So… the title of this chapter isn't what you think ;)
Apologies for the delay updating. Keep reviewing :D
Chapter 21
"Hey, what's up?"
The concerned voice wasn't Troy's thankfully, it was Chad's and Gabi plopped onto the sofa beside him and crashed into his arm gratefully.
"Where do I start?"
"At the beginning…" Chad bemused.
She looked up and smiled at him. "Thanks, smart-ass."
"Where else would you start?" he challenged.
"Are you sure you'll be okay while we're gone?" she checked again of her and Troy's holiday.
He rolled his eyes, not even bothering to answer. "Tell me what happened."
"Jody has feelings for me." She sighed, then looked to Chad and saw his brows were raised, waiting for more. "Feelings I don't have in return…"
"Oh…" he pursed his lips in realisation.
"He's made it clear he's not happy about me being with Troy and he doesn't like that I've moved out…"
"He's not happy about much is he?" Chad commented.
Gabi irked her brow. "Can you blame him? This was kinda sudden…"
"He can't seriously be peeved about you and Troy…"
"He has feelings for me. I guess he's jealous," she shrugged. "We were best friends…"
"You still are!" Chad argued.
"Not anymore," she recounted.
Chad's face fell. "You're not friends anymore?"
"We can't. It's not working. He punched Solo over it; it's just not worth it." She sighed.
Chad twisted on the sofa to lend his arm around her small shoulders. "Do you feel like it isn't worth it sometimes?" he asked. "Coming here, being with Troy?"
She curled into his side and smiled to herself. "No."
He smiled back, even though she couldn't see him, so he rubbed her arm a bit. "Then just know I'm here any time you need to talk."
"I sound depressing. I need to do something awesome," she decided, sitting up straight.
"I have War Hero?" Chad suggested weakly.
Gabi smiled down at him as she jumped up. "Great suggestion, but I'm thinking something more exciting…"
"What about your knee?" Chad arched his brow.
She pouted. "It's fine."
He tilted his head and she smiled. "I'm not talking about driving or anything…let's just go out tonight, have some fun…"
"I'll leave it to you and Troy," Chad allowed gracefully, looking up to find his friend at the doorway.
"Leave what to me?" Troy asked, coming in.
Gabi looked up at him and smiled at his picture; he looked amazing in a fitted white long sleeve top and worn jeans.
"The partying," Chad derided.
"Party? What party?" he came up beside Gabi and leaned down to kiss her temple.
"I just feel like going out…"
"Your leg…" he began and Chad coughed and shook his head to signal he shouldn't mention her injury.
"I just need to let my hair down," she explained and he nodded.
"Is this where I have to pretend I'm not an old man and that I can actually keep up with my younger girlfriend?" he wondered teasingly.
"You're 28, not 98," Gabi rolled her eyes. "I'm getting changed, see you up there."
/
"You are so short," Troy grinned inanely as Gabi led him into the bar she chose to party at, her height not enhanced by heels like she usually chose to wear out.
"If you want a dance later, you better be nice," she warned, reaching the bar and bouncing along to the beat.
"It's so loud!" he complained of the music. "We can't talk in here…"
She turned and smiled at him felinely. "Who said anything about talking?"
Once she had ordered the drinks, she led him onto the dance floor and grooved to the music, rubbing up against his body suggestively.
"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" he wondered of her leg.
She rolled her eyes and placed her glass down on a table, winding her arms around his neck to dance closely with him; attracting attention from the rest of the room as she did so.
"Why is everyone staring?" she shouted into his ear; smiling as his hands ran down her back to rest above her backside and she felt him begin to move in response to her dance.
"Because you look amazing," he told her with his smile, flicking his eyes over her flowing hair; all black and curly down her back. She was wearing boot cut jeans, dark and indigo with a frilled purple sleeveless top that brought out her dark eyes and hair perfectly.
"Apart from the bruises," she smirked.
He let her comment go, enjoying their intimate dance too much to ruin the mood by arguing about her injuries.
"Are you looking forward to seeing my home?" He wondered of their imminent trip to LA.
She nodded. "I can't wait."
"Dex gave me the third degree," he smiled.
She looked up and blinked. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he shrugged lightly, finding their dance slowing until they just stood, embracing on the dance floor. "I can handle it."
"I have something to tell you…"
"Can it wait? I can barely hear…"
She tilted her head and wished she could enjoy the rest of the night how she wanted to- by dancing with Troy, enticing him out of his reluctant shell and showing everyone here how she felt about him; but her difficult day was catching up with her and along with the ache in her leg; she began to feel tired.
She reluctantly let go of Troy's neck and led him through the crowd, finally landing up outside, turning to him.
"Hey, wrap up," he admonished, slipping his jacket onto her as she held her arms out ready to be dressed.
"Yes, dad," she teased, smiling up into his face as she grasped his shirt front.
"Am I being 'old' again?" he winced.
"No," she smiled sweetly. "You're being sexy," she tiptoed and kissed him; extending the short lip-touch into a longer, more enthralling kiss.
"Mm, I have no idea what we were talking about," he smiled and wrapped his arms around her to cuddle her close.
"I have something to tell you," she reminded him.
"So you do. Let's walk so we don't freeze," he suggested, unwrapping her and taking her hand as they walked side by side.
"It's about Jody."
"Okay…" he flicked her a look.
"He's…" she paused, wondering how she could even begin to explain the situation. "He's not happy about us…"
"I kinda got that feeling when he came by…" Troy derided.
"He told you?" She looked to him, shocked.
"He might have mentioned it," Troy played it down.
"I told him that we can't be friends. I told him my time away is a good thing…"
Troy squinted over at the vulnerable girl at his side and saw her hurt hidden as she looked to her feet.
"I feel responsible somehow." He admitted.
"Well you're not," she assured softly, looking up.
"Do you think it's worth it? For us?" he checked and she stopped him in the street and kissed him with her conviction.
"Every second."
He tipped his forehead to hers, causing his eyes to cross. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"
She turned her lips down to deny her answering smile. "Not lately."
"Well, I do. And I hate that you have to lose a friend so we can have this…"
"He'll get over it," she assured. "We're getting funny looks," she giggled as passers-by began looking over their shoulders at the kissing couple.
"Let's go home, beautiful."
/
"Gabi…"
Troy rolled over onto her small, soft body but held his weight back, not wanting to put any pressure on her healing form.
"Yes, Troy," she stroked her hands through his long, messy hair and smiled felinely.
"You're still hurt," he whispered, stroking his own fingers down her neck gently and their bare bodies touched just a little.
"I'm okay," she assured.
"I'm not gonna do this," he denied.
"Why not?"
"I'm heavy; I won't forgive myself if I hurt you…"
"You won't," she assured.
"How do you know?" he argued.
"Because you're you…you'll be gentle…" she shrugged cutely.
He sighed, and then twitched his mouth as he thought about logistics.
"Lean on your good side," he murmured, getting her to face him, then drawing her bad leg up as far as she could manage, which gave him plenty of room to stroke and kiss her bare body until they both groaned with need.
"What's the plan?" she panted, needing him inside her where she throbbed so hard for him.
He nudged his knee through hers, giving him the mattress to gain leverage but keeping his weight entirely off her body; allowing them to connect without any pressure.
The position was strange; Gabi had never experimented and she looked into his face in nervous doubt about what he needed her to do.
"Just gently, beautiful," he instructed softly, showing her the shallow thrusts he could manage; but the slow, tender result of their joining was something else as they could look into each other's faces and rub bodies.
She arched her hips, trying it out, finding he was right. If she arched, just gently and he thrust, just barely, they came together deeply inside, but with nearly no friction, just fulfilment, each and every time.
Gabi couldn't understand how such a sweet, slow rocking could build something so deep inside that grew and grew and fanned out in aching, pleasurable circles with each layer of their love-making.
Up and up she sailed, the ocean deepening, the waves lapping and then it came, the sunlight over the horizon as her orgasm burst beautifully with his; in sync.
His thumb quickly found her cheek and trailed down. "You're so beautiful."
She opened her eyes to him and blinked. "I love you."
He smiled. She never quit telling him that. "You liked that, huh?"
She nodded and her eyes fluttered shut, signalling her exhaustion and he lay her gently back while he cleaned up; joining her shortly after.
/
"So you're off then…" Chad semi-sulked as his friends gathered their luggage to leave.
"I can stay," Gabi told him and he merely lifted his brows.
"Call me when you land." He insisted.
"We will, dude," Troy said and came through to hug him largely.
"I have my meeting next Monday if you can make it back by then…" he reminded them and Troy smiled.
"I'll be here, bro."
"Me too," Gabi assured.
"Go on then…" he derided. "Off with the pair of you…"
"Take care," Gabi clamped around his neck as Troy carried their bags to the taxi waiting in the road.
"Look after him," Chad told her and she met his eyes.
"I will."
Troy opened the cab door and Gabi looked over to him, then back at Chad.
"Call us, if you need anything," she re-iterated.
Chad waved to Troy and watched Gabi walk down the path toward him where they kissed tenderly before she got into the car, Troy following and the sight of his friends in love and happy brought a smile to Chad's lips as he turned back inside the quiet house.