"I'm breaking up with him."

Five simple words had Gabriella Bolton looking up from her new-born baby boy, Daniel Jack, and her eyes widened in unpleasant surprise at the serious look on her best friend's face. She had never seen Taylor so serious and vulnerable. Fighting to keep calm, she voiced her question.

"Why?"

And then she saw it. Taylor's face held all the emotions she was feeling and Gabriella saw longing etched on her friend's face when Taylor looked at Daniel. Gabriella saw the sadness at not having a baby of her own and the frustration of not being able to have one. It wasn't that there was something wrong with Taylor, it was just that her other half was not ready for one.

"I want one, Gabby. I want to have a child of my own with a man who's willing to be with me and love the baby with me. Chad's not ready to be one. He's not ready to commit himself to me."

Gabriella found herself getting angry at Taylor's words. "How can you say that? The two of you have been together since you were sixteen! You're the most important woman in Chad's life! It's obvious to anyone he loves you, Taylor."

"Is love alone really enough?" her friend questioned softly. "He hasn't even given a single hint of proposing to me. Every time I bring up the subject of children and marriage, he changes it. I want children, Gabriella, and I can't be with a man who's afraid of commitment.

"You have no idea how many times I've daydreamed about him proposing to me, about being called Mrs. Taylor Danforth. You have no idea how I've tried picturing how our kids would look like. I've never even told you that I've picked out their names. Our oldest boy would be Brad Ryan Danforth and he'd have my hair but Chad's face and he'd be as funny and loving as his father. But Chad doesn't want this, Gabriella."

Tears had streamed down both the women's faces and Gabriella rushed to hug her best friend. "You have to do what you think is best for yourself, Taylor. But breaking up with Chad is going to crush both of you. You've been together longer than me and Troy."

Taylor laughed bitterly. "And yet, your relationship is stronger and you got married first."

"Chad and Troy are two different people. Chad has always had problems expressing how he feels but the love he has for you is there and it's alive and it's great. Are you sure it's something you're ready to give up?" the Latino asked, her beautiful brown eyes wet with tears, silently screaming and begging Taylor not to do it.

Taylor nodded. "I want to always be with him, Gabriella. But if he can't be the father of the children I want, if he can't give me his name, then it just proves that our love itself isn't enough."


"CHAD DANFORTH!"

The ice-cold glare a very pregnant Sharpay Evans was directing at him made Chad gulp and turn to look to his friends for help. Troy, Zeke, Jason and Ryan held their hands up to tell him he was alone as each of them backed away and Sharpay got closer. She stopped directly in front of him. He was so not prepared for the hard punch she gave and he stumbled to the ground on impact.

He clutched his jaw as pain came and felt the sticky crimson red liquid on his hand. Troy and Jason helped him up as Ryan and Zeke tried holding back and calming down the hysterical Sharpay.

"Sharpay, you have to calm down. You're not supposed to get worked up! You're carrying our baby!"

"Sharpay! You're putting my nephew at risk! Stop struggling, damn it!"

"LET GO OF ME!"

Seeing the distressed look on both Zeke and Ryan's face for the safety of their baby and their wife slash sister, Troy stomped up to her and yelled, "Damn it, woman! Calm the fuck down and think about your baby before you get all worked up and hurt it, will you!"

The mention of bringing harm to the baby calmed her down and as Zeke and Ryan released her, her hands automatically went her large stomach and she protectively rubbed her hands around her belly. Zeke wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

Nobody noticed the short moment of longing that crossed Chad's face. He was suddenly picturing a pregnant Taylor with the glow he had seen on Sharpay, Kelsi and Gabriella. He saw himself with his arm around her like Zeke had with Sharpay and his hand gently on her stomach as he caressed it.

He was snapped out of the reality when Sharpay slapped him across his already hurting face, though this time, she was calmer and finally looked satisfied. Chad muttered a few curses and glared at his friends who were watching from the sidelines. They were either too afraid to get involved, or too amused and curious to find out what he had done now.

"You want to tell me why I deserved that now?" he hissed, annoyed as he rubbed his sore jaw.

"What are your intentions concerning Taylor?" she asked bluntly. From the sides, Troy spat out the water he had been drinking while the others looked confused. Chad blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"What are your intentions concerning Taylor?" Sharpay repeated, as though she was asking the simplest question in the world.

"You're asking me this after I've been with her for nine years?"

"That's exactly my point, Danforth. You've been together with her for almost a decade and I don't see you two getting married any time soon. You cringe at the idea of marriage and flush at the mention of children. What's up with that?"

Chad felt the urge to roll his eyes when he heard Jason and Zeke try to hide their amusement by turning their chuckles into coughs while Troy and Ryan didn't even bother hiding their amusement. Sharpay blatantly ignored them as she awaited his response.

"Well?"

Chad really did roll his eyes this time. "We're both content with the way things are between us, Sharpay. Marriage will just –"

"You're both content or is it just you? Because I don't know about you, but Taylor has been having doubts about the seriousness of your relationship since you're the last one in the gang to propose. She's been ready for marriage and kids since you guys made it through your long-distance relationship through college, you moron!"

The afro-headed basketball player sighed. "Fine. I am not ready, okay? I don't know if I'll ever be. There, I said it. You happy now?"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. "No, I'm not. Word of advice, Chad. If you're not ready for marriage, end things with her."

His heart skipped a beat and anger overtook him at Sharpay's 'advice'. Who was she to tell him to break up with Taylor?

"I said I wasn't ready for marriage. Not that I was ready to end things with the love of my life, you bitch," he growled and ignored the fact the Ryan and Zeke had protectively joined Sharpay and Troy and Jason were beside him in case they needed to calm him down. Sharpay ignored him calling her a bitch.

"The love of your life is one of my best friends. And I don't like seeing her miserable in a relationship she knows is not going to go any further. You know Taylor and how much she craves having a child of her own. And if you can't give her what she wants, then you're not good enough for her and you don't deserve her."

With that, Sharpay Baylor nee Evans stomped out of the basketball court with Zeke and Ryan following her to make sure she didn't stress herself and hence, leaving behind Troy, Jason and a pale and insecure Chad.


"Chad? We need to talk."

The four words Taylor uttered made her insides go weak and she felt her heart beat a million times faster. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to break up with Chad, to let him go, but she had to if she wanted the future and children she craved for, even if Chad would never be the father of her children she so badly wanted him to be. But asking so much of him would be selfish of her and Taylor knew she just had to do it.

"Don't leave me," his plea escaped his mouth before he could stop it. He watched as her eyes widened in surprise and the all too familiar guilt in her eyes. The guilt that hadn't once appeared since college. He watched as she closed her eyes to control her emotions, as she tried to hide that she was hurting too, but Chad loved her too much and he knew her well enough to know see past her act.

She took his hand into hers. "I- I'm sorry. But I want –"

She gasped when he got down on one knee and held out a small velvet box to her. Her eyes watered as he stared up at her.

"Taylor, will you marry me?"

It was the moment she had dreamt of since she started dating him, the moment she had practiced saying yes to, the moment that she knew would be perfect. And yet, it seemed too wrong, too sudden and too forced.

She shook her head and tears spilled freely down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Chad, but I can't. I'm not marrying you just because you feel bad and want to make amends with me. I love you and I know you love me but I will not marry you and accept your proposal as an apology. I'm sorry."

And with that, Taylor McKessie ran up to her room and cried her eyes out while her ex-boyfriend stood dumbly at the living room before he too, left her house without emotions.

A/N: Please review! Sorry for the late update!