell that they had been placed in there with care – precious artifacts. Papers were folded neatly, photos wrapped in soft, colorful cloths and ribbons.
"My mom was Lorena Gomez. I was Gabriella Gomez for a few years of my life," she let her fingers stroke over the image of a woman with dark curls and kind eyes, "the best few years of my life," she added quietly, handing Troy the photo so he could get a better look.
The old photo displayed a woman who was almost a replica of the girl who sat beside him now. Everything made more sense now. Not complete sense, but it was a start to understanding why her family ostracized her. Gabriella was the best person he knew, and even the thought of how they treated her made him feel ill – their movie days, their holiday trips, the way he rarely saw Stef and Antonio speak to Gabriella.
Troy looked up at Gabriella, "you're both so beautiful," he told her almost breathlessly.
Gabriella looked up at Troy shyly, unsure of what his reaction would be, but as their eyes met, all she saw in his blue gaze was the same love she had felt for the past few months.
"She died when I was three," she handed Troy a flimsy newspaper article. It was in Spanish, and some of the words were smudged away, but Gabriella translated, "It says Woman Saves Drowning Child."
Gabriella then took her time to read the short news article to him. The words printed below the simple headline detailed how Gabriella's mother had died at the age of thirty-one. It was a sailing trip with another family. She had saved Gabriella and then the other family's child when the boat was rocked by a storm, but she had been lost in the waters herself. They found her body later that day, which was almost a miracle itself.
"It was my cousin Lina," Gabriella explained quietly. "The one I write to all the time. Her dad and my mom were siblings. I was three and we were in Ensenada visiting for the summer like we always did. We were out on the boat when a storm came in. We were headed back to shore, but the waters got rough. Me and Lina both fell out and before anyone could stop her, my mom jumped in to save us," Gabriella was crying as she recounted the story of her mother's death. "She was so brave, huh?" she mused, almost to herself.
"The bravest," Troy agreed, wrapping his arms around Gabriella.
Gabriella wiped at her tears and sniffed before continuing, "She was my dad's administrative assistant. They had an affair. I know they shouldn't have," she looked up at Troy, "but she was such a good mom to me for those few years. I can't think of her as a bad person."
"Hey," he cooed. "She wasn't," Troy kissed her gently. "We're all human. Things happen. And I cannot imagine anyone bad being able to have someone as phenomenal as you, Gabriella. She had to be special."
"So special," her eyes filled with tears again. She reached out to take more photos into her hands. She shared them with Troy, and he fell in love with the woman who had so obviously adored Gabriella. He looked at photos of her posing with a pregnant belly, her hands cradling it as she looked down adoringly at the child growing inside; photos of Lorena snuggling an infant Gabriella, smiles on both of their faces; photos of them with extended family in Mexico. A whole life Gabriella could have lived. Instead, she was here with people who didn't want her.
"That's my abuelita," Gabriella pointed out an older woman with the same telltale curls, only graying. "I used to visit her every summer until I was twelve," Troy could hear the joy in her words as she recounted her childhood.
"When my mom died, they had to let my dad know. My tio and abuelita begged him and Stef to let me stay in Ensenada. To just let them raise me, but he wouldn't. I don't know why," she sighed and shrugged. "It's not like he ever really wanted me. I think he just didn't want them to have me, didn't want everyone else to think he's a bad dad," the pain she felt was evident; and Troy wondered how she lived her life every day with such heartache.
"I wish they hadn't kept me, Troy," she looked up at him, her brown eyes revealing the pain of sharing a home with people who did not care for her the way she deserved to be cared for. "I wish they had let me stay with my real family."
Selfishly, Troy imagined an Albuquerque without Gabriella. A life devoid of her wasn't something he wanted to imagine, but he would give her up if it meant she got to be happy.
He wrapped her up in a hug, "Do you still get to visit?" he asked.
She shook her head, "Not anymore. My abuelita would fly here to get me every summer and we would fly back together. On the flight, she would wrap her arms around me like this," she referenced Troy's embrace, "and she would tell me to tell her everything I had been doing for the year. We talked on the phone all the time, but she said she liked it best when I told her in person," Gabriella remembered fondly. "She died when I was twelve, and that's when the trips stopped. My tio tried to come get me that summer, but all that succeeded in happening was he and my dad shouted and argued at one another until my dad threatened to have him arrested. I haven't been back since."
"I'm so sorry, Brie," he mumbled the sweet nickname that she liked. It was a comfort to her in this vulnerable situation, revealing something that she thought she would hold as a secret forever.
"It's not your fault," Gabriella shrugged from her secure spot in his arms.
"It's not yours either. None of it is," he told her seriously. "Nothing justifies the way they treat you."
"I know it sounds crazy," Gabriella began hesitantly, tears forming in her eyes of their own volition, "but I feel like they did it on purpose. Like it's to punish me for something. I've never told anyone this, Troy," she looked up at him, tears tracking down her cheeks. "I even think Stef had Ana so my dad wouldn't love me."
She whispered this part, afraid of putting the words out into the universe. "A new baby to keep him busy so that he wouldn't have time to get to know me or to love me; and it worked. He loves Tori and Ana so much, but I can't remember the last time he's even looked at me. Living in this house has always hurt," she admitted, but it's felt so much worse since you got here because you make me remember what it feels like to be with someone who loves me. It will never stop hurting, but it was easier when I knew I was all alone."
"Brie," Troy's one uttered word held his empathetic heartache, devastated that anyone could treat Gabriella this way, and stricken that their love was bittersweet for her.
"You've brought so much magic, and wonder, and light into my life in just three months; and I love you so much for it, but there's this thing happening simultaneously where your love makes living in this house both bearable and unbearable all at once."
They were silent for a while. They lay on the bed, Gabriella in Troy's arms. He held her, running his fingers down the length of her arm and brushing his nose occasionally and affectionately against his forehead in a small attempt to remind her that she was safe and that he was there.
After several long moments, Gabriella's quiet voice broke the silence, "I remember when I started kindergarten, I saw my dad in the cafeteria, and I ran over to hug him. I was so excited because I thought he was there to have lunch with me. I had seen other kids having lunch with their families, so I thought that's why he had come, but when I hugged him, he asked what I was doing and told me to let go of him. I remember being so confused, but I did what he told me. And I went to get my lunch. A few minutes later I saw Tori's second grade class came in. She ran up to him, and it was like he was a whole different person. He smiled, and picked her up, and he went to have lunch with her."
Troy could feel Gabriella tremble with emotion, "You don't have to tell me all this if you don't want to, Brie," he assured, pulling her tighter against his broad chest. He pressed a kiss to her hair. It was hard to imagine. Gabriella came to live with her dad and stepmother when she was three. A little girl, helpless and innocent. How could two adults not immediately love the tiny, curly-haired child who had just lost her mother? How could a man ignore the hug and joy of a five-year-old girl who thought he was there to have lunch with her?
"I want to tell you," She looked at him. "Is that okay?"
"Of course it is."
"I felt something that day. I was just a kid, but I knew there was something different, something painful happening. But I guess I hoped I was wrong. I thought if I was good enough or smart enough or anything enough that maybe one day that would work and all of the sudden, they would want me. That they would love me, and I wouldn't have to wait for the summer to know what it felt like to be with family. I even remember reading a book," she continued, "that talked about a little girl who learned how to make friends by being a friend, so I thought I could get love by showing love. I told Stef and Dad that I loved them every morning when they dropped us off at school. I did it just like Tori did, but they never said it back; and then I thought maybe I should start smaller, maybe they just didn't know how to say it back to me, so I would draw them pictures and sign them 'Love Gabriella,'" she had a far off, resigned look in her eyes now. Tears dried on her cheeks and no new ones were falling. Her voice was quiet, "But that isn't how the world works, and you can't make anyone love you. But you don't know that when you're a kid."
Troy's fingers soothed through her unruly curls, and he brought her face closer to his. He kissed her, desperately wanting her to know that he was listening and that he loved her, "I love you.
"I've never told anyone all of this," Gabriella admitted. "It hurts to remember it all and say it out loud, but it also feels nice to share it with someone finally. I haven't even told Lina or my aunt and uncle all this. I think they feel guilty about my mom. I don't want them to feel worse, and I know they would," she started to explain.
"This other time, I was maybe seven and I had spent the whole day watching Dad teach Tori how to ride a bike without training wheels. I sat outside all day with them cheering her on and watching her practice. It felt so normal and so nice, and I felt like I was included – maybe for the first time ever. When Tori finally got it, I thought it was my turn. I took my bike over to my dad so I could learn, but he didn't even acknowledge me. He just said he was going inside. Something about that time really hurt. There was this ache in my chest, like something was breaking, or maybe I was breaking. And then it felt like it wasn't really happening to me. Like I was watching it happen to someone else, or like I was outside my own body. I didn't cry, but I stood staring at the door for maybe an hour before Stef came outside and told me to come in before it got dark. I was feeling something that I couldn't quite name; and I felt it every time I looked at my dad after that. Something that made me want to hide and cry. It wasn't until that summer that I learned why."
She continued telling her story, "My tio was teaching Lina to ride her bike. I watched quietly the whole time. I didn't make a sound. It felt like I wasn't in my own body again. Like I was invisible or not really there. It was like I was watching Lina and my tio from somewhere far away where they couldn't see me; and when Lina finally got it, I got up and started to go inside. I didn't ask for a turn because I knew my tio wasn't my dad; and I had gotten this idea in my mind that he wouldn't want to help me because if my own dad didn't want to, then why should my uncle? But as I started to go inside, he stopped me with a laugh and a joke, telling me that I wasn't getting out of bike riding that easily and it was my turn. I started sobbing before I even knew what was happening. I was crying so hard I couldn't see or talk. I could barely breathe. He panicked and carried me inside to my Tia Cecilia because he thought something was wrong with me, and when I could finally talk, I told them I was crying because I didn't think I was going to get a turn. I told them that Dad only taught Tori. Then, Cecilia started crying while she hugged me; and she just told me over and over that they all loved me so much."
Her recollection made Troy want to cry. Instead, he buried his face in her hair and continued listening.
"Later that night, I heard her begging my tio to not take me back at the end of summer. To just keep me there with them, that they could be my parents. She was telling him that my mom wouldn't want me to go back. I really wish they could have kept me, Troy."
Troy used this moment to move slightly away from her in an attempt to make eye contact. When he saw the pain there that had existed for so long, he caressed her cheek, unsure of the best words to say.
"I'm so sorry," he settled. "You deserve to feel loved and wanted every second of every day, Gabriella. And I cannot imagine how or why your family here hasn't shown you that. I've known you for a few months, and I can tell you that you are the easiest person to love. Loving you feels like a natural extension of reality. It's as easy as my next breath."
At his words, Gabriella angled her head and reached up so that her lips pressed to his. She wanted to feel the love he expressed.
Troy brushed his nose against hers when they pulled away, "I take it that means you might love me back a little bit?"
"I love you back a whole lot. You're the best thing to happen to me in a long time."
This time, Troy kissed her; and it lasted more than a few seconds.