Troy pulled into his own garage and turned off the car. Watching the garage door close he leaned back in his seat as the room became enveloped in darkness. Before he left the Montez's he tucked Alex into bed, the simple action had stirred more emotion inside him than he had expected. She was so small and vulnerable, her soft curls bounced when she jumped into his arm. The echo of her giggles comforted him in the silence as he thought about pulling the sheets up and over her. Sitting there and watching her look up at him with so much expectation and admiration. What had he done to warrant so much? What good deed had he bestowed onto a stranger to be graced with this child snuggled in besides her Scooby-Doo doll?
That little girl had him wrapped around her finger, giving her over to someone else wasn't an option. He had to think of something. He didn't want her living with another man, he didn't want Gabriella married to another man. Troy took his keys out the ignition and slipped them into his pants pocket as he got out of car. Leaving the door open he shrugged off his jacket and tossed it in the backseat.
Walking over to the side door he opened it letting the night air filter into the garage, he had to figure out what he was going to do, how he was going to make all of this work. Coming over to a small work table he opened the CD case and pulled out an Elvis CD and popped it into the CD player on the shelf above it. Times like these called for someone wise and righteous. Troy closed his eyes as Elvis filled the air with Blue Suede Shoes.
Picking up a jug of window wiper fluid he started to sing and dance along with the music a little bit. Wiggling his hips to the beat as he used the jug as a microphone. Coming over to his car he placed the jug on the floor and lifted the hood. Looking down at the engine he smiled and reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head to avoid getting it filled with grease stains. Tossing his shirt off to the side onto another work table he leaned over the engine and unscrewed a cap.
"Well, you can knock me down. Step in my face. Slander my name all over the place," Troy sang along as he stood up and sang into the cap. Walking over to the wall he reached for a funnel, using it as a guitar momentary as he did a mini moon walk across the garage.
The king of rock in roll wouldn't stand back and let the love of his life walk out on him, he wouldn't just sit back and let another man raise his child. Granted he had no idea if he was ready to be a dad or not but he knew that he wanted to be. He knew right now that even if he'd only known Alex for total of two weeks he loved her now just as much as if he known her all her life. He had a little girl, a little girl who was part him and part Gabriella.
The song came to an end as he lifted the jug of windshield wiper fluid up to pour it into the funnel as Don't Be Cruel began to play through the garage. As far as things between him and Gabriella were concerned he had no idea how to handle what was coming. She was so stubborn, so sure that he was still the same guy he was 9 years ago, she had made up her mind that marrying some loser was going to be the right thing to do.
Meanwhile, Gabriella pulled up in front of Troy's house. Her mother had talked her into coming here, in fact she'd insisted on it and pushed her out of the house. Gabriella knew that they had to figure this out, she knew that she couldn't keep hiding from him forever or avoiding the issue at hand. Taking a deep breath she let out sigh and leaned back in her seat. "I have to work this out tonight," she said to herself as she bowed her head and placed her hands on the steering wheel, "you have to be brave."
After another round of telling herself she was happily engaged and halfway married and out of this town for good, she got out of the car. Once she closed the car door she was greeted by the soft sound of music coming from the garage. "That man and his stupid car," she mumbled walking towards the garage, seriously how much work could you do to a car before it was done. This was just one of the many reasons why Troy wasn't ready for the responsibility that came with a child. He was still a child himself.
Gabriella looked up at the house with more out of shock then admiration. When he said that he'd brought a house she thought about some small little place in shambles that was run down, but looking up at house she was blown away. The red bricked siding was beautiful, it was big and it was so warm and inviting, everything she would want in house was right there in front of her.
Shaking her head she looked back at the garage, "Focus," she told herself. She and Alex had a life to return to and whether she brought back a broken or happy child depended on the next few days. She wasn't about to let what happened between him and her get in the way of him and Alex. Walking towards the house she braced herself.
When she approached the opened door leading inside she couldn't help the overwhelming urge to laugh. There inside the privacy of his garage Troy was wiping a rag about in the air and rocking his hips from side to side pointing at the invisible crowd. Her eyes trailed over his body, watching him move, glancing at the ripples of muscles and taunt skin that was so smooth and lean. She almost felt the urge to reach out and touch him and when she realized what she was doing she let out a gasp and spun around.
Caught off guard by the gasp Troy spun around and seen Gabriella standing there her back to him. "Shit," he mumbled quickly walking over to the CD player and stopping the music. He hadn't been expecting her, he hadn't even known that she knew where he lived let alone would show up. Not really sure what to say he reached for a rag and began wiping the grease off his hands.
"Are you decent?" she said covering her eyes as she turned slightly to face him.
"Gabriella," he said with a playful tone, "you've seen more than this when we were in the kiddy pool and I lost my shorts," he said walking over to the car and shoving the rag in his back pocket. "At least my pants are on," he mumbled reaching into adjust the knob on his windshield fluid cap. Making sure everything was closed up and done he brought the hood down.
"Well we were 6 then," she said in a huff, "things have changed."
"Yeah, and we have a kid to prove it," Troy said turning around and leaning on the car. "Was there something that you wanted or did you drive all this way to talk about old times," he said wiping his hands on his jeans a little.
"We have to talk about Alex," Gabriella said removing her hand, with an awkward once over she lifted her eyes making the effort to only look into his eyes and nowhere else.
"Agreed," he said and crossed his arms.
"I want her to get to know you and for you to become a part of her life," Gabriella said taking a step closer to him, her eyes came down to his chest and the muscles that flexed there with not effort at all. Quickly she looked back up. Almost married. Doug. Remember him. She mentally kicked herself.
"Right," he said staring at her with no hesitation or restraint. She could feel his eyes traveling up and down her body. She was wearing the same flower pattern skirt and white top she had on earlier only her hair was down instead of up in the messy bun. His eyes reeked just as much havoc on her body then his hands did. She could feel the heat of his stare making her blush.
"I also want Doug to feel as though he is part of the family and not just an outsider," she added.
"What do you see in him? Obviously Alex doesn't care for him," Troy said looking at her lips and remembering how soft they were under his own. He remember her body pressed against his and his hands shifting through her hair. He remembered that night on her balcony, in the rain.
"He's a sweet guy, charming and responsible," she said looking to ground, "he wants to take care of us."
"And I don't?" Troy said a not able to hide that hurt from his voice.
"Troy I have another life. I'm not the girl next door anymore," she said looking at him with sadden eyes as she came closer to him.
"No. You're not the girl next door at all," he said in a raspy voice as he looked up at the shelf trying to avoid eye contact.
"I can't just leave everything behind and neither can you. We live in two different worlds now," she said leaning on the car by his side looking at the items on the floor.
"No we can't," he said looking at her as she rested alongside him against the car and took a deep breath. "I'll be around as much as I can," he said uncrossing his arms.
"Good. I want you there," she said quietly as she looked up at him and found his eyes looking down at her, "I want you around Troy." There was silence as they looked into each other's eyes.
Troy frown harden as he read the look in her eyes that gave him the answer he didn't want to hear. She was right as she wasn't going to leave Doug. "I can't." Pushing himself off the car he shook his head.
"Why not?" Gabriella said keeping her eyes on him.
"Because I have feelings for you and I don't want to see you with someone else," he said quickly "I can't do it. I can't just be around."
"That is so unfair," she said looking away from him. "When I had feelings for you, I didn't have a choice. I was always there, there when you needed to talk to someone, there when whatever cheerleader you were dating didn't want to watch the same movies you did or play the same video games. I was always just around to you while you were always out with some cheerleader or some other chick with big boobs," she said in a low voice. "You never cared about what I felt or how much that hurt and I never complained because I love you and you were the closest friend I ever had."
Troy let out a breath as he looked at her with all the heart wrenching guilt in the world. He'd never known she felt that way, he never suspected anything until that night when she kissed him back. "I'm sorry. I swear I didn't know how you felt," he said seeing the hurt in her eyes.
"Well I felt a lot Troy;" she said placing a hand on the hood of the car where he was once sitting. "I was in love you all through high school," she said avoiding his glaze, "I spent every moment of it hoping you would look at me and see me and not Gabi the girl next door."
Troy came up to her standing in front of her as he looked down at her with so much emotion stirring up inside him. "I did see you," he said in a low voice. "You were beautiful and deserved so much better than me," he said lifting her face with his finger. "You were so much more to me than the girl next door, you have always been the girl who got away," he said coming closer to her face.
"Troy," she whispered just before his lips touched hers. There was no use in stopping it from happening, there was no point in denying that a small part of her just fell hopelessly and madly in love all over again.
Troy pulled away, not really sure where this was going or how far she wanted him to go, there was a gasp of air from their lips as they parted and he was caught off guard when Gabriella pulled him back for more. He told her to make the next move, he'd warned her that he wasn't going to do anything she didn't want to happen. Pulling away again he took a breath, "Gabrie-"
"Don't," she scolded him and pulled him back in. Parting her legs she pulled him closer.
Accepting her invitation he slowly lifted his hand up her leg hitching the dress up as he went. She leaned against the car for support. And in a small movement he lifted her onto the hood completely like a new toy he wanted sprawled out in front of him to examine. Each kiss was deeper than the one before, each one seeping more and more into uncharted waters that roared in neglect between them. Troy's hand found its way to the patch of cloth separating him from her warm and wet entrance. Slowly he stroked her as they kissed both lost in something neither had the control to stop.
Gabriella's hands pressed against his chest enjoying the touch of his skin and feeling each muscle move beneath her fingers. She was crazed by what she was feeling, crazed by this effect he had on her, like a whiskey shot everything about him made her dizzy and flushed. How his left hand held her back while his right one stroked her making her wet and warm, driving her crazy. Letting a moan escape from her mouth she leaned her head back as he trailed kisses from her jaw to her neck, nibbling on her tender spot as he began to push her panties aside.
Her hands reaching down to his pants and she begun to undo the buckle followed by his zipper. Troy let out a grumble from his throat as his hands reached down and pulled her shirt up and over her head and tossing it off to the side. Now she sat on the hood of his car in a white lace bra like a gift presented to him by god himself. Smiling he leaned down to kiss the top of each breast loving how they felt in his hands.
Reaching for him she wrapped her hand around him and began to stroke him slowly. Troy head fell back as he moaned sending encouragement through her as Gabriella began to stroke him a bit faster.
"Brie," he whispered his lips coming down on her own, his hand began to bunch up her skirt making it easier for him. "Brie I need to get a condom, in the house. My bedroom is just up the stairs," He whispered in her ear.
"No," she said with a small smile, "I'm on the pill, if we wait any longer I might have to kill you," she whispered back as she stroked him slowly. "I need you," she whispered before his lips came crashing down on hers. Positioning himself at her entrance Troy slowly slipped inside her causing her to gasps out loud as she wrapped her legs around him pulling him closer to her. Her hands came up wrapping around his should bringing him down so she could feel his bare skin slide against her own.
Soft moaning could be heard from both of them as he continued to thrust into her. The car rocked with them as hands wondered over bodies parts, touching and feeling, not sure where to go next and settling for the frantic desperation. Their speed slowly increased building up in rapid want and desire for that satisfaction they both knew they would only get from each other. The panting got heavier and his hands held her to him as he rammed into her.
"Oh my god, Troy don't stop," Gabriella begged as she dug her nails into his shoulders. Both way past the point of no return, Troy kept going thrusting inside her loving the smell in her hair as she leaned up and clawed at his back, the feeling made him grunt as he leaned forward and softly bit her shoulder.
"Troy," she moaned holding onto him and pushing her hips forward meeting him thrust for thrust. He filled her completely and she loved his hands on her body he was everything that Doug wasn't, he was passionate, strong, demanding, and in control. Feeling her climax coming she let out a loud gasp and clung to him tighter.
"Brie" he grunted holding her tight and thrusting into her as they both climaxed together his seeds spilling into her and her body tensing up in his arms as she moaned loudly. Both clung together in the silence that over took the garage. Troy was still inside her and Gabriella was still hanging on to him her eyes shut tightly, biting her lip, not wanting to let go not wanting this moment to end.
Holding onto her he closed his eyes and hugged her tightly. "Brie," he said pulling away and slipping out of her. Adjusting himself he pulled his jeans up and did the zipper not caring about the button or the belt.
The moment he was gone she was cold and felt hollow as she sat on the car exposed. Her hands came up as she attempted to cover herself looking out as Troy leaned forward and handed her the shirt they discarded earlier. As she brought the shirt up over her head Troy pulled it down and then pulled her skirt down soothing out the wrinkles and standing before her.
"Eventually we're going to have to do this in a bed," he said with a small smile as he brought a hand up to smooth some of her flyaway hairs.
There was something different about the way she was looking up at him. She looked happy and sad at the same time. He reached back and pulled her hair out of the shirt spreading it over her shoulders and enjoying the way it felt in his hands. When his eyes looked down at her brown ones she looked away from him and down at the floor.
"Troy," she said silently.
Holding a finger to her lips he tilted her face up to him, "I want you both here with me. I have a house and a salary to take care of you," he said in a low tone. "I'm not signing any papers to give Alex away and I won't settle for seeing her every other holiday."
Gabriella felt tears in her eyes as she looked up at him and into his blue eyes. She wanted so much to accept his offer but she thought about her job, Alex's friends back at her old school, Doug. Could she really turn away from her life and start over here with him? How would she ever know what she was feeling was real or if she was running away from the fear of being with Doug right into Troy's arms? Or was she running away from being with Troy into Doug's arms? Would Troy even want her if Alex wasn't part of the picture?
"Would you still feel this way if prom night never happened?" she said looking at him with hurt in her eyes; she needed to know if he loved her, needed to be assured that he was the right choice.
Caught off guard Troy looked into her eyes trying to decipher what was going on. "I would never change a thing between us," he said in confusion.
"That wasn't the question Troy," she said sliding off the car and grabbing her purse from the floor.
"What did you want me to say?" he said following her as she made her way out of the garage.
"That you not just making this offering because of Alex and that deep down you feel something for me that's unrelated to the situation," she said walking towards her car.
"Seriously?" Troy said in disbelief, "Do you think what just happened would have happened if I didn't?" he said pointing back to the garage. "What about that night! Do you think I would have even kissed you?" he said as she opened her car door. "Why would I fuck up an eighteen year friendship for five minutes of good time?"
"Is that what you think about prom night? The night you fucked up?" she said taking what he said out of portion "Well that's good to know Troy," she said getting into the driver's seat.
"That's not what I mean Gabriella and you know it," He yelled pounding on the roof of her car.
Rolling down the window she glared at him and tore into his heart were it hurt the most. "Once that interview is over I'm taking my daughter back home where she belongs. Make the next couple of days' worth it Troy."
"Gabriella don't," he said reaching for the handle of the car and tugging at the locked door. Quickly he reached through the open window and unlocked the door, jumping in and reaching for her keys. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What the hell are you doing?" she shouted back at him.
Troy lurched forward grabbing the back of her head and bringing them together their lips meeting in furious match of control. She pushed him violently and he fought back, he fought back until she had no fight left to give. She settled in his arms leaning forward in a slouch of exhaustion.
Troy pulled away, "I love you, don't you dare think or say otherwise," he said between breaths. "You have a choice to make and what I can see it doesn't seem like hard one."
"You don't know that."
"Hey," he said when she looked away from him. "Look at me."
"What," she said looking at him as she wipe away a stray tear.
"Do you love me?"
"Yes."
"Do you trust me?"
Gabriella nodded.
"Say it and don't you dare look away from me," he added the last part aggressively.
"Yes, I trust you."
"Marry me."
"What?" Gabriella mouth dropped open as she sat up straighter.
"Screw Doug, Marry me instead."
Gabriella shook her head, "Troy it's not that easy."
Troy leaned forward his hand reaching out to touch the side of her face with tenderness as he caressed her. "You deserve to be happy, and to me that's all that matters. You should be loved all the time, kissed every day and worshiped like the goddess that you are every time you lay down at night." His voice was low as he spoke to her, "if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that, that's exactly what you feel when Doug holds you at night, I'll back off."
Gabriella shook her head as she kept her eyes on him. "No one makes me feel like that but you."
"Then marry me," he pleaded, "Let me make you happy, let me make you feel loved, adored, worshipped, and just happy in every way that it matters."
"Can I at least have a day to figure things out?"
"A day Brie," he said lifting a finger, "24 hours."