Chapter 14

"Hey! There's my sister, the race-car driver!" Dex hugged Gabi as she came in to meet him at the diner.

"I miss you, bro," She smiled against his shoulder. "Is Jody still ignoring me?"

"You broke his heart, sis," Dex told her honestly.

"I still miss him," she sighed.

"Give him some time," Dex assured.

He ordered her a milkshake and they sat in a booth together; flicking their straw wrappers at each other across the table for a few moments.

"So, you coming home yet?" Dex posed lightly.

"I miss you guys," Gabi admitted. "I'll be home soon, I promise."

Dex nodded. "When he leaves, right?"

Gabi met his gaze and didn't ask how he knew, she just accepted he did.

"Yeah, if that's okay?"

"Of course it's ok. But he's coming back, right?" Dex checked.

"He is," she affirmed with a blush.

"My sister, in love and racing. I never thought I'd see this day…"

"Me either," she smiled shyly. "But I am."

"I'm happy for you," Dex assured.

"Thank you," she smiled at him and then he threw his straw wrapper at her so that it bounced off her face and onto the table. "Oh you are so gonna die," she giggled as a war broke out and everything seemed like the old days, only better.

/

"You having fun?" Troy called to Gabi; who was bent over the hood of an old Ford on the forecourt of Leon's garage in town; somewhere he hadn't expected to find her, but was pleased to all the same.

"The spark is perfect but the connection is gone…It needs a good blow out and maybe some oil," she shared, looking up to him as if asking his opinion.

He flicked his eyes over her oil-smeared form; dressed in jeans and one of his t-shirts; another fact that endeared him.

"You need to tie your hair back," he suggested as he saw the ends hang dangerously into the motor cavity and she turned her smile up to him.

"Can you do it for me?"

He nodded and took her offered band from her wrist; carefully scooping up her waves and tying them in a neat ponytail.

"There, now you won't yank your head off when the motor turns over," he smiled.

"I never have…" she rolled her eyes and he realised he was being protective.

"I know."

"How come you're in town?" She wondered. "Checking up on me?"

"Nope, just came to see the chassis for the race car," he explained. "Gonna start building the damn thing next week."

"When do you go?" She wondered lightly, leaning on the bumper of the car she was fixing.

"Two weeks."

She nodded. "I'm going to move out when you go," she explained.

"And leave Chad on his own?" Troy raised his brows.

"I'll pop by and make sure he's okay…but he won't want me there while you're away," she reasoned.

Troy could argue that actually, he probably would, but he had to accept this was her decision.

"Okay, well, I'll be gone two weeks and then I'll be home for good." He shared.

"Troy, what's in LA?" She wondered.

He smirked. "My games arcade."

"What?" She frowned.

"I designed some racing games and made some on it so I took the proceeds and put those games into an arcade…"

"You're closing it?" She ovalled her mouth.

"No way, that place is gonna run the team;" he explained. "But I need to find a manager; and a new place to stay when I come back."

"You won't stay with Chad?" She worried for their friend.

Troy shrugged. "If we're going to be together then it's not really fair on him…"

She nodded sadly. "Do you think I should stay with him when you go?"

"It's up to you, sweetheart." He assured.

"If it was me, I'd want me to stay…"

"Will your brother mind?"

"He's managed for a month already I'm sure he can last a bit longer…"

"I'm sure he'd appreciate the company," Troy offered.

"I'll talk to him and see if he's ok with that."

"Great idea." He nodded, then his slow grin crept out. "You're wearing my t-shirt."

"Oops!" She looked down as if just realising.

"It looks better on you," he decided.

"Along with all this grease," she wiggled her fingers at him and he ducked back from them.

"Sexy, but please don't get any on me, I have a meeting with the sponsor today."

"You mean Sharpay," Gabi raised her brow.

"Well, yeah, but I'm pretending to be smart."

"I don't get a kiss?" She pouted playfully.

"Don't do that," he warned. "Don't pull those doe eyes on me…"

"He won't kiss me," Gabi complained to Leon, who passed them to greet a customer.

"He won't?" Leon grinned, his young face showing his disbelief. "Mind if I do?" He asked Troy and Troy smiled in good nature.

"I think I can manage," he derided and squinted at Gabi's mischievous nature. "You are trouble…"

"I only wanted a kiss," she argued and leaned up to meet Troy's lips, just briefly.

"There, wasn't so bad was it?" She enquired.

"I don't know, I have this really vivid image of you now in my mind…"

"What do you mean?" She gasped, feigning innocence.

"You, in my t-shirt, covered in grease…"

"You're sick, Troy," she told him and then when he frowned in bemusement, she turned back from her bonnet and winked. "I'll see what I can do later…"

/

Well, she wasn't covered in grease. Or in his t-shirt. But she was in her oil-stained overalls; and only her overalls which were left undone to reveal her nakedness under the cotton.

And her skin was slickened with some kind of oil; because it glistened in the lamplight she had set in the bedroom.

"Oiled up and ready to go," she flirted, laid on the bed waiting for him.

"Ouch, okay, but go easy on me, angel…" he limped in.

"What did you do?" She gasped.

"Just been kneelin' down all day looking at car frames," he explained with a grimace.

Gabi closed her eyes and winced at her insensitive timing.

"You know what; don't even think about anything but feeling better. I'll find something in the cabinet to help ease the pain," she crawled across the bed just as Troy sat on it and he grasped her wrist to stop her leaving.

"You look amazing. Don't go yet…"

"But you're hurt…"

"Nothing a kiss won't cure," he promised huskily, receiving her smile before she stood between his thighs and kissed him, allowing him to infiltrate her hair with his fingers.

"Damn," he sighed, rolling back.

"You don't look good," she worried. "Are you okay?"

"Just tired," he affirmed with a faded smile. "I don't want to let you down, though…" he said of her effort.

"You're not. I was just being playful…"

"And if I was twenty-two, I'd be playful with you," he argued.

"But you're not," she accepted. "And that's okay."

"I'm just disappointing you because I can't play your game," he argued.

"I'm not disappointed…"

"You should be."

"Stop pushing me away and let me look after you. Lay down on the bed while I get changed and I'll be right out, okay?" She demanded and he nodded sleepily, knowing the second his head hit the pillow, he'd be out like a light.

/

"Gabi?" Troy rolled up with a frown, somehow sensing she wasn't there. He grimaced; then stretched and finally rolled out of bed to go in search of his new partner in crime.

"Gabi?" He ran his hand through his hair, pushing open the kitchen swing-door.

"She's not here," Chad told him and he paused, wondering why. "She said something about wearing you out…"

"She did?" Troy's brows lifted.

"Although why I had to hear that, before I've eaten, is beyond me…"

Troy flicked his eyes over his friend and noted he hadn't actually eaten anything. He was still sat on the stool, slumping on the counter.

"I'm gonna make oatmeal, do you want some?" Troy offered lightly.

"Oh, thanks, dude," Chad nodded lightly.

"So she left early?" He checked of Gabi.

"Yeah, she said she had stuff to do and she'd get out of your way…"

"She's coming back, though, right?" Troy asked, feeling insecure for the first time since he had met Gabi.

Chad's inane smile at him caught him out.

"Oh, alright I sound like a jealous boyfriend," Troy grinned back.

"I was waiting for that," Chad admitted.

Troy looked up. "Hey," he grumbled jokily.

"I'm sorry dude, but the girl gets chatted up by every guy she meets and she has no clue. But I was expecting you to notice by now…"

"I noticed," Troy admitted softly. "But I trust her."

"She only has eyes for you, bro. She doesn't even register with the others, you know?"

Troy smiled to himself happily. "I feel the same. No-one else comes close."

"Softie," Chad accused affectionately and Troy grinned.

"Yup."

"So what's the plan today, bro?" Chad wondered, smiling at him still.

"X Box," Troy said simply with a slow grin.

"What? You have a race-car to build…" Chad argued.

"No, I have a friend to look out for," he amended with a squint.

Chad looked at him for a long moment and then decided not to fight.

"Game on, bro."

/

"I have to get ready; there's a race tonight!" Gabi called to the two guys sat on the sofa playing War Hero when she came in.

"Dex?" Troy checked.

"No, Luke- he's doing this street race down town and he said I could go with him..." she repeated excitedly, her eyes bright.

Troy looked up and paused his game. "You're going alone?"

She nodded, looking at him funny. "I always have…"

"Be careful," he asked and she smiled softly at him, coming over to run her hand through his messy hair.

"I'm coming home to you after," she promised.

"Have fun," he added before she ran upstairs to get ready.

"Ok I'm going!" she poked her head around the door again; her hair loose and beautiful like her smile; her eyes bright and although she was wearing the exact same skinny jeans he'd seen her wear for their celebration night, he still wished it was him she was going out with tonight.

"Take care, call me if you need a ride," Troy offered, standing to kiss her goodbye.

Gabi smiled slowly and linked her hands at his neck. "You worry too much."

Troy frowned as she unlatched herself and ran out the door, leaving him stumped.

"Do I sound like her dad?" He asked Chad honestly.

Chad held back a giggle. "Maybe a little, dude…"

"I have to stop doing that…"

Chad nodded. "Oh, yeah."

"I seem to remember I was in the middle of whooping your ass," Troy turned his attention back to the gaming activity.

"It's all a dream, Bolton," Chad replied teasingly. "I think you'll find I'm in the lead…"