One in the morning rolled around.
Insomnia set in Gabriella's body, and she tossed and turned all night in Troy's bed. Marley layed beside her, letting Gabriella lay all over her and be her teddy bear, and Hannah was a silent sentinel at the door, and wasn't about to let anyone in that room without a bloody fight. Grey, Gabriella's year old male Bengal/Maine Coon mixed cat (the older of the two cats), layed silently on the soft, plush floor and snored a couple times. Inkheart, Gabriella's eight month old Maine Coon (the younger of the two cats) rested silently at the end of the bed, pawing at an imaginary bird as he dreamt of chasing a robin.
It was so quiet...
Gabriella grasped Marley's fur between her fingers and sighed as she felt her stomach growling a little.
She didn't want to starve her baby, but she feared that going downstairs would be disrespectful...
So, she stayed upstairs.
Suddenly, the door jarred open a little.
Hannah grunted and moved over, retreating her position as guard.
A sliver of light flooded into the room, and fell upon Gabriella's eyes. She squinted as she opened them a little, trying to figure out who was at the door.
She saw Troy's dark figure open and close the door, followed with a little sniffle.
A little light shone through the window. She watched as the silhouette removed his shirt and his pants, then pulled on a pair of sweats. He booted Inkheart and Marley off the bed, opened the blankets up a little, and pushed his way inside them beside Gabriella's warm body. He sniffled again, then wrapped an arm around Gabriella's ribs and pulled her close to him, stroking her hair.
"Troy?" She whispered.
He jumped a little, as if he thought she was actually asleep. He was still silent.
"Troy... What's wrong?" She touched his face, then felt his soft cheeks.
They were damp.
"Were you crying?"
"No... " He sniffled again. He denied the fact that he was a crying football player.
"What's going on? You never come in here while I'm sleeping, let alone sleep in the same bed with me."
"Did I wake you?"
"No. Not at all. I couldn't sleep." She ran her fingers through his hair. "Tell me what's going on."
He sighed and pulled her body close to him, allowing her to snuggle against him. He kissed the top of her head. "I broke up with Ally."
Gabriella sighed. "Oh, Troy... "
"She cheated on me, Gabriella... " He let out a deep breath and kissed the top of her head. "Ever since we started dating. I loved her, I really did... "
"I'm sorry I've had to put you through all this."
"You haven't put me through anything. It was my choice. I broke up with her. I have feelings for you, Gabriella, stronger than the feelings I had for Ally. You need me, and I promised I would protect you. I can't protect Ally and you. I chose the top of my priorities. That's you and the baby."
Gabriella ran her hand along his side.
She had never felt his side.
It was rippled with his strong ribs, which protected the one thing that kept him falling for Gabriella.
His heart.
She felt his hand across her back as he pulled her in a little closer, kissing her forehead as she looked up at him.
Love never felt so great to Gabriella...
He sobbed once, and buried his face into her hair. She shushed him as her hand fled to his shoulder. She squeezed it once and kissed it.
"You can cry... " She inhaled his cologne, knowing that that smell meant she was safe.
"Senior football players don't cry. Fathers don't cry. I'm both now. I have to be strong. I can't let you two down- "
"Everyone cries, Troy." Gabriella said.
"No they don't." He sobbed again.
"Just cry... " She whispered again.
Without holding back, tears poured from Troy's eyes as he buried himself into her body. She comforted him the entire time, rubbing his back and looking for the strength that she once had.
That strength was starting to come back.
As he cried, she began to wonder why they ended up together.
A nerdy, ugly freshman, and a sexy, senior football player.
It seemed like it wasn't meant to be.
But, in reality, they were crazy for eachother, and weren't about to let anything get in the way of their love.
What would the future hold?
He pulled back once, looking at her, his bottom lip quivering. He looked at her as if he was a helpless little boy, crying into his mother's arms. She allowed him to be the little boy he never could be, and was there for him the entire time.
She really did love him.
She had never loved any person before as much as she loved Troy.
And to think that this happened over a two month period was beyong Gabriella.
She never thought she could fall into deep love for someone within two months. (Well, look at Romeo and Juliet... Fell for eachother in two days, and died in a week.)
She ran her fingers through his soft, straight, brown hair and squeezed it a little as he buried his head into her shoulder to cry a little more. She repeated this process, finding that it helped comfort him a little.
Finally, he pulled back and sobbed, saying a couple words.
"How are you so good at comforting me, when you've never had anyone comfort you?"
She shrugged. "I guess I have so much mistreatment bubbled up inside of me that I don't want to hurt anyone else. I just want someone to love. I always have, and I always will... "
He wiped his eyes and decided it was time for Gabriella to be comforted.
He sat up completely and put his head between his hands, trying to gather himself. Then, he looked back at Gabriella, and held his arm out for her to fill it. She sat up and crawled towards him, filling his waiting arm.
She leaned against the side of his chest as he squeezed her tightly and securely, finding his way back to his strong side. He kissed the top of her head and ran his hand up and down her arm slowly, as if to comfort her.
Gabriella looked up at him with her chocolate eyes, and he melted into her chocolate absorbtion.
She was the most beautiful thing that had ever walked into his life.
It didn't matter to him that she was a nerd.
It didn't matter that she was a freshman.
It didn't matter that she was hated by everyone.
It didn't matter to him that she had low self esteem.
It didn't matter if she thought that she was ugly.
He loved her the way she was.
She snuggled into him a little more, wondering how she ever could have possibly ended up like this. She had a hot senior boyfriend whom she lived with, and she was finally being loved by someone.
And then, Troy did something she thought he would never do.
With his other hand, he gently pulled Gabriella's shirt up a little, and ran his finger across her stomach. Then, he rested his hand upon it. Gabriella was a little shocked by this, but went along with it and placed her hand on his.
"I know it's only been two months, but Gabriella, I think I'm falling for you." He said, just above a whisper.
"Falling for me?" She questioned, not really sure what he meant by that. "What do you mean?"
"I've never, ever had feelings for someone but you. I've never felt so great when I've kissed you. I've never felt so much love when I'm around you... I'm really, truely in love with you."
A moment of silence drifted into Gabriella's body.
"I think I'm in love with you too." She said, looking up at him.
Without any words, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then leaned down towards her and gently kissed her lips. Not wanting to pull back, he kissed a couple more times, feeling love caressing his body as drugs would run through your veins.
She pulled back and leaned back a little as he lowered himself down more. He moved both of their hands off her stomach, and planted a soft kiss on her stomach. He sat up, pulled Gabriella on to his lap, and wrapped his arms around her, resting both of her hands on her stomach. She rested her hands on his as he rocked her back and forth.
"You deserve so much better than what life had put on your plate. I'm going to try to give you a better life than what you've had already. I'll be here for you... " He kissed her head once more before resting his chin upon it. "And we're going to raise this baby, and give it a life that is better than anyone's ever had.
And true love's kiss fell upon their lips.