I don't have much of an Author's Note this time, which is a good thing! I know it's been awhile since I posted a chapter. If you've seen the facebook page for Scenarios: Hawaii by adcgordon, then you saw a post from me explaining a little bit why it's taking me so long to get my chapters up and going. But at any rate, Merry Christmas and enjoy your new chapter present from South Carolina! May Christ bless you and your family in 2013!
Chapter 11
As the girls pulled apart from their hug, a knowing look was shared between them. Taylor- despite all that had gone on that week during her visit- looked remorseful over the knowledge that her best friend's world was more than likely about to be turned upside down. She knew deep down that despite the fact that she felt Gabriella needed to get out there, none of this tension between her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend would exist if Taylor had kept her big mouth shut.
Chad tried to warn me, she thought to herself. But nnnoooo... I had to go and tell Gabriella that I know what's best for her. Oh, boy...
She watched as Gabriella slowly turned around and faced Troy. It was then that she also noticed the still-packed duffel bag sitting on the floor next to Troy's feet.
"I can't do this," he started to speak softly. "I can't stay here if you want something- someone- different."
"Troy-" Gabriella whispered as she took a step closer to where he was leaning against the wall, her eyes growing wide with horror at the reality in front of her.
"No, Gabriella," he started, as he held a hand up to stop her from coming any closer. "Chad told me not to give you space. He told me that giving you space would only end up pushing you further away. I want to fight for you- for us- but I can't fight for something if you don't know for certain that it's what you want or not. I don't have it in me. It's not a fight that I can win."
Throughout his speech, Troy felt his throat tighten with emotion. When he looked up at Gabriella's face, he saw that she, too, was struggling with her emotions. Her eyes had welled with tears and she was fidgeting with her hands and biting at her lower lip as it trembled. He sneaked a glance at Taylor and saw her eyes wide with astonishment. Troy- the guy who had adored Gabriella since they first laid eyes on each other; the guy who threatened any person that dared hurt her in some form or fashion, willingly or unwillingly; the guy who swore to never hurt her; the guy whose every breath he took revolved around Gabriella- was on the verge of giving up? If she hadn't been standing right there watching with her own eyes, Taylor wouldn't have believed it.
Finally, after six days of staying with them and three of those days being filled with tension, Taylor finally did what she believed to be the right thing.
"Troy, wait!" she said. "Let me go and you stay. You two need to talk about this, try and work it out. I'll just go to a hotel."
Troy turned his steel gaze in her direction and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I think that's a very good idea. Why don't you leave," he demanded.
If you were to ask her later, after the fact, Taylor would tell you that she was uncertain if he would kick her out or not. Not that she blamed him, but she never once thought that Troy Bolton would have it in him.
She recalled a lesson from their fifth grade guidance counselor from many years ago. Ms. Grayson had told the class a story about a homeless man who needed a place to stay and even went walking through the streets of a residential, suburban neighborhood hoping that someone would notice him and take pity on him, offering him as much as merely a couch and blanket for the night. When she finished her story, Troy spoke up that if he ever came across someone that needed a place to stay, he wouldn't think twice. "It's just the right thing to do" he announced to the class.
At the present moment in time, when he told Taylor to leave, those few moments from their past traveled through her mind and instantly she felt her heart drop. She never thought she would hear those words escape his lips. She gave a quick look in Gabriella's direction waiting on her to speak up and argue Troy's suggestion. When Taylor saw her eyes studying the linoleum of the kitchen floor, unable to look in Taylor's direction, she had her answer. She knew then that she had outworn her welcome.
Taylor swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat and nodded. "Okay," she whispered. "Excuse me."
She walked across the room in the direction of Gabriella's bedroom where she had been staying, brushing against Troy's arm as she passed. When the door was closed behind her, Gabriella then lifted her eyes to look at Troy. His heart broke to see the tear tracks on her face, but he knew that he had to separate himself from her... at least for a little while. He swallowed and took another deep breath in order to keep his composure.
"So if Taylor's leaving, that means you're staying?" Gabriella softly asked.
"No," he told her. "Something tells me that we both need space right now."
Gabriella vehemently shook her head in disagreement. "No, Troy, I don't need-"
"Yes, you do, Gabriella," Troy argued, practically yelling in his frustration. "Damn it, you do. If you're going out with other guys, then that tells me that you're confused about us and you need space to figure it all out. I can't be here while you're doing that. I can't sit here and pretend to be happy while you're trying to figure out your future and whether I- whether we- fit into it!"
Instead of arguing- she knew deep down that he was right: if he stayed, it wouldn't help her thoughts and feelings at all- she gave a small nod and accepted what he told her. "Where are you going?" she whispered.
"I don't know yet," he told her honestly. "But don't call me. I'll let you know." Again, she nodded, hesitantly this time. Troy bent over and picked up his duffel bag, placing the shoulder strap up on his shoulder. He walked over to Gabriella and gently placed his finger under her chin and lifted so she was looking at him. It pained him to look in her deep brown eyes and see the hurt and confusion there. He eyes shifted between hers as she blinked back more tears. "I love you, Gabriella Montez. I don't know what happened to cause you to doubt us, but you need to know- while you're trying to figure everything out- that I love you." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead and slowly backed away from her, moving toward the door.
Gabriella closed her eyes and waited for the dreaded sound of the door closing before she opened them again, hoping that the door closing was Taylor leaving and that Troy absence was a cruel joke. When she opened her eyes and looked around, she was standing in the living room alone and the door to her bedroom- Taylor's bedroom for the past week- was still closed. In the sad silence, she heard Taylor talking into the phone, either to Chad, or to a hotel making a reservation.
She reached up to wipe the tears that had fallen from her eyes as she whispered into the quietness of the room.
"I love you, too."
Gabriella wrapped her arms around herself and looked around the room. She spotted the picture of the two of them during their most recent annual New Year's Eve trip to Colorado with their parents. It was the same ski resort where they had met five years prior. The two families celebrated Christmas individually- Gabriella and Maria in Texas with Maria's family and the family from her Dad's side while Troy and his parents alternated between Arizona and Missouri every other year to visit their extended family- then reconvened for the week to share a cabin in the mountains of Vail, Colorado, to ring in the New Year together. This particular picture was taken at 12:01 a.m. after the traditional New Year's kiss with the fireworks going off in the background. Right next to it was a framed picture of Jack and Troy each giving Maria a kiss on either cheek from the year before. Those two pictures were two of Gabriella's favorites.
Sniffling once more, Gabriella then walked across the room and picked up the picture of her and Troy and walked into their- his- bedroom, shutting the door behind her. About twenty minutes later, Gabriella finally emerged from the bedroom with her own duffel bag and the picture in her hand. As she was making her way to the door of the apartment, she spotted a piece of paper sitting on the bar that wasn't there before. She walked over to the counter top and picked up the note, immediately recognizing Taylor's handwriting.
Dear Gabriella and Troy,
I realize that neither of you probably want to hear- well, rather read- this right now, but I just have to get it off my chest. If I could just have three minutes, please, and then you can throw this away, delete my number from your phones, or whatever else will make you feel like I'm out of your lives.
First of all, thank you. Thank you for being a friend to me for the past several years. Troy, you and I have pretty much grown up together and know almost everything about each other. You know that I have a hard time with thinking before speaking and I always have. Gabriella, as soon as you came to East High, we clicked. You and I had this spark, and that spark has only gotten brighter as the years went on. You've always been the sister I never had. (I know, I know... I've already got an older sister, but really? Do I have anything in common with her? She and I only get along because we have to, not like you and I who got along because we wanted to.)
My point in saying this is that you two are very special to me. Next to Chad, you two are my best friends. I know now that what I did was wrong, but please understand that at the time, I sincerely felt like it was the right thing. I truly did only have your best interests at heart. I'm sorry for messing with what was obviously a very rare occurrence: true love, lasting love, a love that can overcome anything. If that's what you truly have, then what I've caused is just a bump in the road for you two... one that can be overcome.
I hope that, one day, you two can find it in your hearts to forgive me... after you've found your way back to each other, of course.
I love you both, regardless of what you may think of me right now.
Love,
Taylor
As Gabriella finished reading the note, she released a torturous sigh, set it back on the counter for Troy to see, picked up the picture and her own duffel bag and walked out the door, locking it behind her.
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Gabriella knew her mom wasn't going to be home- she would return from her quarterly trip to her company's home office in Cincinnati, Ohio, the next day. That was okay with Gabriella; she didn't really want to talk anyway. She knew that she'd have to explain everything when her mom returned and Troy didn't show up for their weekly dinner at Maria's house. But for right now, she just couldn't stay in their apartment alone. She had to get out of there... so she decided to take the scenic route to her Mom's house and use the extra thirty minutes to think and try to sort things out in her mind.
When Gabriella reached Maria's, she let herself in using her key and walked through the foyer and into the living room. She smiled at the fact that even when her mom was gone, the house was still immaculate. So this is where I get it from, she thought to herself. Gabriella walked through the downstairs taking care of chores here and there- watering the plants, giving a quick dusting with the dust rag, sorting the junk mail from the important mail- before sitting down on the couch and turning on the television set. Finally settling on "Sleepless in Seattle", she lay down on the couch and allowed herself to get lost in the movie.
Before she knew it, she felt someone's fingers brushing through her hair and brushing against her cheeks, drying the wetness of the tears that had released from her eyes during her nap time dream.
"Troy?" she asked, sitting up in a hurry, startling the person who was sitting on the couch next to her. She looked to her left and spotted her mom sitting next to her. "Mom?"
"Hi, Mija," Maria greeted her daughter with a smile.
"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't getting back until tomorrow," Gabriella asked through her tears, her voice cracking slightly.
"Well, then I'll just go back to Ohio and come back tomorrow," Maria teased Gabriella as she moved to stand from the couch.
"No!" Gabriella shrieked as she pulled her mom back down on the couch, wrapping her arms around her waist to keep her in place. "Don't leave me, Mom." Maria noticed her daughter's sniffles start again and rubbed a hand through her hair and down her back.
"Honey, I usually try not to interfere, but you're really worked up and upset about something. What happened?"
"I messed up, Mom," Gabriella mumbled, and her mother could only imagine the face of a little girl who was practically embarrassed about whatever mistake she had made.
Maria had a hard time understanding her daughter's words, as she had her head buried in
Maria's chest and her words were muffled, but her Mama's Instinct kicked in. With her only daughter's tears that she witnessed during the last ten minutes of her nap and noticing how she clutched a picture tightly to her chest- as if letting it go would cause it to shatter- and her slight, tearful outburst of her boyfriend's name, Maria knew that something had happened and that concerned her.
"Sweetie, everyone messes up every now and again. It can't be that bad." When she was met with only the sound of sniffling, Maria's concern for her only daughter and the young man that she had grown to love as if he was her own son grew and she began to rock her daughter back and forth in her arms, just like she used to do when Gabriella was a young girl. "Gabriella? Mija? What's going on?"
Gabriella took comfort in the loving, rocking motions of her mother and let the tears fall all over again. Maria's instincts told her that Gabriella just needed Mom Time and held onto her still, letting her daughter's tears fall.
"I just... I'm sorry, Troy..." Gabriella cried against her mother's neck and gripped her tighter.
"We can talk later," Maria whispered in her daughter's ears as she pressed kisses to her hairline. "You just take all the time you need. There's no rush."
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Maria's brownies were always a favorite "cheer-me-up" snack of Gabriella's, so when her baby girl came home in tears over something her lunkhead basketball boyfriend did, Maria was quick to provide. Gabriella still hadn't told her anything and she wasn't about to pry. She knew the truth would come out in due time. The little bit of information that she was able to get from Gabriella was that she "messed up" and that she "just had to know".
The two Montez women decided on dinner out- a tradition of theirs whenever Maria came back from a business trip- and Maria noticed that when Gabriella's phone beeped with an incoming text message, her daughter was quick to pull it out with hope shining in her eyes. That hope faded, however, as she read the text. That was the last straw for Maria and she decided that it was finally time to pry into her daughter's life.
"Okay, Gabi," Maria stated, crossing her arms in a motherly fashion. "I promised myself that I wasn't going to do this, but it's time."
"Time for what?" Gabriella questioned, her eyebrows creasing in confusion.
"Time for me to pry," her mom answered matter of fact. "What happened that has you this worked up and upset? What did Troy do?"
Gabriella paused before finally cracking and admitting her fault to her mother. "It wasn't Troy," she softly said. When Maria's eyebrows raised in question, Gabriella rolled her eyes and continued. "This time, it was me. Well, actually, more of Taylor's doing, but I listened to her and the outcome is my fault."
As Gabriella began her story, Maria couldn't help but watch as her daughter's heart broke all over again. She reached across the table and grabbed Gabriella's hand as she told the story, bringing it to the minutes prior, when Gabriella received the text message.
"And that text was from Troy, wasn't it?" she asked, nodding in the direction of Gabriella's cell phone that was sitting on the table.
Gabriella nodded and opened the recent message for her mom to read. Maria took the phone and held it closer to her face so she could read it.
Staying with Andy and Matt. Sleeping on their couch. May be back at the apartment tomorrow, but not sure yet. I'll let you know.
"Well, at least he kept his promise and let you know where he is," Maria pointed out. "He didn't just fall off the Golden Gate Bridge for you to never hear from him again. That's something, right?"
"But Mom, I'm so confused. I just don't know."
"What don't you know?"
Gabriella thought about her words and how she wanted to express her feelings. She didn't exactly have them sorted out in her mind, so how was she going to verbalize them?
"Mom, have you ever been faced with a decision and knew what you wanted to do, but were afraid that it would end up being the wrong choice in the end?"
"I have," Maria said with a nod. "But Honey, life is full of tough choices. And you're always going be scared of making the wrong choice. But you know what?" She waited until she was looking in the brown eyes of her daughter before she continued. "You've heard me tell you over and over again that the Lord won't give us anything that we can't handle, right?" She watched as Gabriella nodded. "Honey, love and your future life are hard decisions- especially when you're whole life has revolved around Troy for so long- but it's one that eventually every woman has to make. 'Is this guy the one that God has in store for me, or is His partner for my life still out there?' Mija, this may not be what you wanted to hear from me right now- and believe me, I never thought I'd hear myself say these words- but I think, maybe, Sharpay had a point." Gabriella widened her eyes in surprise and gave a little smirk in her mom's direction.
Maria raised her hands in defense. "I know. Mark this day on the calendar! But don't tell Sharpay that I said that. If it's brought up in the future, I'll deny it," she said, pointing a finger in her daughter's direction.
"So you think I should take some time away from Troy?"
Maria looked directly at her daughter and pressed her lips together. She drew in a deep breath as she thought about Gabriella's question. "I can't tell you what to do, Baby. But I can tell you that regardless of what you decide, I'm always going to be right here for you. Do I think you should stay with Troy? I won't lie, I adore Troy. You know that. Do I think you should take some time to just be you, just so you're sure? It won't hurt. If anything, I think that in the long run, Troy will respect you more for it."
Gabriella licked her drying lips and swallowed the lump that was- again- forming in her throat. "It scares me to hear you say that. But thanks, Mom, for being honest with me."
"You're welcome, Honey. I know this is hard, but just know that I love you very much."
"I love you, too." Gabriella reached across the table to take her mother's hand, knowing the words had been hard for her mother to communicate, and knowing that her mother's love for Troy had grown to be practically blood-deep.
The two ladies continued their dinner, but one thought ran through Maria's mind the entire
time... As often as I swore I wouldn't do this, I think it's time for me to interfere. I think it's time for a coffee date with a certain young man.
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There's something about sleeping in your own bed in your parents' home. Gabriella always found it comforting. The next morning, when she awoke in the four poster queen sized bed she'd had since she was fourteen, she felt oddly rejuvenated. She stretched under the covers and took in a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of the lilac blossom wallflower from Bath & Body Works that rested in the plug in the corner of the bedroom by the door. She sat up along the side of the bed and stretched- letting out a huge yawn in the process- and slipped her feet in her slippers and made her way downstairs, following the smell of her mom's omelets that she loved.
"Good morning, Sweetie," Maria greeted her as she walked into the kitchen, chuckling softly at her daughter's groan in greeting. "No classes today, right?" she clarified, watching as her daughter shuffled to the coffee pot.
"No, Ma'am," she told Maria as she added sugar to her coffee cup. The two ladies stood in silence, Maria putting the finishing touches on the omelets in the pan while Gabriella sipped on her coffee. Maria decided to try and bring up the topic of her daughter's best friend, not sure what the outcome would be but willing to try anyway.
"So Taylor left?"
"Her flight leaves this afternoon," Gabriella said flatly. That made it obvious to Maria that Gabriella wasn't in the mood to talk about Taylor, so Maria dropped the topic.
Maria watched as Gabriella sat down at the table then picked up two plates, walking in the same direction. Gabriella waited until there was a plate in front of her and Maria had sat down across from her before making her announcement.
"I think I've decided something."
Maria watched the young lady- who looked so much like her late husband- patiently as she waited for her to continue, knowing that she didn't need any prompting; she would continue on her own.
"As much as it hurts my heart to admit this, I think taking some time is probably what I need right now. I do love Troy. I know that without a doubt. But I just keep thinking 'what if', you know? I can't do anything further in our relationship until I know for certain that there is no more 'what if' in my mind. Does that make sense?" Gabriella turned pleading eyes to her mother, begging her to understand.
"It does. And I think you're making a very grown up decision. I know this is hard for you, but I'm very proud of you." Maria looked at her daughter's eyes, still seeing the pain and confusion that were in her heart.
"But Mom? What if-" Gabriella paused as her voice cracked and swallowed. "What if he doesn't understand and hates me? What if he walks out of my life forever and I lose any chance I may have?"
Maria stood from her seat and moved to the seat next to her daughter, taking her in her arms and held her in much the same way that she used to when Gabriella was ten and had nightmares after her father's death. The ladies sat that way for several more minutes until Gabriella's cell phone sounded with an incoming text message. Maria stood and retrieved the device from Gabriella's purse which sat on the counter, handing it to Gabriella so she could read the message. Gabriella released a heavy sigh as she turned the phone so Maria could see it, too.
Coming back to the apartment today. Please be there. We need to talk.
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After saying goodbye to Maria, Gabriella made her way back across town to the apartment that she shared with Troy. When she pulled up to the security gate, she punched in the code and waited for the gate to open. After she parked the car, she took a deep breath to ease her nerves and took her bag in her hand, making her way up the steps to the door. As she unlocked the door, she opened it slowly, uncertain as to what sight would greet her. When she spotted Troy standing in the kitchen with a glass of juice in his hand, she let out a sigh of relief.
At least it's just juice, she thought to herself. He heard the door close and turned to face her, seeing the duffel bag in her hands.
"Maria's?" he asked, clarifying where she stayed last night.
"I couldn't stay here alone. Not after..." Her voice trailed off as she started referencing what took place between the two of them.
"I know," he told her. "I had the feeling that you wouldn't be here."
"Troy-" she started, only to be interrupted by him holding up a hand.
"Brie, let's sit." She nodded and followed him to the couch, the two sitting side by side. Once they were comfortable, he started talking first. "Brie, what's going on here? I thought things were great between us. But ever since Taylor got here... I don't get it. I almost with I'd never left. This," he paused, touching her arm gently, "I feel like I don't know you." He placed his hand on her cheek, gently turning her face so he could look her in her eyes. "Baby, I feel like I'm losing you and I don't know what to do to stop it."
"Troy, it's not you." She shook her head against his hand while her face stretched into a sad expression.
He dropped his hand immediately, shaking his head while his eyebrows creased almost angrily. "Great! Now I'm getting the 'it's not you, it's me' speech."
Gabriella's eyes widened as she realized that he misunderstood what she had said. "No! No no no no no no! No! Troy, that's not what I meant." She took his hands in hers, begging him to listen. "I mean, it is, but it's not. Does that make sense?"
"Not really," he said with a gruff sigh.
She squeezed his hands when he tried to pull away. "Let me try again? Please?" She waited for Troy to nod before beginning again softly. "Troy, someone said something the other day that got me thinking. They pointed out that you and I have been together since we were sixteen."
He shrugged as if to say 'so what?' ,but stayed quiet to let her continue.
Gabriella did her best to look directly into his eyes to show him her true feelings as she spoke. "I've loved every second of being with you. But now I need time for me to find me."
His whole body tensed with panic as he leaned back against the cushions and tilted his head before speaking with a cracking voice. "What do you mean?"
"You're gonna think this sounds stupid, but I don't know who I am; I don't have an identity of my own. I get introduced to your friends as 'my girlfriend Gabriella' or to friends of your parents as 'our son's girlfriend'. Your friends from Berkeley know me as 'Gabriella, Troy Bolton's girlfriend'. That's all I've been since you and I became TroyAndGabriella. I can't... I haven't been just Gabriella Montez since before I came to East High. I remember telling you, up on the rooftop during my first week there, that I didn't wanna be 'the freaky math girl'. And because of you, I wasn't. Because of you I got to go back to kindergarten and be whoever I wanted to be. You've given me a totally different identity and I love that. I love who you've made me. I love who I am with you. I love you…so much. But I need some time to be just me for a while."
Troy sat for a minute in silence, staring at the girl in front of him. Half of his heart was breaking at the thought of letting her go; but the other half understood everything she was saying to him.
He took a minute to think back on the last few years and realized that she was right. She had never been Gabriella Montez without the 'girlfriend' label. He always encouraged her to think for herself, that her life was hers and to do whatever it took for her dreams to come true. He was her biggest fan. And for that reason that he knew- deep down, as much as he hated to admit it- that she was right. If his dreams for their future were to come true, he had to allow her to go through this. He didn't want to think about how long it would take her to go through what he hoped was just a phase, but hoped it wouldn't take long.
Finally he forced sound to come from his mouth as he spoke through the tightness in his throat. "Are you-" he paused to clear his throat. "Are you breaking up with me? I mean, what you've said makes sense and I can't argue with it, but is this it... for us?"
"I don't... I don't want it to be," she admitted through her own tears, begging him to understand. "I just want some time, Troy."
"But you've got questions?" He raised his head and watched as she slowly nodded, and the tears she had been trying to hold in finally fell from her eyes.
"I can't even tell you what they are. I'm just … our fut- the future seems so confusing right now… the LSAT's and graduation, law school, the Bar Exam in a few years, finding real jobs… It's just really scary and confusing. I- I need to try and clear some of it up."
As much as Troy wanted to pull her to him and hold her and tell her that they needed to clear things up, together, he couldn't convince his body to move. He just listened quietly. After a moment he found the strength to reach a hand up and carefully wipe the tears away.
"I get it," he told her softly. He reached a hand behind her head and pulled her face towards him, placing a soft kiss to her forehead as the sobs took over her body. He wanted to argue, to tell her that she was being crazy, that what she was saying was nonsense... but he knew that would be selfish. Now wasn't a time to be selfish. Now was the time for him to show her he supported her, no matter how hard it was for him.
Troy swallowed his own emotions, closed his eyes, and gave in as he wrapped her in his arms and held her as she cried, whispering in her ear over and over 'It's okay' and 'This'll all work out'. The words were meant more to make himself feel better about their current situation.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He didn't want to bring it up now, but he knew he needed to. He slowly pulled back and forced her to look at him, knowing that she was paying attention.
"Baby-" he said, stopping himself. "Sorry, I've got to, um..." He paused to clear his voice. "Gabriella," he started again, using her name this time, "what about," he pointed around the apartment, "our…living arrangements?"
"What about our...?" Her voice trailed off as she turned her reddened eyes in his direction and then clouded over again, "You mean... do you want… I should… I should move out, shouldn't I?" She scooted away from Troy as he gently shook his head.
"I don't want that. I mean, I guess it's up to you." He let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "Are... are you... I mean, will you..." He paused in his thought, letting out a sigh. "Damn it! I don't exactly know how to say this."
"Am I staying or leaving?" she suggested and watched as he nodded.
"Yeah, I guess that's where I was going with that thought."
"I-" she started, with a touch of fear at the thought of truly being without Troy, completely. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to stay here. I'll move back into the other bedroom." She started, watching his face for his reaction. When he gave none, she continued. "I mean, we came into this whole living together thing as a team and fixed our own individual budgets every month for rent and bills and stuff. I can't leave you with all this extra stuff to pay. I won't do that; it wouldn't be fair. I'm going to see it through, if that's okay."
Gabriella watched as he nodded slowly. "Okay," he whispered.
"Wildca- Troy?" she called to get his attention, waiting on him to look at her again. The look in his eyes broke her heart, but she knew in her mind that she was doing the right thing. She just wished that someone would explain it to her breaking heart. "Say something. Please?"
Troy swallowed as he looked at her. "Gabriella, I love you. I have every day- every second- for the past five years. I don't know what being without you is like. But if this is what you need right now, then fine. I'll um... I'll give you the time you need."
"I'm sorry," she whispered in a shaky voice as the tears in her eyes started to flow over yet again.
"So am I. Just know that I'll be here when um... when you figure everything out." He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers in a simple kiss, trying to put all his thoughts and feelings and emotions in that one kiss for those few seconds, wondering how long it would be before he was fortunate to feel her lips on his again. Or if he ever would.
When he felt her bring a hand up to his face to hold him him in place, Troy forced himself to pull back, released her hands from his, and stood from his spot on the couch. She watched him walk into the bedroom that they had shared for the past five months. Without looking back, he shut and locked the door behind him.
Gabriella wondered again if she was making the right decision. She swallowed roughly to try and relieve the practically permanent, throat-closing feeling. Then for the first time, she leaned over on the seat where Troy had just been sitting, and let her tears continue to fall - alone.