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Chapter 5 - Telling Him

Over the next few weeks, Troy kept close watch over Brie. He had finally went home, but was at her apartment nearly every night until he could get her to sleep, then he would quietly slip out and go home. It killed him seeing her so afraid of people and afraid of telling anyone about what happened. She hadn't even told David.

"Why haven't you told him yet? He deserves to know! I'm sure he would have been on the next flight here if you had."

"That's just it Troy."

"What" Troy looked at Gabriella confused.

"I don't want him here right now. I'm so scared of what he is going to think when I tell him. What if he thinks that I'm a dirty piece of trash now? I mean, that's how I feel so why wouldn't he feel the same? That and I don't want him to leave what he is doing just for me and make his manager mad."

"Brie, you are more important than anything, or at least you should be. You should be at the top of his priority list. He needs to know when something is wrong. If you can't tell him something like this now, how to you expect to be comfortable telling him when something is wrong in the future?"

"You're right. I don't know why I don't feel comfortable talking to him about it. I guess probably because he is another man. He could have easily done the same thing."

"Brie, you know that is not true. David is one of the few decent guys in the world. And besides, if that is how you are going to think, why do you feel comfortable talking to me about it? I'm just another guy too."

Gabriella looked at Troy. Troy wasn't just another guy. He was her best friend, someone she put total trust in and knew she could talk to about anything.

"I guess you're right. I do need to talk to him. I'll call him tonight."

"Good. I have to go now but I'll see you tomorrow at work, right?"

"Yep, wouldn't miss it for the world," she said sarcastically.

Troy left and Gabriella sat thinking about how she was going to tell David. She picked up her phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Hey babes. I miss you."

"I miss you too, David. When are you coming to see me?"

"Miss me bad, huh?" David laughed, making Gabriella smile.

"Yeah I do, but I really need to talk to you about something and I don't want to do it over the phone."

"Oh ok. Is everything alright?"

"I hope it will be after I talk to you."

"Let me talk to my manager and see what we can work out. I'll be there as soon as I can. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Ok. Yeah I'll be fine. I just really need you here." Gabriella started to cry softly.

"Babes, you're scaring me. Listen, I don't care what my manager says. I'll be on the next flight to Albuquerque."

"Ok, thank you. I love you."

"Love you too. See you soon." Gabriella hung up the phone and sat there crying softly, eventually crying herself to sleep.

Gabriella woke up some time later to a knock on the door. She looked at the clock. It read 4:43 A.M. She looked out the peephole in her door to see who it was and smiled brightly. She flung the door open and jumped into his arms.

"I missed you so much!"

"I got here as quickly as I could. My manager wasn't too happy, but anything for you. I love you!"

"I love you too." They walked into her apartment and sat down on the couch in comfortable silence, David rubbing Gabriella's back. Gabriella had her head on his shoulder and eventually fell asleep that way.

When Gabriella awoke again, she realized that she needed to get ready for work. She had just finished getting ready when she heard David wake up from his place on the couch.

"Hey, where are you going? I thought we were going to talk."

"We are, but I can't miss any more work. I promise we will talk when I get home this afternoon."

"Ok, hurry home. I want to spend as much time with you as possible before I have to go back to L.A."

At this, Gabriella saddened. She didn't want to think of him leaving her again. She had just gotten him back after not seeing him for over four months.

"I'll be home around 3:30. See you then. Love you."

Gabriella went through the day, nervous about her conversation that she knew she would have to have with David. She was afraid of what he would think of her now. On Gabriella's way out of the building that afternoon, she was stopped by Troy.

"Hey, you ok? You don't look to good."

"Thanks Troy. Way to boost the self-esteem."

"Sorry, but seriously. You ok?"

"I'm really nervous about talking to David. He flew in last night so we could talk but didn't get here until really early this morning. I told him we would talk after I got home from work. And I'm really nauseas. I woke up that way this morning. It's probably just all my nerves getting the best of me."

"Hey, it will all work out. Everything will be fine. But if you need me, call."

"Ok, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

Gabriella went home and found David lying on the couch watching T.V. As soon as he heard her come in, he jumped up and came over giving her a big kiss. Gabriella tensed at this. The last time a guy had kissed her was the night she was raped. David noticed the tension and began to worry. "Babes, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No, but that's what I need to talk to you about."

They sat down on the couch and Gabriella explained the whole situation to David, from her fight with Troy to her stay in the hospital.

David was shocked. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" He started to get mad that she had kept something that important from him.

"I was afraid. Do you realize that every time a man even bumps into me I flinch? I can't even stand it when a man even looks in my direction. I freak out, thinking "what if he is the same way as the man who raped me?"

"Do you honestly think that I'm that way though? Is that how you view me: just some man in the mix of others who might be purposely trying to hurt you?"

"No David! That is not how I see you at all. I love you. But you were so far away and I didn't want to tell you over the phone and I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to, believe me, but I didn't know how. I guess my biggest fear was how you would take it."

David looked at her, still extremely upset. "Well I guess you don't have to fear that anymore. I need some air. I'll be back later." And he left.

Gabriella sat there crying on the couch, hoping that what he said would hold true, that he would be back.