Thank you so much for reviews! There are about 600 people reading this story and on average, 18 of you reviewing so I really appreciate those of you making the effort to post a comment. I appreciate people reading too ;)

Fudge- well spotted ;) it will all come out in the wash…

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Don't forget to check out 'The Single Girl' by Miss Romance Lover, new story from the author of 'Absent with Love' that I recommended a while back.

Also just a reminder to try out 'Tomorrow would never change' by Stars Walk Backward, a different and intriguing story.

If anyone has any stories they'd like me to read, please recommend! Thank you

Chapter 8

"She raced," Jody sank into the sofa at the apartment and waited for Dex to reply.

"And?"

"And she was the fastest so she got through to the next round." Jody shared.

"She was the fastest?" Dex checked.

"Yup."

"By how much?"

"Two seconds…"

"Damn, Gabriella, you have the gene," Dex sighed.

"Dude, please tell me you're gonna drop the dad act and help her win this job?" Jody begged.

"Sounds like she doesn't need my help…"

"She will next time. Two seconds on the first run is an easy target for the others to improve on," Jody told Dex what he already knew.

"She won't even speak to me," Dex sighed.

"Have you tried?"

"Yes."

"Have you apologised?"

"No."

"Then you know what to do…" Jody admonished.

"Every fibre in my being tells me not to let her do this…" Dex explained. "It's one thing accepting she's doing it, it's another to give my all-out support."

"She's your sister, Dex."

"You can go and help her. Call it my contribution."

"It's not the same as having her brother there."

"I can't watch her do something that might hurt her." He folded his arms.

"Why not? She's watched you do it for years…"

/

"Well at least Jody came," Gabi sighed and took a sip of the beer Ben had ordered her, her third so far that evening.

"You and Bolton, you know each other?" Ben asked interestedly.

"Kinda," she avoided his question. "He knows my brother."

"Dex, right?"

"Right."

"Where was he today?"

"Disowning me," she shared lightly, then smiled to ease her hard words.

"He doesn't like you racing?"

She shook her head.

"My mother's the same," Ben shared.

"Oh?" Gabi frowned in sympathy and wobbled a little on her stool.

"Hey," Ben laughed and steadied her with his arm. "But yeah, she's all against the racing."

"It sucks when people are like that," Gabi announced, somewhat drunkenly.

"It really does," Ben agreed, cuddling closer. "You wanna talk about it some more, back at my place?"

Gabi rolled her eyes like he was being silly. "I like someone else," she told him boldly.

"Oh you do, huh?" Ben smiled at her honesty.

She nodded.

"Lucky guy," Ben conceded.

"Mm, I dunno, I'm kind of a tomboy, did you know?"

Ben looked down her suit and smiled as wanly as he could manage. "Can't say I did…"

"Well I am. And he likes it. So…maybe I'm the lucky one." She reasoned.

"I think maybe you are," Ben agreed and looked around for help. "Let me call you a cab…"

"Oh, thank you," she smiled at him perfectly, apart from her unfocused eyes.

"Hey no drinking before the next race, I want you fighting fit…" Ben told her and she giggled.

"You sound like my brother!"

"Yeah, well, someone's gotta be," Ben murmured, helping Gabi into a cab and sending her home. "Good night, Montez."

/

"#Halo, halo halo…" Gabi staggered into the porch and giggled to herself, humming the remainder of her tune as she came inside fully and managed to close the door behind her.

"Whoops!" She made a face to herself as she tripped over Chad's trainers, then straightened herself and took a breath before she entered the lounge.

"I am not drunk, I am completely sober," she told herself and opened the door.

"Hey," she called, coming inside the room and staring in confusion at the scene before her.

Chad was lying on the floor, awkwardly, like he had fallen and Troy was nowhere in sight.

She frowned, her breath catching in her throat. "Chad?"

When he didn't move, and Troy didn't appear to be anywhere in the house; she quickly snapped out of her drunken haze and moved forward, testing Chad's pulse and then his airway before putting him into position.

"Ambulance," she panted into her cell, tears beginning at her eyes. "It's my friend, he's passed out…he has cancer, I don't know what else…"

The operator told her to remain calm and she collapsed onto the floor next to him, shielding his body with one arm as she tried to answer questions she didn't know the answers to and she prayed up above that Troy would be home soon because she didn't know what to do and it frightened the living day lights out of her.

Knock knock knock

The pounding rattle of the door jolted her up. The medics were here. She quickly staggered up and out to the door to let them in, her breath leaving her body in one thankful whoosh as they scurried in behind her, leaving her drained and disorientated on the doorstep.

"Gabi?" Troy's voice brought her face up and she couldn't even speak for crying, so she didn't try, she just threw her arms around his neck and didn't let go. She didn't let go even when Chad had been safely moved to the ambulance and Troy had been filled in by one of the medics; who subsequently offered treatment to Gabi but she still refused to let go of Troy so he declined for her and assured the medic she would be ok.

"I'll follow you down," he told the driver to assure his friend he'd be there when he woke.

And then he was alone with her, not knowing how to ease her pain.

"Are you okay?" He asked unsurely, running his fingers through her hair calmingly.

"I was drunk, Troy! I was all happy and I came in singing and drunk and he was just…laying there!" She sobbed. "Chad was just laying there, maybe dying and I was singing…"

"He wants it this way," Troy assured her, cradling her head with his palm as he hugged her still. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"But what if I couldn't help him? What if I was too drunk to help?" She beseeched.

"You weren't. And he's going to be okay. I promise you. It's just the pills, the side-effects…"

She swallowed, her tear-strewn eyes meeting his. "This has happened before?"

Troy nodded slowly. "Three times. And I wasn't even here this time," he pointed out, his own guilt rising.

"He's gonna be okay, right?" She begged.

"He's going to be fine," he shushed her and kissed her forehead, brushing her cheek with his thumb.

"Today was such a high you know? And then you come home and someone you care about is so sick, you just wish you hadn't had such a good day. You wish you could be there for them."

"I know. That's why I came back to Albuquerque," Troy admitted. "This whole race team thing wasn't even my idea, it was his. He wanted me out of his way. So we have to let him deal with this how he wants to. And just make sure we're here when he needs us."

Gabi looked at him with big eyes, her smile tiny. "I'm part of your 'us' now…"

Troy blinked and smiled shyly. "It sounds nice, huh?"

"It feels nice." She affirmed and he smiled.

"I'm glad you came to stay, Gabi the Tomboy."

"Me too," she hugged him one more time.

"You should go and sleep that drink off; I'll be at the hospital with Chad…"

She nodded, knowing she had to let him go alone even though she ached to go with him.

"I'll come by in the morning."

"We'll be waiting."

/

"Gabi, we need to talk."

Dex stood with his arms folded, halfway down the path that led to Troy's apartment block.

"Now?" She sighed.

"Where you going?" He wondered.

"To see my friend in hospital," she explained.

"Troy?" He squinted.

"No, Troy's ok. No thanks to you," she added bitterly.

Dex had the grace to look guilty. "I'm sorry that I went off on him."

"You should be. You almost ruined it."

"Are you together?" He frowned.

"I don't know, not really. But I'd like to be…I don't want my brother ruining it this time…" she stressed.

Dex nodded and swallowed. "Okay, I'll lay off Bolton…"

"Well that's something," she conceded with a sigh, going to pass him to which he span to follow.

"Wait, I'm not done…"

"Dex, I really need to go," she emphasised.

"Look, just wait, give me one minute," he begged and she nodded, looking at him expectantly.

"I was a jack-ass," he admitted. "A total jack-ass, actually. And I took some stupid thing my father said to me and used it to push you away and I wasn't right to do that…"

"Dex…"

"No, wait, I'm not done," he said again and she waited, as asked.

"Okay," she prompted.

"Dad was right to keep you off the track, because he didn't want you to die the same way he did and for a while, I agreed with him, but you're right, too. Because I have raced my entire life and he never said I shouldn't do it, so you should have that right too. You should have that chance."

Gabi lifted her brows in surprise at his speech, but decided to stay quiet while he finished.

"I can't stop you from racing, I accept that now. And I can't pretend that you don't have it in you, because we both know you do. And it's not right to keep you from something you love and I have, for all these years…"

"Dex what are you saying?" She wondered.

"I'm saying that I'll help you. I'll do everything I can to make sure that when you get in that car and hear the starter's horn, that you're the top of your game and the safest you can be and from then on, it's up to you…"

"Do you mean that?" She argued. "Because I can't get in a car and deal with you going crazy on me again…"

"I promise," he assured, his brown eyes meeting hers. "I miss you little sis."

"I've missed you too," she admitted, feeling teary again. "Please don't make me cry again!" she teased and he scooped her into a hug.

"I'm sorry that I made you cry."

"Why don't you come with me to the hospital? Troy will be there…"

"I think I better save my apology until he's back," Dex suggested. "I'm not sure he'll want to see me right now."

She nodded. "I have my second try out tomorrow if you want to come?"

"Just tell me what time to be there," he answered and she smiled happily.

"Thanks, Dex."

"Drive careful now," he told her as she slipped into her car and belted up. "See you tomorrow!"

/

"Is she always like this?" Chad asked around Gabi's hair as she remained latched to his neck after coming in and hugging him.

"Pretty much…" Troy shared with a knowing smile.

"Hey, Gabi, your man is gonna whip my ass if you don't let go…" Chad teased and Troy chuckled.

Gabi pulled away and bit her lower lip. "I was so worried."

"I know," Chad smiled easily. "It's freaky when I do that fainting shit, but I'm ok, see?" He assured.

She nodded and sat on the bed, looking over to Troy. "Are you okay?"

Troy came closer and smiled at his friends. "I'm okay."

"Sit down, bro," Chad pointed to the chair and Troy sat looking up at them both.

"Go sit with him," Chad told Gabi and she blushed.

"It's okay…"

"Go, sit," he barked and Gabi looked to Troy and made a face to which Troy just chuckled.

"He's bossy," he warned as she sat nervously on his knee and he quickly comforted her, putting his arm around behind her and resting his fingers on her thigh.

"Better?" She asked Chad, acutely aware of sitting in Troy's lap in a hospital of all places.

"Perfect!" He whipped out his camera phone and took a shot of them, demanding them to smile before he put it away again with an innocent smile. "To write home," he explained at the double looks of wariness coming his way.

"Hmm, okay," Troy lifted his brows, then coughed. "So when are you allowed out?"

"In time for the second round," Chad assured and both Gabi and Troy smiled.

"You should be worrying about getting better, not the try outs," Gabi complained lightly.

"Well, it's not my decision if I get better or not, that's up to Him," he pointed toward the heavens. "But I can cheer my girl on in the second round…"

Gabi giggled at him and met his tired eyes. "My brother is coming tomorrow."

"No shit," Chad gaped, even though he hardly knew anything about her history with him; she guessed Troy had told him all about it anyway.

She nodded. "He came by today and said he was sorry."

"I should croak out more often…"

"No!" She laughed at his joke. "But he's kind of accepted that I'm going to maybe race. And maybe date." She added for Troy's benefit.

"Speaking of dating, have you asked this girl out yet?" Chad asked his friend over Gabi's shoulder.

"Not yet," Troy smiled wanly.

"Well hurry up and do it, bro…"

"Well, I can't now can I? You just ruined my lead up…"

"Dude, if I wait for your lead up, I'll be here next Christmas waiting for the words…"

"Fine, jeez," Troy sighed, then looked up to Gabi. "Gabi?"

"Hm?" She looked down, embarrassed and amused.

"Would you like to go out with me…on a date?" He asked directly and then took a deep breath for the courage he didn't feel.

"I would love to," she pinkened in response and he couldn't help his slow smile into her face.

"You're beautiful, you know that?"

"At last!" Chad cheered from the bed. "Now get lost so I can sleep, your chattering is keeping me awake…"

Gabi looked to him for one second thinking he was serious, then realised he wasn't.

"Take care, Chad. I want you there tomorrow."

"I'll be there," he assured, high-fiving Troy on the way out.

"See ya, dude."

"Take her somewhere nice!" Chad's voice echoed down the hall, causing Gabi and Troy to look at each other and laugh at his demand, linking their hands as they went.