Love is 130- thank you, I love that you love this troy so much lol.

Blacksumo- ahh your review made me smile so wide :D

Flakegirl- did you post yet?

And everyone, genuinely, thankyou for your continued support and comments, I love reading them!

Chapter 6

"I got tickets!" Gabi ran in, her cut off denim shorts and white tight tank top giving her a Lara-Croft look with the flat biker boots she wore with it.

Troy smiled wanly as he searched his library for inspiring passages to include in his next sermon. So much for avoiding her.

"Tickets for what?" He asked dutifully as she came in and she was grinning like a little girl, something he found very hard not to distract him from his work.

"The game of course! The Wranglers play Saturday night!"

"Saturday night? I have work the next day…"

"So get up late and miss a shave, the congregation will think it's sexy…" She shrugged.

"Again, my aim is not to turn on every member of my audience," he reminded her glibly.

"You did it anyways…" she muttered, then smiled innocently as he looked to her sternly.

"Do you have no-one else you can take?" He asked.

Her face fell and she bit her inner lip vulnerably. "I got them for you."

He closed his eyes and reprimanded himself for hurting her feelings by being blasé.

"Then of course I'll go." He amended.

"Yay!" She squealed and he frowned, thinking she may have just played him completely only he didn't have time to ponder that fact because she threw herself into his body and hugged him around the neck in her excitement, pressing her large, firm breasts into his chest.

"Mm, yay indeed…" He swallowed at the feel of female flesh- very obviously female flesh at that- pressing into his hard unforgiving chest.

"Troy, you are so damn-"

"Ah! Not in the house of God." He intercepted her compliment.

"I was just gonna say hot." She said it anyway, turning to go. "I'm making dinner tonight."

"Oh, my friend Taylor is coming by…" He informed.

"Ok, I'll make enough for three…" Gabi said as she walked out.

/

"She's a great cook," Taylor described of his new house-mate as they sat in the back yard, admiring his week's worth of gardening in the fading sunset.

"She's tempting as hell, too." He sighed, and then rolled his eyes up. "Sorry," he told his boss for his cuss.

"Wait," Taylor twisted on the bench and smiled at him. "Do you like her?"

He shrugged. "It just kind of happened."

"Oh my god, you do!" She swiped him playfully. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because that's all it's ever going to be. Is me having a shaky moment before I regain my control and forget all about even entertaining the idea."

"Troy…you're not seriously going to deny yourself some happiness are you?" Taylor chided.

"Happiness?" He questioned. "Would she be happy waiting until we're married to have sex with me?"

"She might…"

"Would I be happy fighting every urge I have to be with her and not be able to be with her?" He wondered.

"You can do other stuff…" Taylor screwed up her face thinking about it.

"Even looking at her fills me with this urge to kiss her…if I start actually kissing her…" He sighed, running a hand through his short, conker-brown spikes.

"Nobody is going to hate you for loving her." Taylor argued. "In any sense."

"The church says-"

"The church can shut up," Taylor interrupted. "I know you, Troy and I know how hard you punish yourself and how hurt you were when Alison left you."

"I was a kid." He derided.

"So you know now that this means something," she insisted.

"I don't even know that she likes me back." He argued, bringing up a fresh barrier.

"Oh, she does," Taylor pointed her chin in as her voice changed to one of knowing wisdom.

"How do you know?"

Taylor arched two perfectly groomed brows and pursed her lips. "She told me she thought you were hot."

"Oh god," he groaned. "That's her idea of being funny…"

"And then she asked me if you ever had a girlfriend…"

"She's just being nosy," he knocked his head back, resting his chin in the air as he folded his arms.

"And then she asked me what kind girl you went for…"

"I hope you lied," he looked to the side of him quickly, squinting at his friend.

"I did. I told her you were gay and it was the biggest secret the church had to keep…"

"Oh ha-ha, Tay," he smirked unamusedly.

"I told her I wasn't sure, that you were married to your job." Taylor replied seriously and Troy felt her words weigh down on his chest.

"Is that what you really think?" He asked, hurt.

"It's what I know Troy." Taylor looked at him sadly. "Just let go a little, huh? Let her prove she's worth letting go for."

"There's just something I don't understand…" He frowned.

"What's that?"

"She had sex with all those men, she gave her body away…did she give her soul too? Or would that be mine?" He wondered philosophically.

"You have to forgive her, Troy. Her past is past." Taylor instructed as she stood from the bench. "I have to go."

He stood too and hugged her, hugely. "I love you, Tay."

"I love you too, you big softie," She smiled, pulling away. "Go get your girl."

He smiled at her words of empowerment, turning to go back inside, finding Gabi asleep on his sofa, her breaths in and out even and controlled. He pulled the comforter over her and walked through to his room, sighing out as he closed his door and tried to wipe her scent from his mind.

Sleep did not prevail.

/

"Are you okay? You look kinda sick…" Gabi frowned at Troy the next morning, her eyes keenly raking down his long, lean body to take in his pajama bottoms and vest. It was her favourite part of the day because it was the only time she was lucky enough to see his arms- in all their muscled glory, bulging and screaming for her hands, showcased by his sleeveless attire.

His hair was sexy-messy as usual but his face looked haggard and he had stubble she had never seen before. Did that mean he always shaved before he ate?

"Thanks," he said in response to her inaccurate observation as he padded by her to get coffee.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" She offered apologetically.

"I didn't sleep." He offered.

"Oh that sucks. What kept you awake?" She wondered, laying a plate with bacon and crumpets on it in front of him, stirring the scrambled eggs she had yet to add.

"Stomach ache." He lied ruefully.

"Ew." She screwed up her face. "Will you be ok with eggs?"

He smiled tiredly. "Yeah…"

"Are you sure you're okay?" She emptied half the eggs onto his plate then pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, testing for a fever. "You really don't look good."

"That's bad coming from you," he remarked of her usually complimentary nature.

"You should go back to bed after eating…" She admonished in a motherly way that made him chuckle.

"Yes, mom."

"Hey, don't get cheeky with me…"

"Erm, Gabi, how long do you think you'll be staying?" He asked carefully as he took a mouthful, his tummy flopping nervously as she looked at him with uncertainty painted in her eyes.

"I don't know…why?" She asked back, chewing on a tiny bite of her crumpet.

"Nothing, I was just asking…"

"Do you want me to go?" She wondered fearfully, her previous feeling of familiarity crushed by his innocent question.

"No! No, I was just asking…so I know…just so I know for…plans and things." He lied, closing his eyes.

"Are you going to pass out?" She wondered, bypassing the moment while she showed concern.

"No, I'm fine." He assured grimly, not knowing how much longer he could watch her walk around in his t-shirts that she had mysteriously commandeered.

"If you want your space back, Troy, all you have to do is ask." She said softly, eating her rasher of bacon like a chew-stick.

"You can stay as long as you need. I'm just…adjusting to having a house-mate." He excused.

"It's because I'm a girl, isn't it?" She worried.

"No…"

"You're worried your boss might see me here and think the worst…"

"Gabi…"

"A former hooker and a Reverend with no wife. What would people think?" She derided, standing and clearing her empty plate into the sink.

"Stop right now," he commanded, rising from his seat to track after her, laying his gentle hands on her shoulders when she braced the sink.

"I can never be anything else can I?" She asked bitterly.

"Of course you can…"

"I'm just the slut who opens her legs for anyone," she began to sob and he kicked himself for ever mentioning her length of stay.

"No." He told her firmly, turning her and looking into her face as he cupped her arms. "You're not that person at all."

"Then who am I?"

"Gabriella Montez. Queen of her own destiny. You can be anyone you want to be."

"Does it not disgust you? Do you not wonder how I did it, every night with someone new?" She challenged, meeting his understanding gaze and seeing a tiny flinch.

Troy lifted his hands and did something he knew he would regret later- he pressed his thumbs against her wet cheeks and dried her tears, her hiccupping sobs killing him inside. "No it doesn't disgust me," he assured. "What disgusts me is how you were treated. And I don't wonder about anything else at all," he skipped over her graphic recount. "I just want you to feel safe here."

"With you, I do," she offered.

"Not every man you meet is going to judge you on your past, Gabi." He assured.

"Ditto," she whispered with a shaky smile.

"I'm not planning on meeting any men…"

"I mean women. I mean about your vows and stuff." She shrugged awkwardly.

He nodded. "I think I should go back to bed…" He decided.

"At last, some sense," she agreed, shadowing him as she walked him to his room and lifted up his covers as he rolled onto his mattress face first. "Do you need anything?"

"No I'm good…" he mumbled into the covers and she turned to go, shooting one last look over his crashed-out form before she closed his door.

/

Gabi decided to go grocery shopping. It was a simple pleasure she had missed and it was the least she could do to replenish Troy's stock cupboard and fridge, repaying him back for some of the hospitality he had showed her.

She picked up some fresh herbs and smiled as she decided to make Troy her lasagna, something she was sure he would like.

"Long time no see," came a graveled voice, making her turn to identify the source.

She met the grey eyes of one of her former clients and felt a shiver of shame run across her skin, cringing as she remembered their night together. She chose not to answer, instead bundling her herbs into her trolley and pushing off.

"Hey, you're too good to say hi to me now?" Carl followed her, irked.

"I'm not working anymore." She clipped, flinging her hair back.

"Shame. I have five hundred right here for another bubble bath with you…" He offered, trailing her around the supermarket.

"I told you I'm not interested," she affirmed, zeroing in on the meat counter where she saw other shoppers and aimed for safety.

"I loved watching you ride me in that bath…" he husked into her ear and she closed her eyes in regret as every memory flooded back. She hadenjoyed it, too and he knew it. Only now, she felt sick even thinking about it.

"Leave me alone," She stared at him with hard eyes.

Carl smirked. "You want it."

Her face creased with worry and when she felt a hand at her waist she jumped in fear, not expecting contact.

"Hey, that's where you got to…" Troy came around and kissed her forehead, feigning innocence as she continued to stare at Carl. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were talking…"

Carl lifted his brows. "You really think you can settle down? I know you…"

"I don't believe we met," Troy stuck out his hand, keeping one arm around Gabi's waist. "I'm Troy."

"You're her latest, then?" Carl smiled, causing Troy to tense.

"Let's go, honey," he said to Gabi and she nodded dazedly, turning in his arm and looking over her shoulder at Carl one more time.

"You want me," he mouthed, making her shudder, Troy's strong hold a grateful support.

Gabi pressed her palm to her forehead, brushing back her hair, her shopping trip abandoned as Troy led her outside and once she was out there, she quickly stopped and threw her arms around his neck, leaving him shocked as he curled his arms around her and bent his long body to hug her.

"Hey, it's ok." He assured.

"How did you know?" She wondered, resting her cheek against his collarbone where she could feel him swallow.

"How did I know to come after you?" He repeated. "I didn't. I just missed you."

She laughed softly and looked at him, pressing her hands to his chest as she lowered from her tiptoes. "You didn't."

"I got hungry. I honestly didn't know you would be here." He promised.

She pressed her lips in and rested her cheek back to his chest, stirring some aching need inside him that he didn't recognise as he wrapped his arms back around her, holding her tightly to comfort her.

"I'm glad you were," she sighed.

"Me too."

"I'll never be able to forget who I am." She commented.

"Hey that guy back there, that…that person who's a lot of things I can't say…he has no right to make you feel this way. You're an amazing woman; don't let him convince you otherwise."

"You know what the worse thing is?" She looked up, creasing her face. "He's right. He does know me. He knows what I look like naked. He knows I enjoyed having sex with him. And he knows I'll never be able to find love because who would want me?" She asked bitterly. "Who would want a girl like me, fucked by every man in town?"

"Gabi…" He sighed as she broke from his arms and headed away, her tears returning as she fought her inner battle. "You're amazing!" He called after her, slowly jogging in long strides to catch her, bringing her round to face him when he did. "You're amazing." He repeated.

"How?" She wondered bewilderedly. "I don't know how."

"You make me smile, okay? You're funny and sweet and you don't judge…You don't look at me and see a Reverend or see my vows or see my job- you just see me- the man." He offered. "You confuse me and tease me and feed me amazing food…"

She swallowed, hitching a breath against her sobs. "Really, you like my food?"

"Your bacon and eggs were awesome."

"Then why do I keep being reminded of the person I was? Why do I feel like I can never escape?"

"Gabi, you're allowed to enjoy sex. That's not a crime. You shouldn't beat yourself up about that…"

"With him though? With any of them? I've never loved anyone, Troy! I've never even made love with anyone and I'm twenty-one. I'm twenty one and I'm a virgin as much as you are. I don't know what tenderness is…"

Troy squinted his eyes and lifted his hand, tracing her jaw line with a slow, soft thumb and finger, flicking his eyes over her beautiful face and swallowing his urge to kiss her. "You will," he promised in a whisper, her golden eyes searching his as he held her close and breathed slow, heavy breaths.

Gabi closed her eyes and turned her cheek, right into his warm palm as he cupped his hand for her, licking his lips as he watched her smile in something close to bliss.

"Some girl somewhere is gonna be lucky to have you," she smiled sadly, opening her eyes.

Troy frowned as his mind answered 'what about you?' and then he quickly ejected the idea, feeling his heart beat heavily as his emotions ran deeper for the beauty in his arms. Every vulnerable moment she had brought him closer to the edge, every time she laughed he wanted to kiss her smiling mouth and every time she curled into him for his touch, he couldn't resist the temptation of hugging her back, this time lowering a kiss to her hair. "You'll be okay." He assured.

I just don't know that I will, he added internally. I don't know I'll ever be okay again…