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CHAPTER 13

Troy's fingers danced lazily across Gabi's back, trailing the bare skin between where his t-shirt rode up her body and his trousers slung low on her hips.

She was comfortably ensconced on his chest, hands down; face buried into his neck, cradled by his other hand that wasn't tickling her skin.

She let out a contented sigh that reached him deep inside and he fidgeted, trying to abate his arousal before she was aware of it.

He didn't want to ruin this moment for anything. Actually catching Gabi long enough to hold her like this was a miracle- one he would not give up easily.

"It's too late, I can feel it." She commented on a sexy murmur.

"Sorry." He pressed his hand against the bare expanse of skin at her lower back to re-enforce his apology, before his fingers returned to their strokes.

Gabi had never known such soft, teasing touches could make her want someone so badly. But then, when it came to Troy, nothing much surprised her anymore. From that first time he had danced with her, something had been different with him. Something she still couldn't define.

"It's okay." She murmured, touching his chest to show she meant it.

"It's those clothes you have on…way too sexy." He returned, his sleepy voice still amused.

"Your baggy old track bottoms?" She lifted her face now, her naturally dried hair wild around her and he lifted his roaming hand to touch it, smiling.

"They are barely staying on your hips, Gabi. Hips that happen to be the most delicious hips I ever saw." He added.

She squinted. "If you weren't so cute, Troyby, I would have slapped you long ago for saying something like that."

"What else do you like about me?" He fished, cuddling her close.

"Mmm." She considered this, his arms tight around her back as she bent her knees and kicked her feet up.

"Take your time now…" He teased, his eyes alight with amusement.

"You have sexy arms, Bolton." She allowed.

"Oh really, huh?" He grinned, dropping it as it once again hurt him. But he still lifted his arm from her back and showcased his biceps. "Like that huh?" he wiggled his brows.

"Those girls were right, too." She smiled into his face. "You are amazing in bed."

"And she kills the invalid!" He dramatised, rolling around in pretend pain.

"Oops." She feigned innocence.

"What do you think will happen to them?" Gabi asked of Chad and Jason.

"I don't know. But they better not touch you again…" He warned, tensing.

"Shh…" She soothed, brushing down his fringe.

"I love you." He said then, out of the blue, touching her face.

"I love you, too." She said back, letting him hold her in the same embrace, on the sofa, until they both fell asleep.

--

There were a few surprised looks, some murmurings and even some outright gasps, but Gabi didn't care as she held Troy's hand with a tight grip, walking up to the gates of West High with him, where he had vowed to escort her every morning and every night after school.

"I'll see you tonight." He said, squinting at Aidan as he passed them.

Gabi leaned up to kiss him, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck.

"I'm looking forward to it." She smiled in her sexy-teasing way and connected up with Taylor.

He smiled as he watched her head for class, her shirt-dress leaving him little to imagine as her perfect thighs peeked out from underneath the short hem. He smiled as he remembered their night together, where they just slept; holding each other, reassuring themselves that each was ok. That nothing would break them.

And Troy hoped that were true as he fought to keep his anger in check.

--

Troy stalked the halls of East High like the namesake of their basketball team, his body tensed with his unspent emotions.

"Yo, dude! Wait up!" Max called and grabbed his shoulder.

He swirled, pinning him with his icy glare.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" He frowned, taking in his bruised face.

"Chad and Jason decided to take a shot at me- and Gabi." Troy supplied.

"Oh man, that's sick. Are you ok?" He checked and Troy sighed, hitching up his bag.

"Not really. If I see either one of them I don't know what I might do." He said honestly.

"Look, I'm with you on this, they shouldn't have hurt you." Max agreed, trying to placate him.

"They tried to rape my girlfriend." Troy bit out, shaking his head as a headache started from his tensing up.

Max's mouth formed an 'o' as he realised the extent of Chad and Jason's attack.

"Oh, shit, dude." Max exclaimed.

"So you can imagine I'm not a happy bunny right now." Troy added, grimacing.

"You're out of the game? Until you're better?" Max checked and Troy nodded, knowing it also left him unable to practise, the skate competition speeding toward them with increasing urgency.

"Look, the rumour is they got suspended. You won't have to face them round here." Max assured.

"I wanted to bring her to the dance- is that so bad?" He asked, almost to himself.

"Who, Gabi?" Max checked.

Troy gave him a look under his lashes. "Of course, Gabi."

"Hey that's not bad at all; I'd love to see that chick in a dress…" Max smiled and Troy pinned him with another glare.

Max held up his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying, dude. Your girl is hot."

"She's more than a pretty girl, Max." Troy chided.

"I'm sure she is." He agreed solemnly.

"She won't want to come now, it's all ruined!" Troy cursed, hitting out at a locker.

"Not necessarily. Just make your own dance- just take her out of danger, man." Max suggested with a light shrug and Troy's eyes lit up, thinking he might actually be onto something.

"Max, I never thought I'd hear myself saying this- but you are a genius!" Troy commended and sprinted off, leaving his friend bemused in the hallway.

--

"Are you sure you still want to do this thing?" Gabi asked, hanging off Troy's hand as they walked home to her house. She was climbing on the brick wall below the railings running next to them, her body tipped over and using his for a weight to stop her falling.

"One hundred per cent." He answered.

"Well the doctors will tell you when it's okay to start exercising again, right?" She checked, looking to her boyfriend with a concerned squint.

"I remember this girl, her name was Gabriella Montez. I swear, she was the craziest girl I knew. Then one day, aliens took over her body and she started worrying about everything." He teased, moving to tickle her around the waist.

He helped her down from the wall, taking her fingers in his once more.

"I can't help but worry. Someone tried to hurt you…" She defended.

"But I'm fine. And you're fine. And you hate me for thinking about it all the time…" He pointed out and she smiled.

"In that case, can I just say, for the record, you look hot today." She announced with a proud beam.

He stopped, tipping his chin as his brows rose in surprise.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I said you look hot." She repeated, letting her eyes flick down his body, from his blue plaid shirt to his dark denim jeans and his battered converse that he loved so much.

"Wow. I never heard you say that before, I'm in shock, or something." He crossed his brows bemusedly.

She giggled, playfully hitting him in the chest where he brought her tightly into his body.

"Don't be nasty." She chided.

"Oh no, I'm only nice…" He husked, leaning down to kiss her, their lips meeting and joining in the middle of the street, no care as to who could see them now.

"I don't think nice covers it…" She smiled, pulling him behind her as she walked more quickly, reaching her house and throwing her bag in the doorway, leading him up the stairs as she climbed up backwards, smiling at him.

"You can still make out, right? The doctors didn't ban you from that?" She checked.

"I'm sure I can try…" He mused as they disappeared into her room.