The next day, Troy was able to go home. When they pulled up into the drive way, Troy looked up at the house, "Wow. we actually live here?" Gabriella smiles sadly unhooking her seatbelt, "Yep." "How long have we lived here?" "We had a small apartment when we had Andy, but right after Rider was born we got this place."
They got out of the car, walking to the front porch. Gabriella opened the door for him. "This is home." Troy looks around the living room, "It's amazing..big." Gabriella smiles, "we picked it out together." she whispered.
Troy smiles at her, wrapping his arms around her waist, "When do we pick up Andy and Rider?" Gabriella looks at him, "In a few hours..." Troy looks at her nodding, "I'll show you the rest of the house." Gabriella walks down the hall into the big bedroom. "This is our bedroom."
Troy stands in the middle of the room looking at the bed. "This is our room?" Gabriella nods, "Yes Troy." she giggles. Troy looks at her, going over to her, "Can I ask you a question?" Gabriella nods, "Yeah."
Troy takes a deep breath, "When...When was the last time we had..you know..had sex?" Gabriella bites her lip, "We actually had sex about a week ago.. but it was different.." she whispered. "Different?" Gabriella looks down, "It was angry sex..."
Troy looks at her, "Brie-" "let me show you the boy's room." He nods, she quickly turns on her heel and walks down the hall. He follows; with the measured grace of a lethal predator. He stops at an open door where Gabriella is.
"This is Andy's room." it was...covered in everything basketball. "Whoa..." Troy says, coming behind her, "this...this is beyond obsession-" "like you were?" Troy looks at her, "Yeah..like I was-" "Rider's is down the hall."
She begins to walk away, but Troy grabs her arm, yanking her back and before she can speak, she feels his lips crash on hers and his hands hold her firmly...yet gently in place.
Troy pulls back, his eyes hooded but his face confused, "You didn't kiss me back..." she stares at him, stammering, "you...you...caught me o-off guard is all."
Troy looks at her, cupping her cheek, "What have I done to us.." Gabriella looks at him, holding his hand that was cupping her cheek, "You did nothing-" "Don't say that. I hurt you so much.."
Gabriella grabs his hand, "I'll show you Rider's room." she leads him down the hall, and opens the door to see the room done in Scooby Doo.
"Woah, Scooby?" Troy asked. Gabriella smiles, "He loves Scooby doo..He absolutely loves it." Troy looks at her, "So what do we usually do on friday's?"
Gabriella's heart froze, she looked at him gulping, "Well..you usually stay for late practices at the gym...But uh me and the boys we play board games, and swim in the pool and have a small picnic in the kitchen..the boys love it."
Huh? "Am I involved...at all in...your lives anymore?" Gabriella bites her lip, not knowing how to answer that, she opted for the honest truth.
"You talk to the boys at breakfast...and w-when you have time, you take them to preschool sometimes." Okay, half truth, Troy never took them to school. But he doesn't need to know that.
Troy runs his hands through his hair, "What the hell have I done?" He takes seat on Rider's small bed. Gabriella sits next to him, "Troy it's not you-" "Of course it's my fault.. I'm suppose to be there for you and my family." he then thought of something, he looks at her, "What happens at christmas?"
Gabriella sighs, "Well the past two christmas's, You had away games, So that wasen't your fault-" "I could of decided not to go!"
Gabriella rubs his back, "Troy please, calm down, please, I..I didn't mean to upset you..you..you don't need stress..come on, we'll do whatever you want..what do you wanna do?"
Troy sighs, shaking his head and laying it in his hands. "I just want to be a family. A real family." Gabriella frowns, hesitantly putting a hand on his back and beginning to rub small circles. "Troy...it's not your fault-"
"Of course it is!" He says, sitting up straight. "I practically deserted all of you...I'm-I'm a lousy father! A lousy husband-" "Troy stop it...let's change the subject." Troy sighs, looking at her. "Can...can I pick up the boys?"
Gabriella looks at him, "Of course...But maybe I should go with you, you just got out of the hospital, I don't think you should be on the road by yourself." Troy nods, "I..I guess so.." Gabriella nods and walks by him.
Troy grabs her arm, and yanks her back to look at him, His eyes hypnotizing her, "Your absolutely beautiful, you know that. I am the most stupidest man alive that don't deserve you, but am so glad that you put up with me-" "Troy-"
Troy shakes his head, "Tonight. We'll finish our anniversary, Just us. Dinner, Beach, Anything you want." Gabriella shakes her head, "Troy no, you don't have to do that..it's fine...There's..There's next year-" Troy shakes his head, "I'm making our anniversary up to you.. I promise you..let's go get the boys." Gabriella nods, "Okay."
"Where's mommy?" Rider says, fiddling with the strap on his backpack. Andy bites his lip, walking back from the curb to sit on the bench.
"She'll be here..." "Andy?" Rider asks, Andy stares at his little brother- he feels responsible for him; kids on the playground bully rider? They answer to him. "What?" "Does daddy love us?"
Andy looks at his younger brother, "Daddy loves us. I just think he loves basketball more. that's all." Rider nods, "Oh."
Troy and Gabriella pull up on the curb, Both parents get out of the car, "Sweeties, I am so sorry that Mommy's late, Mommy and Daddy we're talking." Andy nods, "It's okay mommy." Gabriella helps andy into the backseat, and placing Rider in the carseat As they got into the car and taking off.
"So how was preschool?" Gabriella asked. Andy looks at his mother, "It was fun mommy." Andy says. Rider looks at his mommy, "Mommy?" "Yes baby?" "Are we going to swim in the pool today?!" Troy smiles back at him son, Gabriella nods, "yes baby, of course. Mommy will make her famous grilled cheese sandwhiches, how does that sound?"
Rider nods, "Me love those mommy." Gabriella smiled, and Andy bites his lip looking at his father, "Daddy?" Troy looks back at him, "Yeah buddy?" Andy bites his lip, "Will you be home today?"
Troy frowns, looking at Gabriella and his eyes speaking an unspoken question. She shakes her head and looks forward, "yes...I'll be home today-"
Andy crows in happiness, clapping his hands together happily. "Daddy is home! Daddy is home!" Troy smiles, watching Andy in the backseat and then seeing Rider, who seems...less than joyful.
They spent the day swimming, playing around, watching a movie and just being a family. Now they were surrounded by the table play Uno. Gabriella looks at Andy, "It's your turn Andy." Andy puts down his card and smiles, "I win again!" Troy smiles, "Way to go buddy!" Rider bites his lip, and looks down at his lap, "Mommy, can I go to my room?"
Gabriella sighs nodding as Rider gets out of his seat and goes to his room. Troy watches this, "What's wrong?" Gabriella looks at him, then looks at Andy, "Andy please go wash up for bed." "Okay mommy." Andy gets out of his seat and goes upstairs to the bathroom.
Gabriella looks at Troy, "Andy is the basketball fan like you, Rider is more like me, Before your accident, you treated Andy better than Rider.. So Rider thinks that he's no good for you, When I've told him that it's not his fault he's not good at basketball.."
Troy looks into her eyes, then at the stairs where Andy and Rider had just gone up. He sighs, "wow...that's..." he shakes his head, "I'm a horrible-" "no Troy," Gabriella says, shaking her head.
"Don't say anything...just don't." She gets up and goes up the stairs, Troy only watches...only one thing on his mind. I screwed everything up...
Gabriella walks into Andy's room where he was already tucked into his bed playing with his scooby doo stuff animal. "Hey Bubby." Gabriella comes over tucking him into bed as she sits beside him. Troy comes up the stairs hiding behind the wall listening.
"Was today fun?" Gabriella asked. Rider nods, playing with Scooby's ear. "It was fun mommy. thank you for the sandwhiches." Gabriella smiles, "Your very welcome sweetie." Rider looks at her, "Momma, did I do anything wrong?"
Gabriella strokes his cheek, "no baby, why would you think that?" Rider rubs his eyes, "Cause of the way daddy ignores me.. does he not love me?" Gabriella smiled sadly, "Honey, we've been over this before, Daddy loves you very much..." "He loves Andy more."
Gabriella shakes his head, "We love you both, alright. I love you." she kisses his forehead, "I love you too mommy." he whispered.
Troy sighs, leaning his head on the wall and closing his eyes. I'm a dick. He thinks, scolding himself. Hearing Gabriella's footsteps, he quickly goes into the nearest room.
Which so happens to be Andy's, "daddy?" He turns at the voice, "what are you doing?" Shit... he swallows, "hiding from mommy." Andy giggles, "why?"
Troy sighs, "It's a little complicated, just don't mention to mommy that I was hiding from her? alright?" Andy nods, "Okay daddy. goodnight I love you." Troy nods, "I love you too buddy. get some rest." he opens the door and goes to the bedroom where Gabriella was coming out in her pajama's.
Troy looks at her, "You look..beautiful." Gabriella smiles sadly, "Thanks. you uh..you ready for bed?" Troy nods, going into the bathroom. Gabriella lays on the bed, Troy comes back out in his basketball shorts and his shirt off.
Gabriella looks at him. Troy gets into bed next to her. "Goodnight Brie." Gabriella sighed, "Goodnight Troy." she turns the lamp off. Then she feels his arms wrap around her waist, and pull her close, Gabriella is shocked for a few moments, then begins crying.
He tenses, not expecting that reaction from her, but doesn't dare ask. He just wishes that he could take back everything he did to hurt her...
He sighs, softly breathing in her scent. Vanilla and...hot chocolate. Always, as long as he could remember, she always smelled like hot chocolate to him.
How could he ever treat he like he had- the phone rings. He jumps at the sound Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas blaring from...curse it, where was it coming from?!
"Troy...its your phone." He nods, removing his arm hesitantly before he reaches on his night stand and turns on the lamp. He stares at the ID screen, "coach...billard?" He looks at Gabriella. "Brie...whose this?" She sits up ,rubbing her eyes and taking the phone. "He's your coach."
He looks at her, she sighs pressing the green phone. "Hello?" "Where the hell is my captain?!" Yeah...coach Billard has never liked Gabriella. "He's here-" "then put him on dumb broad!" Troy narrows his eyes, grabbing the phone from Gabriella's hand. "Look buddy...you never talk to Gabriella like that again got it!"
The coach stammers on the phone, "Bolton...wh-wh..." after a good five minutes of babbling stammers, the coach growls in anger "there is a practice going on-" Troy shrugs "so continue without me..."
Gabriella looks at him with wide eyes, "Troy?" "Bolton this is your teammates-" "And this is my family, Goodbye." he hangs up, Gabriella hugs his arm, "Troy.." Troy looks at her, "How long has this been going on?" Gabriella bites her lip, "A year almost."
Troy runs a hand through his hair, "You must hate me-" "I don't hate you Troy.. I could never hate you.." Troy sighs, "You were crying when I touched you brie, it's bad.. I'm a bad husband, and a bad father."
Gabriella sighs, "That..that was just so unexpected...you haven't held me like that in forever and it was just shocking.."
Troy looks at her, bringing a hand to cup her face. "I'm so sorry...I really am-" "Troy, don't...it's fine. Let's just go to-" his phone rings again, he looks at it. Gabriells sighs as she picks it up flips it open, "Chad...do you know what time it is?"
"Gabster, I'm only calling because wants me to talk some sense into Troy. Can I talk to him?" Gabriella sighs, handing the phone to Troy. "It's Chad."
Troy grabs the phone, looking at it briefly before putting it to his ear. Chad takes a breath to speak, but Troy beats him to it. "Goodnight Chad." With that said, he hangs up.
Gabriella looks at him, "We should get some sleep-" before she could finish her sentence, Troy crashed his lips onto hers getting ontop of her.
Gabriella moans into the kiss, pulling at the back of his hair. Troy pulls back, "I am so sorry." he whispers. Gabriella bit her lip, "T-Troy.. we need to take things slow, please...we need to slow down.."
Troy looks at her, "I..Yeah I understand.. but.." he looks into her eyes, she just looks at him. Troy sighs, "do you love me still?" Gabriella cups his cheeks, "Troy, I never stopped.. We just..we grew apart." Troy looks at her, "I want us back to normal." he whispers.
Gabriella nods, biting her lip back, "We'll get there fast, if we take it slow." Troy nods, "Alright. I can live with that."
