I cannot believe this story has got the most reviews I have ever had, I am so chuffed!
For anyone who has 5 mins I would like to ask 3 questions. Please send me a message with your answers or put them in your reviews.
Do you like the 'realism' in the stories you have read or would you like to see some more fantasy?
What do you like about the stories?
What do you not like/would you change?
I've had some feedback such as the sex scenes are a bit too graphic sometimes or the main female characters cry a lot so please tell me if there anything I can improve on!
Thank you.
CHAPTER 27
Gabi stood at Troy's door once again, three weeks later, tanned, healthy and happy at having had nice break away with Steph. She and Troy had texted each other and called to keep in touch but this last week had been pretty frantic for them both.
Troy was having long shoots to complete the film in time and Gabi was busy putting down a deposit on her own apartment and having interviews for PA work.
So today had filled her with a deep excitement at getting to see him again and she smiled at the irony of her situation. A few months ago she hated Troy Bolton and now she was actually like an excited schoolgirl as she waited for him to open his door.
Troy opened his door and she beamed at him, taking in his bedraggled state, his messy hair and stubble and tired eyes as she flung her arms around his neck.
"Hi, boyfriend" she said warmly, hoping for a somewhat more excited reaction from him as his hands gently rested at her waist and his arms didn't press her into him like they normally would.
She pulled back and cupped his cheek as his almost-grey eyes surveyed her face.
"What's wrong?" she asked with concern.
"I'm sorry" he said softly and Gabi's heart plummeted.
"Sorry for what?" she said on a ghostly whisper, fearing he was about to break up with her.
He swallowed "I swear to god nothing happened okay?" he said and Gabi frowned.
"What are you talking about?" she wondered, her heart banging so hard and fast in her chest that it hurt.
Troy's eyes widened as he realised she didn't know. She hadn't seen the paper and no-one had told her. Not her mum or her dad. How was that?
"Troy, what's going on?" she asked her face pale and worried and he ached to hold her and take it all back.
"You should come in" he said softly and she followed him in, shutting the door behind her as he sat dejectedly on the sofa and she trailed over to sit with him. Troy leaned forward, putting his forearms on his knees and she curled her hand into his lap to link fingers with his, which made him cast his long dark lashes down as he looked at their fingers together and turned his hand so he could grip a little tighter.
"Theres an article in the paper today. About me and Jordan. It says I stayed the night in her room and that we slept together" he sighed.
"What? That's ridiculous! She probably made it up because she fancies you" Gabi defended quickly
Troy closed his eyes painfully as his lips pressed together as he seemed to hold his words back and Gabi knew that whatever he said next would hurt her. It felt like she had swallowed an ice cube and it had stuck in her chest, burning her with cold pain as she waited for what he had to say next.
"Only some of it is true" he said so quietly she wondered if this were actually Troy because his quick smiles and relaxed demeanour were missing and he didn't seem like the same person.
"Oh my god, Troy" she said, panicking "Did you sleep with her?" she asked bravely, hoping against all hope the answer would be no.
"No" he affirmed "But I did go into her room" he said and Gabi's mouth dropped as she loosened her grip in his hand and snatched it back, a flash of hot anger coursing through her.
"What?" she whispered, too angry to even shout and too hurt.
"I promise you Gabi, nothing happened" he said firmly.
"But you still spent time with her! Why was that? Knowing what she is like? Knowing she would try it on!" she shouted now "Did you kiss her?" she wondered suddenly.
He twisted awkwardly in his seat "She kissed me, but…" he began.
"Don't!" she yelled before he could finish "Don't even finish that sentence, I don't want to know" she said wildly, getting up.
"She got me drunk okay!" he shouted as she went for the door and twisted it, stopping as her hurt sliced through her and tears slashed down her face in rivets.
She turned so he could see her utter desolation at his betrayal. She pressed her lips together as tears gathered there "I should never have trusted you" she said harshly and Troy stared, stunned at her words as she left the room and slammed the door behind her, leaving Troy to wipe his tears from his eyes as he sat back on the sofa and punished himself for ever letting Jordan dupe him into going out that night.
He should have know better, Gabi was right, but the shoots were becoming more pressured and the working day more shattering and the offer of an innocent drink had seemed too inviting to him and after a few drinks he'd forgotten she was a predatory man-eater and stumbled back to her room, by this time a little too drunk to think about where he was going. Once inside her room, she had pushed him up against the door, her lips connecting with his mouth as her hand had his groin and that's when he had pushed her away and told her he was in love with Gabi.
And Jordan had turned a funny colour and thrown a tantrum at not having gotten what she wanted and he had left, drunkenly stumbling down the hallway where Gabe, of all people, had caught him and taken him back to his own room where he had collapsed and slept on Gabe's bed.
And in the morning Gabe had given him a long talk about letting Hollywood hussies take advantage of him, and how same thing happened to him a few years before with an actress, but that for him, it had caused the break up of his marriage when he had chosen the girl over his wife and it hadn't panned out well after all, leaving him lonely.
Troy had objected and said he loved Gabi and Gabriel had smiled and patted him on the shoulder and said that Gabi would understand but he had to tell her the truth.
And now he sat with his head in his hands and hated himself for ever letting his guard down like that, and most of all for hurting Gabi in a way he never wanted to hurt her. And what pained him most was that she didn't even know that he loved her and he might never get the chance to tell her because she quite rightly hated him too.
---
Gabi knocked on her dad's hotel room door and looked at him with big, teary eyes as he opened it, surprised to see her and even more surprised she was crying.
"Oh honey" he said, bringing her in and putting an arm around her "You saw the paper, then" he guessed and Gabi just sobbed as he tried to console her
"Have you spoken to Troy yet? You do know it's not true?" he checked and Gabi cried harder.
"I didn't even see the paper dad! He told me everything! That she kissed him!" she bawled.
"Oh honey, he didn't kiss her back. I found him staggering down the hall and he was in a state, I can tell you, she must have poured a whole lot of liquor down his throat" he mused.
"You're defending him?" she whispered in disbelief.
"Gabi he didn't do anything except get reeled in by a practised hussy" he said .
"He went with her, dad. I can't believe you are glossing over on this! You hated him for even daring to speak to me and now you think him kissing someone else means nothing!" she accused as she stood.
"He didn't tell you" Gabriel realised suddenly, shocked and he knew he shouldn't be the one to tell his daughter how Troy felt.
"I doubt there's anything he could tell me to make me feel better" she said and headed for his door.
"Gabi, wait, you should hear this!" he called as he stood.
But she closed the door behind her and she looked to the heaven as her tears fell and her hurt spread through her.
She made it to her room and collapsed on the bed in a heap of tears.
---
Her cell phone rang and woke her the following morning where she lay motionless and she lifted her head, sliding her handset open.
"Hello" she said flatly, her throat sore from her crying.
"Gabi, you have to talk to Troy" her mom said and Gabi rolled over to stare at her ceiling.
"Why is it everyone is on Troy's side and he's the one who cheated on me?" she wondered.
"I called him this morning and he didn't cheat on you, Gabi. You have to go talk to him." She insisted.
"You know what, mom? You seem to get on well with him, why don't you date him?" she suggested brittley.
"Okay I'm interfering, I'm sorry" Maria sighed.
"I can't talk to him, mom, because it'll make me cry if I see his face and I have the wrap party tonight and dad asked me to go with him and I can't back out on it. I don't want to turn up to the party looking like…like…"
"Like you have a broken heart?" her mom suggested and Gabi sighed.
"It hurts mom. It hurts to think he was in another woman's room and that she kissed him." She shared then, her tears hot and stinging as they trickled down her face.
"He didn't let it go any further, Gabi. Just remember that. He didn't let it go any further because of his feelings for you" she added gently and Gabi sobbed as her lip quivered.
"I love him mom" she bawled and Maria smiled on the other end of the line, her own eyes watering.
"I know, baby. And love hurts sometimes, but you have to let him speak. Promise me you will let him speak" she asked.
"Okay, mom" she promised and rolled out of bed to shower.