AN: Okay so this chapter took a lot more work to write than the first one. I didn't know exactly where I wanted to take it. So hopefully it's good. This is 11 pages long! The most I have ever written before and I think that's an accomplishment in itself. You guys are so amazing. The response I received and the people who favorited me and story alerted this I appreciate it. It means so much to me to know that people are reading my story. So thank you guys so much.
As always, if you would like please check out my other story 'This Is Your Life' I am co-writing with my bffz Heat. It seems to be turning out great so I would greatly appreciate it if you guys would check that out as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.
As Gabriella stumbled home from the night club that night her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe she had just done that. Yeah, she knew the relationship she had at home wasn't the best but she couldn't have ever imagined she would cheat on her boyfriend. That just wasn't the type of person she was. She had a lot more self control than to get up on some other guy. She was mad at herself for letting things go as far as they had.
She walked up the stairs to her apartment that she shared with Alex and saw the light from the TV reflecting onto the wall and knew Alex was still awake. She had felt guilt and sadness that she had let things progress as far as she had. She wiped the tears away that were still residing from her face and looked up to see the apartment door still unlocked. He had been waiting up for her, that she could tell.
The one thing that Gabriella had always told herself was that if Alex was to ever cheat on her, that it could never be forgivable for the basic reason that if you loved one man and you said you were committed to just him, that you should keep that promise and don't go back on your word so for herself to commit that crime, she had felt the pang and heartbreak that she was going to put Alex through. She couldn't not tell him that while she was out that night, that she had let another man touch her in ways no man should touch a taken girl. She would feel guilty if he had found out from another friend, what had happened between her and Troy because simply, that wasn't how things worked.
She turned the handle to open the apartment door and headed inside to face the broken man that she thought she would soon see. She slowly trudged into the main living room and saw him sprawled out across the couch, looking like a person that had no care in the world. Gabriella knew that would soon change.
She hesitantly sat down at the end of the couch where his feet were and looked at Alex. "Hey babe." She said nervously not missing the hint in his eyes that told him she could tell something was up with her.
"Hey." He said nervously back as well. Nervous for the talk that would then precede them. "What's up?" he said finally sitting up and turning to face her.
She looked down at her feet in shame and then looked back up at him and finally spoke. "I have to tell you something, but first I want you to promise me that you will be understanding about all of it." She said, feeling the guilt and shame wash over her as she faced him.
He nodded his head hesitantly, not sure what was expected from him. He could tell that she had done something she regretted, but he didn't know what it was. And on Gabriella's part, she had known Alex for far too long and she knew exactly how he would react. He might not always say how much he cared for her and would sometimes push her off to the side, but like with everything in his life, if he didn't get his way he could lose control in a blink of an eye. To say his mood swings would change from good to bad in a matter of seconds was a statement that was definitely true.
"You know how I went out with Sharpay and Tay tonight right?" she asked. That was a good place to start she thought to herself.
"Gabriella, I am a big boy. Just come out with it." He pleaded, getting sick of the way she was skidding around the topic of what she had done that night. He could tell that it was probably something that wouldn't be forgivable but he didn't want to jump to conclusions because simply he didn't want to believe that Gabriella would ever do something like that to him. She loved him. But maybe that wasn't good enough.
She nodded her head and shoved away a tear that started to stream down her tan skin and fall onto her lap. "Okay, so I know you are going to hate me but…" she said as she couldn't quite get the next part of what she was going to tell him out.
"Gabriella." Alex said sternly, not liking the game she was playing with him. How come she couldn't just tell him instead acting so skittish about all of it? He could handle it. He was a big boy after all.
"Okay so listen. While I was out with Sharpay and Tay, a boy named Troy came over to talk to us and he seemed like a cool guy. Very sweet. Well he asked me to dance and I said yes. Nothing was going to happen I swear." She said seeing the sudden change in his eyes. She could tell he was pissed and the more she went on, the more she could tell that his brown eyes were going turn to midnight black sometime soon and she couldn't quite take that. She hated to see him get mad in any way, shape or form.
"And what else happened?" Alex asked, almost fuming. He could tell what else had happened but he wanted to hear it straight from her mouth.
"Well we were just dancing, having a good time and then he turned me around and kissed me. And I didn't stop it." She said reluctantly. Seeing the hurt and confusion in his eyes made her feel all the more guilty that she had let things progress as much as she did.. How could she do this to him she asked herself, feeling the heartbreak that would ensue on Alex.
"And it was just a kiss?" he asked hesitantly, knowing there was more to the story than what she was telling.
'No." she said quickly, not going to lie about what had happened that night. "He took my hand, and dragged me off to one of the walls and had me pushed up against it as we were making out." She said not daring to look at him. She knew what she had done was a mistake but she couldn't take it back now.
"What the fuck Gabriella. How could you do that?" she heard him yell, his emotions running from it all. She had felt the guilt after she had pushed Troy off of her but she knew this feeling, the feeling of betraying the one she really loved was something else in itself and it could never be forgivable.
"I don't know. I wasn't thinking." She said finally, realizing that was true. Cause if she was in fact thinking, something like this would of never happened cause she would of realized how much of a mistake she was making.
"Damn straight you weren't thinking." He said fuming, rage building up inside of him. "What's his fucking number?" he asked brief moments later. Why did he need his number? She questioned briefly, not aware that Alex was planning on kicking the guys ass who had put the moves on his girl.
"I don't know. I didn't ask for it." She said, not even going to give him his number anyways even if she did have it. "Why do you need it anyways?" she questioned.
"Cause I'm going to kick his fucking ass and let him know that you are taken. End of story." Alex said as he stood up from the spot he was on and started pacing the area in front of the couch.
"You're not going to touch him." Gabriella said, defending the boy that she had only known for 2 hours.
"You wanna bet?" He asked harshly, not caring that the sudden change in Gabriella was going to affect him at all. He always thought that with Gabriella, she was going to be with him forever. He never would of thought that she would ever leave him.
The hurt and confusion in her eyes changed briefly as she now felt the need to ask him one question that had been overtaking her mind for some time. "Why are you all of a sudden acting like you care about me?" she asked, now fully aware that he was trying to protect her but in the months previous he didn't give a flying shit about her. He was putting up a front, that she could tell.
He stopped briefly in front of her, now fuming from what she had said. What did she mean? He had always acted like he cared about her. He always thought he was the perfect boyfriend to her that showed her the love and respect that she needed. "What the hell are you talking about?" he spat out, pissed that he thought she had never cared about her.
"For the past almost 2 years, I have been trying to ignore it but you have always put everything before me. You don't give a damn about me. I can see that but I have always tried to ignore it and thought that maybe you would realize that you had someone special in your life and you would want to change that." She said tears falling freely down her face, now fully aware that the moment she had been looking forward to was approaching quickly as she knew he was finally going to realize what he had done to her in the past years.
"So you had to resort to cheating on me rather than not talking to me about it?" he yelled at her. He couldn't comprehend that she had done it because the way she was feeling with him wasn't satisfying her so she had to take it beyond that
"You know I would never intentionally cheat on you." She yelled back, hating the fact that he wasn't going to let her off that easy.
"Well look at you now Gabriella. You did it, you live with the consequences of your actions. You know I fucking care about you so why do you act like I always don't?" he asked back. Not liking the feeling that he was making her feel. Like hell he didn't care about her. She was the most amazingly girl in the world. If someone didn't care about her they were crazy.
What he didn't realize is that he in fact didn't give two shits about her. He was just mad that he was being accused of it.
"Because you don't!" she said back quickly. "How the fuck can you say you care about me when you are never here to comfort me when I need it. I'm not looking for an 'I'm sorry' and then move on from the situation relationship. I want you to be there for me when I need it. I want you to act like you care when I do something good. I want you to be proud of me but you never are!" she shouted back, her voice breaking as the tears that were in her eyes were coming down faster than lightning.
She didn't know that this was the direction the conversation would soon take but she was glad that she had finally been able to get this off her chest.
"That's bullshit Gabriella. You fucking know I am here for you. Every fucking day!" he shouted back.
Her voice calmed down in that instant and she looked up into his anger filled eyes and said softly. "It doesn't feel like it. Not when I have tried for over 2 years to get the same reaction that I did before when we first had gotten together. I think you just got so used to my existence that it wasn't like you needed to take care of me. And you do." She said, hating to place the blame on him.
"Gabriella. You know I fucking care about you." He said pleadingly. He couldn't lose her to this, when unfortunately he felt like every second this conversation was taking he was getting more and more closer to losing her.
She couldn't help the next sentence that ejected out of her mouth. "I think I'm just done with it all. I'm done with trying." she said, tears falling still as she had come to the conclusion that it wasn't worth it to fight anymore over it. She had wasted 2 years of her life trying to get a man that she had thought she cared about to love her back. She was done with it all. She had deserved better, just like her friends had always told her.
"Gabriella. you can't say that." Alex said, now realizing that the thought he had earlier about losing her was finally becoming a reality. He couldn't lose the best thing that had happened in his life.
"I think I am finally realizing how much I have gotten over you." She said finally. After years of someone not caring about her, she had suddenly realized that with that came the want to want him to do anything either. It wasn't just on his part but with her, she could tell she didn't feel the same way about him as she used to. After someone not showing how he felt about you, you really had no other choice but to get over that same person or suffer heartbreak. And she didn't want to cope with the ladder.
The look and pain in his eyes said it all. How could she get over him? How come she never talked to him about it? He thought if she had, he would have changed for her. It wasn't like he couldn't change for her. "You can't be saying this." He said, the look in her eyes telling her all she needed to know. He didn't want her to leave.
"I have to." She said reluctantly, knowing this was the best thing for her. How could she stay in a relationship she didn't have her whole heart and head into? That's right. She couldn't. "It's easier this way." She said as she nodded her head, believing it herself.
"Whatever, you can just leave then." He said, anger laced in his voice. She could tell he wasn't happy about this situation.
"But, Alex…" she said, the pain in her eyes showing. Not because she was ending things with him but because she knew she was causing him pain.
"Gabriella, just go." He said sternly. She nodded her head and turned on her heel and headed to the door and yanked it open and slammed it shut after she had walked through.
She walked to her car and started the ignition pulling out of her parking space and onto the main highway. What was she going to do now? She had always been able to run to Alex and to not have him there anymore, she didn't know who she was bound to talk to. She drove 6 miles to a familiar house that she used to visit frequently and got out of her car and headed to her front door.
Taylor had always been someone Gabriella could turn to in time of need. She definitely knew what to say to make Gabriella feel better in any situation. When Taylor opened the door, she could see the wreck that her friend was. The tear stains from earlier were still present and the sight of her eyes said it all. Something had happened that night.
"Sweetie, what happened?" she asked as she pulled Gabriella into a hug trying to comfort her.
Gabriella sniffled before saying. "I think me and Alex are done. I broke up with him." To say Taylor was shocked was an understatement. Yes, she knew that Alex was never 'the one' for her but she didn't like to make that obvious to Gabriella that she knew that. She didn't like Alex but for some reason, for past 3 years, he had made Gabriella happy and she couldn't argue with that.
"Why did you break up with him?" she questioned as she ushered Gabriella inside of her house and into the main living room where they sat down on the couch. She knew the reason why they had broken up but she wanted Gabriella to be the one to tell her.
"It just didn't seem like how it used to be with him. Nothing was the same. Tonight, when Troy asked me to dance, I had that giddy feeling because he had shown actions to let me know he cared about me. He looked at me in a way Alex hasn't looked at me in forever and I realized tonight that I miss that." She said, Taylor's eyes growing wider at the admission she had just given. Her and Troy? What exactly had happened there?
"You and Troy?" she questioned. "What exactly happened with you two anyways?" she asked, now curious to know. A blush formed on Gabriella's face to even think about what had happened between Troy and her.
"He asked me to dance after you guys had left and I accepted. We were dancing, in a way no other guy had ever danced with me before, and we were in perfect rhythm." She said, the blush on her cheeks still there and a smile rising on to her face.
"And?" Taylor asked impatiently. That couldn't be all that happened Taylor thought, because if it was then it wouldn't have prompted Gabriella to break up with her boyfriend of 3 years later that day.
"We kind of started kissing, and he had dragged to me a side wall and had me pushed up against it." She shyly, a little embarrassed that she was admitting this all to Taylor.
"He pushed you up against the wall?" Taylor asked shocked that Gabriella had allowed for any kind of that to ever happen. Things like that had never happened to Gabriella so for her to say this and she hadn't pushed him off her was a little shocking.
"Yeah." She admitted shyly. "We were so close to having sex on that dance floor to. It wasn't like me at all but I couldn't help it. The way he was making me feel was something I hadn't felt in almost 2 years."
"That's understandable. What stopped you from progressing further?" Taylor questioned, wondering how if they almost had sex on the dance floor, what had ended that?
"I pushed him off of me once I started thinking straight. I mean I was with Alex!" she threw out there. The guilt that she had kissed another man and enjoyed it while she was taken by another man still laying on her.
"You didn't." Taylor said shocked that she had done this. Although it was an understandable reason for pushing him off of her.
"I did." She said reluctantly.
"How did Alex react?" Taylor questioned moments later.
Gabriella looked down, ashamed that she had seen the reaction that she had bestowed on him. "He threatened to kick Troy's ass." She said shrugging her shoulders. "He tried to win me back, stating he really did care about me, after I accused him that he didn't, but it wasn't happening."
Taylor nodded her head in understanding. It was understandable that she didn't want to have anything to do with him. "So you guys are over definitely?" Taylor questioned. Gabriella nodded her head, knowing that if she ever went back to him that she would regret it immediately. Cause for awhile, she knew that things would be okay but after that they would just go back to how they used to be.
"Yeah, I can't put myself through all that pain again with him. It isn't worth it." She said, believing it herself. She couldn't do that again.
"What's going to happen to you and Troy then?" Taylor asked. Gabriella had been wondering that same question ever since she had left the club. She had felt bad about the way she had exited the club, claiming that she had a boyfriend, leaving him left there hurt and confused. She couldn't really do anything about that now because what else could she do? She didn't even have a chance to ask him for his number so there was no way she could contact him.
"I have no clue. I didn't ask him for his number and I ran out on him so really there really isn't anything I can do about that one." Taylor rolled her eyes at the falseness of all the things that Gabriella was saying. Yes she knew she didn't have her number but her boyfriend was best friends with this dude back in high school. He should have his number. She would have to look into that.
"Girl, you need to get that attitude and throw it out the window. If fate really wants you to be together then it will happen. Have faith." Taylor said trying to cheer her up.
"I guess." Gabriella said, nodding reluctantly.
HERSAVINGGRACE-HERSAVINGGRACE-HERSAVINGGRACE
It had now been a week since the incident had occurred. Gabriella had Sharpay and Taylor go to Alex's apartment and grab the stuff she had left over at his apartment over the last 3 years. She didn't want to face him namely because she knew he was still pissed at her for how they ended things. She also had gotten over Alex, well as much as one can get over when they had already lost all feeling for them 2 years ago but didn't realize that she had.
The one thing that was still boggling her mind was where the fuck was Troy Bolton? She didn't want to ask Taylor for his number—even though she could easily get it from Chad. She wanted things to happen by fate. Even though she couldn't get her mind off the blue eyed goddess she couldn't help but think that if the universe really wanted them to get together then fate would step in and allow it. Too bad it hadn't happened yet.
Gabriella got ready, as usual to head out of her house and head to the mall where shopping therapy seemed to solve all of her problems. As she was shopping she felt the panging feeling in her heart. She had been thinking a lot about Troy lately. She had only known Troy for 2 hours yet she felt like she had known him for a lot longer than that. She really wanted to talk to him but her pride kept getting in the way. She had pushed him away and now she felt embarrassed that she had done that. She couldn't ever face him again.
So for her to be shopping at the mall and bump into the last person she expected was a shock. Gabriella stood agape and she stared into the cobalt blue eyes. She could recognize those eyes anywhere. She lost her breathe just staring at him. She couldn't form a sentence that would sound at least somewhat comprehensible.
Troy was staring down at her in the same way. He hadn't seen her since the night she ran off but for the life of him he couldn't keep his mind off of the gorgeous brunette. With her reveal about her having a boyfriend Troy knew that was the end of her. But for him, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get this girl off his mind. He couldn't see how he became so infatuated with her after only a short period of time.
"He...hey," he spluttered out after a few moments. He didn't want to make it any more awkward than it already had been. Gabriella's cheeks turned to a rosy blush as she looked down at the ground and gave the same greeting back. She had no clue what to say to him. What was there to say?
"How have you been?" he asked after gaining some courage from within.
"I've been good. You?" She said shyly. She had waited this long to talk to him, yet she couldn't get any words out. Great. She thought sarcastically. They stood there awkwardly shifting back in place, mostly looking at the ground. Not sure what they should say to each other. After you had been that close to someone, meaning almost had sex with them on a dance floor, there really aren't many words after that you can come back from.
"I've been hanging in there." He said back. They stood there awkwardly before he laughed slightly and said, "Well I was thinking, since you just walked away the other night, you might want to have a drink with me or something? I mean whatever you want to do is cool." Rambling fastly. He knew she had a boyfriend and she could always turn him down. He had obviously not gotten the memo from Chad that they had broken up.
"Yeah... um I liked that." She said sincerely, but on the inside the butterflies were floating around like crazy. He nodded his head in confirmation and then led the way to a nearby Starbucks where they sat down in one of the booths after ordering their drinks. Gabriella a double chocolate chip frapaccino and Troy a white chocolate mocha.
As they sat down to chat, the butterflies were starting to rise in Gabriella's stomach. This was going to be the first conversation she was going to have with him since that night.
"So how have you been?" Troy asked, hoping this would start off a conversation.
"Good, good." She replied. As their conversation started going along they seemed to get more comfortable with each other. Giggling and laughing with one another as they went on talking about their jobs and what they did for a living. She had found out that Troy was still very much into basketball in his free time but had taken up a job at a business company. She also found out that while he was in college he blew out his knee so he couldn't go on to being a pro but he still participated in the sport. Troy had found out that Gabriella had a job at a company where she was making it very big and she had just recently been promoted.
It would have seemed like they had known each other forever. But that's what it felt like to them, because there is always that one person that you will always feel that connection with. As their conversation progressed, they got into more intimate details of their life including who they were currently in a relationship with. Troy had said that he had just barely gotten out of a dead beat relationship that was going nowhere and Gabriella had talked about Alex.
"Yeah after that night, I had a lot of thinking to do. I just couldn't take the ways my ex-boyfriend was so I ended things with him." She said, acting nonchalant.
"Ex-boyfriend huh? So does that mean you are now single?" he said suggestively raising his eyebrows. She stifled a giggle and replied with a "Yes" to affirm the fact that she was single. He nodded his head, thankful that she had said that. He really didn't want to have to compete for her but he was willing to. He knew from what Chad had told him that her boyfriend wasn't a good guy. He didn't give a damn about her.
"So what exactly do you mean by you couldn't take his ways?" Troy asked, interested what answer she would give him. Would she tell him the truth or be vague about it?
"I don't know. After a year of our relationship he just acted like I didn't exist. He just didn't care about me in a way that a boy that says he loves you should. I just couldn't take that anymore." She said, not a hint of regret in her voice. She didn't regret the decision she had made to break up with him. She definitely deserved better.
"Yeah definitely. If I was to ever be with you, trust me, you would never be treated that way." He said sincerely. That thought alone sent butterflies throughout his bodies causing a chill to run up his spine. Her with him forever. Oh yes, he could definitely handle that. Gabriella sat there in shock, not knowing what to do. What do you say to that? Especially coming from the guy that you had been thinking about for some time. She definitely didn't have a clue.
"Thanks." She said shyly.
"It's true, and you know it." He said again, bravely stating the truth. A blush erupted on Gabriella's cheeks as she felt Troy grab her hand from across the table and intertwined them with his.
She shrugged her shoulders and mumbled an "I guess." They sat there in a comfortable silence when Troy asked if they wanted to get out of there and go some place else. Gabriella kindly obliged as she stood up and felt him grab her hand again and they walked out of the doors of the Starbucks. Gabriella couldn't quite possibly fathom how any of this had happened. She had been pining for his touch, his look for a week and that had been painful enough but now that she was in his presence she couldn't imagine ever leaving him again. She was comfortable with him and she trusted that he would never hurt her.
Gabriella and Troy debated a while on which place to go to before deciding to just head back to Troy's apartment as that would not cost any money at all. And really all they wanted to do was spend time with each other anyways. As they headed back to Troy's, people would stare at the loving two who acted like they were a couple in themselves. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulder while she looked up at him with an adoring look. A smile spread across both of their faces.
As they got back to Troy's she spread herself across the couch, making herself right at home. This made Troy let out a laugh. "I'm glad to know that you can make yourself right at home here."
"Oh well, you know, that's me." She shrugged her shoulders, simply making it obvious that this was her and he would just have to deal with it. And deal with it he could. He sat down next to her and started a little chit chat before getting back on the subject of her ex-boyfriend. It wasn't a painful subject to talk about she had found.
"So why did you run out of the club that night?" he had questioned.
"It just seemed like the most logical thing to do. I was cheating on the one person I thought I had cared about. Of course you would be second guessing yourself too. Even if they didn't treat you fairly." She said honestly.
"Sounds reasonable." He said. Throughout this whole chit chat he had scooted closer to her on the couch, leaving them mere inches from one another. He turned his head to look at her and caught her eyes staring straight back at him. The blue eyes closed only for a brief moment before opening them back up and staring back into the gorgeous eyes of the girl sitting across from him.
"Would you mind if I kissed you?" he asked huskily, getting closer to the luscious lips he so craved. She shook her head cautiously, still staring in his eyes. Their eyes both drifted shut as he captured her lips in a sensual kiss. Mere seconds later, their lips parted, their breathing both slowly evening out again. Troy leaned his head down onto Gabriella's forehead loving the way she felt against him.
"This feels so right." He said breathlessly. And she knew it did too. Talking with him, kissing him, loving him just felt so right.
"Be my girlfriend." He said in his next breath. "I know I can take care of you a lot better than the loser you used to date." He said, hoping that she would give him the answer he was looking forward too. He couldn't handle it if he ever got turned down by her. A smile grew on her face as she jumped into his arms and screamed out a "yes" in excitement and crashed her lips onto his. She didn't care that she had only known him for nearly a week now. The conversations that she had with him, the way he made her felt, the love and passion she felt with him was something she needed. And something she deserved.
And the thing she realized right then was that Troy Bolton was in fact her saving grace. Because if he hadn't of been there that night she would of never met a guy that cared about her so much. She would have never realized how bad Alex had treated her. And she would have never realized that there was a love out there like Troy Bolton was showing Gabriella.
Thank you guys for checking this out. To me, with Gabriella and Troy it seemed a bit rushed but I liked it. I must say I loved writing this and this is slowly growing to be one of my favorite fics I have written. Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you thought. It would be greatly appreciated.