Hey guys,

I hope your Halloween was awesome! I know that most of you know about my blog, I'm not sure if it's common knowledge or not? I'd like it to be. The reason I bring this up is because I want to do a Q & A. If you guys have any questions for me about writing, stories, publishing, blogging, about me, or even just about some of my stories in the past? I would be happy to answer them on my blog.

The blog's address is located on my profile page, I will try to answer all questions open and honestly. I will not be answering questions about this story, simply because of the spoiler issue, but you can ask me questions about stuff that's already happened. Currently I'm working on Ask a Bitch, it will be the next story I'm posting, I don't know how many of you remember that one? It was taken down but I am revising it and reposting it. It will be retitled.

So, I'm not sure how successful this will be simply because… well it's my first time but let's see what happens? Just put your questions in your reviews or pm me … completely up to you.

All my love,

Anais

Gabriella leaned against the kitchen counter with her cup of tea in her hands. Her hair was wet and pulled back out of her face. Looking down she looked over the blue prints that had been delivered the day before. The restaurant was closed upon their return, the renovations had started and she been dreading her return. She had every intention of going down their today to see what was going on, check out the progress and maybe even pay her mother a visit. Her ears perked up as she heard him coming down the stairs.

Though Troy had made a playground of her body, pleasuring her time and time again until she didn't have the strength to do more than melt into the warmth of his body as the minutes drifted by with the night shadows, sleep had not been easy these past few days. Something was different. When the darkness came he would leave her bed, he was gone before her sleep had settled in. Not that she expected him to lull her to sleep like some kind of infant but she was suddenly finding herself wishing he would or that she'd wake up and find him there still naked, still warm, smiling and greeting her with his tousled hair.

Of course Troy was still pleasant. Still charming. Still available to answer her questions or provide an hour or so of company at the end of the night. But the interaction was a mere shadow of what it had been before. Granted their interaction was a little odd and harder to define. He'd greet her with a kiss, as chaste as it was, complimented her on her dress and hair. He would question her about her day. And yet nothing about it seemed real. Yes he would listen to her answers, cataloging the information for later use. But the connection they'd shared from the start, that invisible something weighing every comment, every question, every small smile or subtle glance with meaning and value and more. It was as it all of it had just evaporated.

Quickly she check her reflection in the microwave door, she pushed a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear. Turning around she grabbed the coffee pot and pour a mug of coffee. A second later, Troy rounded the corner, immaculately dressed, every hair in place. He flashed her a smile and then grabbed a triangle of toast from the plate she'd set.

"Perfect I'm running late."

Before she could do more than open her mouth, he dropped a kiss on her cheek and thrown back half the coffee. Taking the mug with him he paused at the doorway, his eyes flickering to the tea in her hand and the half eaten toast in his. "Toast and coffee?" she offered with a small smirk.

"Thanks," he said with a small smile as he placed the mug down on the table. "I'm going to be working late tonight." Troy adjusted his briefcase strap over his shoulder. "Probably sleep in my office."

"Oh," Gabriella said quietly.

"So," Troy said with a small smile, "tomorrow then?"

"Right," Gabriella nodded.

"Remember that the designers are coming into the restaurant at four and that Chad's flight comes into tomorrow at three." Troy looked at his watch and let out breath as he brought the toast up to his mouth taking another large bite. "I'll be back here with him around five unless he has other plans."

"Okay," Gabriella said to his retreating back as he made his way for the door. With a small frown she lifted the remaining toast and from the plate and took a small bite. Hastily Gabriella stifled that disquieting train of thought. Her attraction to him was a crude, coarse, hormonal thing that had gotten the best of her self-discipline, she reasoned painfully. It was an irrational chemical reaction.

The sound of her cell phone going off caught her attention and she looked down to see David's name flash across the screen. Her entire body seemed to break out into a cold sweat as she reached for the phone and swiped her finger across the screen. "Hello," she said as she brought it to her ear.

"I almost thought you weren't going to pick up, not that I blame you." Hearing his voice after so long was a like a swift kick in the stomach. She suddenly felt a little sick and she had no idea why.

"Why wouldn't I answer the phone," she said nervously as she placed her cup of tea on the counter.

"Because you never responded to my text."

Gabriella was quiet as she thought back to his text message she received on the boat. We need to talk. Before things changed, before her and Troy became even more complex than what they already were. How was she going to explain it to David, did she want to? "Things have just been a little crazy for me, I haven't had the time to get a thought to myself in a while."

"Do you want to have lunch?"

Gabriella looked down at the band on her finger then at the door where Troy had left, "sure, I have a meeting at 4 but I don't see why not?" she said using her other finger to twist the ring around. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well what about we meet up at my place, I'd love to cook this new dish for you." David paused over the line and Gabriella could almost feel him stiffen as if she was back in room with him. "I mean you know, not in any kind of, I mean I just want your ideas on this dish that I've been working on and you're the only one I can trust to give me honest feedback."

Gabriella felt a smile pull at her lips, "It's alright, just text me the address and I'll come over about 2?"

"Wonderful,"

"Great."

The line went quiet as they both listened to the other breathing into the phone. Gabriella looked over at Troy's discarded mug that sat on the counter top.

"How was your trip anyway?" David voice asked a little softer than it had been before.

"It was good." Gabriella said looking back up at the door, "Troy got some work done, and I read a book." Rolling her eyes she softly slapped her forehead with her palm, was she trying to make this anymore complicated?

"I guess married life is treating you well?"

Gabriella winced as she nodded, "Yeah, I'm having the time of my life," she said while squeezing her eyes shut. Seriously could she make herself sound anymore pathetic, how was she going to tell David the truth now? What was she thinking? She needed to end this phone call before she said anything else. "Hey I have to go, I'll see you later."

"Alright, see you later."

Gabriella brought the phone away from her ear and hit the end button the picture of David fading away on the screen with the call. Placing the phone down and she let out a long breath as she closed her eyes. It was just lunch, just a meal between two old friends who use to be something more. It was innocent, not that she had any hard feelings about seeing him. After all she was just a married woman and it wasn't entirely true, she was going to be a divorced woman come a year and 8 months.

Isabella sat at the table in her mother's kitchen rolling her eyes for third time as her mother preached about the benefits of going to school. She didn't understand why her mother was pushing the issue, they couldn't afford it. They could barely afford sending Gabriella to school and in the end what good had that done for her. "Mom, I know college is next step, it's just not the next step right now," she tried again.

"Don't worry about the money," her mother said as she continued to have her back to her as she washed the dishes. "You always have your heads up the clouds Isabella you need to start thinking about your life."

"My life is the restaurant, it's working at the grocery store as a cashier," Isabella said, "I have no time for classes."

"You know you could move back home at any time," her mother said with stern tone. "Nobody kicked you out and it's not like I don't have the space."

"Did it ever occur to you that I like living on my own mother," Isabella said with a wide eyed expression, "Not all of us want to live at home for the rest of their lives."

"If you came back home you wouldn't have to worry about bills, you could work weekends at the restaurant and go to class during the week."

Isabella rolled her eyes as she tried not lose her temper, she had no intentions of moving back in with her mother even if she was living in a cardboard box. She liked her privacy, she liked her freedom, she enjoyed the ability to leave and go home. Living with her mother was a nightmare, they always butted heads, and she would never be Gabriella the chosen child. She was not the kind of girl who stood home on a Saturday night. "Mom, I really don't want to go into this."

"Your sister is giving up a lot to make our lives better, the least you can do is take the opportunity while it's here."

"It's not my fault you married her off for money," Isabella said with huff, "I never asked her to marry this guy. She's the one with no self-esteem or morals."

"Hush," Maria said turning around to grab a plate from the table. "This is hard enough for her, she doesn't need you to be making comments like that."

"Right," Isabella said with annoyed expression, "Heaven forbid we piss off Gabriella, she the chosen one, everything she does is holy and amazing."

"Isabella," Maria said slamming her hand on the table, "What is your problem?"

Just then there was noise of the front door closing as she let out a sigh as she heard Gabriella announce that she was here. As if her arrival anywhere ever needed announcing. Gabriella was always the center of attention. She was always the topic of conversation, the last train of thought and now with her marriage to this Troy guy she was rich and wore better clothes. Isabella pushed herself up so she was sitting up straighter.

When Gabriella walked into the kitchen Isabella frowned as she took in her older sister's appearance, she was glowing. Her skin still had the ominous glow of the sun from her recent trip, a trip to Costa Rica for absolutely nothing at all. Her breast were pushed up higher her summer dress draped off her hips with a folly like attitude. Raising a brow she looked up at Gabriella's hair which was pulled back into a loose ponytail which was slightly tousled. This was a Gabriella she hadn't seen in a very long time. Since David. Suddenly all the same worries she had moments before came flooding back.

"Hey mom, Izzy," she said pulling a chair out and sitting down.

"Gabriella you look beautiful," her mother praised coming around the table and placing a kiss on her forehead. "How was your trip?"

Gabriella jerked a little as she looked up at her mother with eyes that screamed deer in the headlights. "It was good," she said beginning to bit on her bottom lip, "We had dinner at a few nice places and went sailing." Gabriella took the glass her mother handed her and held it out while she poured her orange juice.

"Sounds glorious," Isabella said as she looked down at her own bright red nails. Gabriella and Isabella weren't always so out of touch and at polar opposites of the world it was just something about the last few years that made everything that was so great about Gabriella put a bitter taste in her mouth. It was like all these good things just fell into her lap while Isabella had to work and scrape for what she got.

"It's just one big beach really, I mean if you've been to one you've been to them all right?" Gabriella said nervously.

Isabella smiled as she looked down at her cold plate of pancakes she hadn't wanted in the first place that her mother insisted she eat. Then as if a light suddenly turned on Isabella looked back up at her older sister and smirked. "Gabriella did you sleep with your husband?"

The glass of orange juice took a violent jerk and orange juice went spilling over onto the table causing her mother to race across the kitchen for paper towels. "What?" Gabriella chirped as she stood up to protect her dress.

"You finally did the deed didn't you?" Isabella asked as she cross her arms with a sense of accomplishment. "Took you long enough, I mean gosh the man is sex with leg after all."

"Isabella," her mother warned, "We talked about this?"

"What was there to talk about?" Gabriella said looking back and forth between them.

"Mom wants me to go to college," Isabella said with a sour attitude, "she forgets that some of us work for our life and don't just shack it up with category A millionaire."

"I don't believe that find the money would be a problem," Maria said with a stern expression.

"Of course," Isabella said looking over at her sister, "after all, you're wearing a fortune on your back. That handbag alone must be worth a grand or so? From the looks of it Troy Bolton needs very little encouragement to spoil you rotten."

"That's really none of your business. You talk as if I'm with him by choice." Gabriella countered.

"It is my business," Isabella said standing up, "after all the reason your married to him in the first place is because of the family business isn't it?" She said not able to hide that sharpness in her voice.

"I only slept with him because he said he would buy the restaurant from his father's company to keep them from turning it into the next Taco Bell."

"Troy had to blackmail you into bed with him?" Isabella's gasped wide-eyed. "I'd have knocked him flat in the rush. What is the matter with you?"

"Isabella that's enough," her mother voice came out as a warning and Isabella let out a laugh as Gabriella used the paper towels to clean up the mess.

Isabella rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry what I meant to say was how fortunate for you to take one for the team?"

"There is nothing fortunate about what's happening between Troy and me," Gabriella said with a low voice as stared up at Isabella. "What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Isabella said as she grabbed her plate of untouched pancakes and walked over to the trashcan. "I don't know, maybe I just don't see what's so hard about being married to someone who's handsome, smart, rich and good looking." She said chucking the plate into the sink with a loud clang, "Shit at this point I bet he has a diamond penis."

"Back off Izzy," Gabriella said.

"Or what?" Isabella said as she turned around to cross her arms staring at both her mother and sister. "Has it occurred to you that when this goes south, and believe me it will because you just seem to make everything complicated, that we are the ones that are going to be left behind to pick up after you."

"I would never do anything to jeopardize the restaurant."

"Well let's hope your right about this one," Isabella said as she reached for her purse from the table and then began down the hall, "Congrats on finally getting some action sis!"

Gabriella fell into her chair with a soft thud as she placed her elbows on the table to put her face in her hands. She felt her mother's hand come over her shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

"How do you know that?" Gabriella said with a sigh, "How do you know everything is going to be alright? That I didn't already mess things up." Gabriella arms fell and she looked in the direction that Isabella disappeared to. "She's right, there so much at stake here and I have no idea what I'm doing."

Maria let out a sigh and bent down to look at her eldest daughter, "She's upset with me, not you." Maria swept a strand of hair back. "He is your husband, he loves you, and you just have to give him a chance. When he first came to the restaurant and he seen you for the first time he was lost. He didn't keep coming back for the soup."

Gabriella felt her eyes filling with tears, her own chest was tight and she let out a shaky breath. What was she supposed to do, she was trying, she was giving him everything she had and he was reflecting nothing back to her. She felt so exposed and bottled up at the same time.

After having a family heart to heart Gabriella had finally arrived at the restaurant her hands still shaking from her argument with Isabella. Her mother had tried to settle her nerves, they gone over the restaurant changes made so far. The new hires that were stacked in Gabriella arms as she got off the bus. Adjusting her bag over her shoulder she made her way past all the equipment that outside and through the open doors. Letting out a gasp she looked around at all the blank walls the gutted floor her kitchen was bare the restaurant or any reminders that it had existed were gone.

Her insides pinched and she fought off the urge to cry as she continued to walk around looking at the debris.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Gabriella jerked as she looked around and suddenly spotted a dark skinned woman who was walking towards her with a clipboard. "I'm Gabriella, I'm the head chef here."

"Taylor McKessie," the woman said as she held out a hand, "Your new general manger."

Gabriella nodded; her face looked familiar from the photo in her file. Gabriella shoulders fell a little and she looked back at where the bar used to be. Guilt was beginning to settle in her bones. "I see the construction is coming along."

Taylor shrugged as she looked around at all the rubble, "I image it will all come together in the end."

"I certainly hope so," Gabriella said looking up at the ceiling, "Will you be here at four when the designers come in?"

"Yes," Taylor said looking down at her checklist, "I need your approval on the walk in and the equipment, they bought it in but nothing has been set up because we still need an approval."

"Have you talked to my husband?" Gabriella said listening to the odd words come from her lips.

"He asked us to only speak with you from this point on, apparently the company is no longer in ownership and he's been placed on another project."

"What?" Gabriella jerked as she looked at Taylor with a wide eyed expression.

"Well the new owner is supposed to be in tomorrow, until then you're the one in charge." Taylor frowned as she looked back up at Gabriella then down at the paper work in front of her, "I'm sorry but I thought you knew all this?"

"New owner?" Gabriella took a sharp breath, "There must be some mistake."

"Maybe you should talk to your husband," Taylor said with a little concern in her voice.

The chime from Gabriella's phone went off and she looked at the text message on her screen it was the address to David's apartment it was only a few blocks away. Looking back up at Taylor she offered a polite smile, "I'm going to do just that, I have a meeting but I'll be back before the designers get here."

"Alright, well I still need your approval on the kitchen stuff," Taylor called out as Gabriella began making her way to the front doors.

"When I come back, I swear." Gabriella said coming back out onto the sidewalk were two men were unloading a more drywall.

Troy sat in the meeting his pen and pad blank in front of him as he watched the presentation. Ryan was sitting at the head of the table, that stupid grin across his features as he jotted down notes. Troy's father had been more than please with the profit earned on the restaurant. He had to take Chads offering and double it out of his own pocket to make the offer almost impossible to pass up. Granted the sale wasn't going to make numbers but it was enough.

In the meantime Ryan had sold Mr. Figueroa on another location for his Latin cruise fast food. They were looking at all the information now and Troy was almost disgusted to see what could have happened to the restaurant. This entire project was a joke but at the selling price of 1.5 million the project was a goldmine.

Jack sat at the head of the table with Ryan by his side beaming with pride and focused as he listened attentively to the presentation nodding his head in agreement every so often.

"You see gentlemen the profit is clear, we start off with five locations in suburban areas, let the upper class think they found a bargain on Latin food. Then slowly as the demand grows we turn it around we build five more locations and spread out in middle class." The man said as he pointed to the pins on the map. "Let's create want and then give it to them, this could be the next McDonald's Gentlemen."

"Amazing work," Jack applauded as he stood from his chair, "Now this is how we branch out into the restaurant business Troy."

The room erupted into a mummer of chucks and gawks as Troy inwardly rolled his eyes as he smiled and chuckled with the rest of them. For the last few days he'd been burning on fumes from his failure. After signing the papers over to Chad and getting the paperwork off his desk he shortly after fallen into this project. He tried to avoid it but because his father was determine to make a point he been put on the project as a second chair to Ryan.

Troy looked down at the blank piece of paper in front of him. He felt like he was a million miles away from himself and there was no signs of direction. All he had to show the last four months was Gabriella. Looking back up at his father who was still talking about something he couldn't care less about he thought about the last few days of their marriage and how pulling back had only made this invisible pull between them that much stronger. He was thinking about her more, stopping himself from watching the clock and his brought his phone out constantly in urge to text or contact her. Every time he stop himself and every time he only began angrier.

"You guys know what to do?" His father said pointing at Ryan and Troy, "I'm expecting big bucks on this one guys don't let me down."

"We won't pops," Ryan said with wide smile.

Pops. The sound of it being said made him inwardly cringe. Troy had never called his father pops. Troy began gathering his things as people in the meeting began to disburse. People were filtering out of the room and Jack hung back with Ryan talking and giving him pointers on lining up the investors. Troy was on a mission to get out of here as quickly as possible while avoiding the father son pow-wow.

"Troy, come here." Jack said motioning for Troy as soon as he walked past.

There went that plan. Troy turned around and nodded as he came up to Ryan and his father who were looking down at the notes that Ryan had taken throughout the meeting. "Do you still have the designers from the San Juan?" Ryan asked.

Troy raised a brow, "Yeah their meeting Gabriella today at four."

"We should Swing by and set them up on the account, get the ball rolling early so we'll have something for Mr. Figueroa come next meeting."

"Yeah, I'll just call the wife and confirm." Troy said looking at his watch, she should be at the restaurant by now, probably not happy about the construction. Or she could be thrilled about the new equipment? There really was no telling when it came to his wife.

"Oh and Troy," Jack said pulling him back to the conversation before he could escape. "Let's get this ball rolling alright, no dwindling on this."

"Yes sir," Troy said with gritted teeth.

"Alright," Jack patted Troy on the back and just as he was walking away he could hear them discussing the books in Troy's office and Ryan's mission to start digging through them for anything useful.

As soon as he was in his office he shut the door behind him and flung the notepad and pen across the room. With both hands he gripped one the back of the chair and lifted it so he could shake it violently. As soon as his ears stopped ringing he placed the chair back down. That was when there was a knock on the door and he flung his head back as he turned around and reached for the door knob, "What now?"

Isabella flinched and he jerked when he seen her standing there, his own shock at seeing those brown eyes that had become so familiar to him and yet these were so different than the ones that were haunting him. "Hey," she said her voice crackled and it was then that he realized she was crying.

"Come inside," he ushered her inside his office and then motioned for Margret's attention. "No calls, no meetings, no one gets in unless they're on fire."

"Yes sir,"

Troy turned back to the office and shut the door behind.

David opened the door to see Gabriella on the other side of it with brown paper bag. "I figured if you were making lunch the best I could do was bring dessert," she said offering the bag to him.

Looking at it with a suspicious glaze he took it and opened it up, "You didn't?" he said looking into the bag. "Did you get these from Sweet Momma Bee's?"

"Is there any place else?" Gabriella said crossing her arms in the doorway.

"Access granted," he said playfully as he step aside.

Gabriella giggled as she walked past him into the apartment. It was smaller than she expected. Given David's constant desire for more space she always pictured him living somewhere luminous and open. "This place is cute,"

"Ouch," David said shutting the door behind her, "Tell me how you really feel?"

Gabriella let out another laugh as she put her bag and files down on the makeshift coffee table. "Isn't this all the same furniture from college?"

David rolled his eyes as he walked across the small living room space to the open kitchen that was almost as big as the living room with lots of counters and cabinets. "Student loans can make you semimetal, and a bit of a pat rat," David said with a smirk as he placed the brown paper bag down on the table. "You know how it is."

"I do," Gabriella said with a small smile. At least she did, before Troy and his black magical credit card that made everything she could ever want appear before her eyes. Despite what Isabella thought she never used it or held any claim to it. Just thinking about her sisters accusations was making her shake with anger. She didn't understand it, she felt guilty enough she didn't Isabella to turn the knife in her but anymore than she had already done herself.

"Ah, what are you talking about I bet that rich husband of yours has fixed all your problems by now," David said playfully, "Although, knowing you I'm going to make a guess that you don't see it that way and have stubbornly decline his help."

Gabriella looked up from the picture she was looking at to look back at him with a curious expression. It was as if he was reading her mind. "I just don't like the way money changes people."

"Right," David said with a warm smile, "You've always been an independent woman."

Gabriella felt a small blush come to her cheek and she bite down on her bottom lip as she turned back around to see the other photos. She remembered faces from her past, old friends that they use to hang out with and places that were once familiar to her. Closing her eyes she let out a sigh and it was then that her sense kicked into the exotic smells of ginger and cilantro. There was something else on the tip of it, onions and sea salt, like fish. Her stomach growled despite her mother's insistence on two scrambled eggs and bacon. "So what is this meal you couldn't wait for me to try?" she said causally as she turned around to find him watching her as he leaned in on the door frame from the kitchen.

"It's called a Seafood Tagine," he said uncrossing his arms, "It's like a seafood version of a Moroccan-style stew features snapper instead of meat and is flavored with aromatic spices like saffron, ginger, cumin, and cilantro."

"Sound delicious," Gabriella said standing on her tip toes to see into the kitchen, "Smells like heaven."

"I was inspired by your trip to Costa Rica, mostly just inspired by you," he said the last part a little lower as he smiled meekly.

"So what else is in this Seafood Tagine?" she asked decided not to acknowledge his comment.

"Well aside from the fish, the baked stew is filled with carrot, onion, and olives." David motioned for her to come over to the kitchen and she did without a second thought.

"Well this sounds like a hearty one-dish meal," she said as she walked past him. Unlike Troy, David smelled like spices, like a mixture of basil leaves and cilantro. He always smelled like something fresh in the kitchen, like something that was fresh and warm with heat to it that just felt like holding your hand over the stove on a cold day.

Gabriella stood over the pan and waved a hand toward her to welcome the smell of the dish. "This smells absolutely mouthwatering."

"Really?" he asked with a waver in his confidence, "Your cooking skills were always better than mine, you have a natural ability when it comes to cooking."

"It's nothing that special," Gabriella said shyly as she stood up straight and looked at him while he leaned against the counter.

"Are you kidding me, you're a natural for this stuff, cooking and you go hand in hand." David leaned in closer to truck a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. "Your husband is a lucky man."

Gabriella pulled away a little shocked by how strange his touch felt to her. It was nothing like she remembered it to be. Nothing like how it felt when Troy touched her. "So," she said trying to remain casual after the comparison. "What else have you been up too, other than cooking?"

"Well, I started teaching a cooking class at the university nearby. It's not fancy or in high standard. I'm teaching a bunch of college student how not to burn a bun cake," He said with slight chuckle.

"You'll be teaching five star courses in no time," Gabriella said with a smile, "It must be really fascinating to teaching, and I can't image having all that attention on me. I think I'd just sink into a puddle of goo."

"That's funny," he said giving her an odd glance. "Do you know who you're married too?"

"Troy is a very busy man, we seldom have large crowds around us," Gabriella smoothed her hands over her abdomen to comfort the nerves from having said his name out loud.

"You know I've been doing some research on this husband of yours?" David said taking a spoon and twirling the ingredients on the stove top.

"I don't see why that's any business of yours," Gabriella said causal as she took a few steps back to allow him room to work.

"Well, I would consider us friends at the very least wouldn't you?"

"I guess," Gabriella responded with a small smile.

"Friends look out for each other."

Gabriella smirked as she crossed her arms, "I'm listening?"

"Troy Bolton is known for his ruthlessness as a man. He's all about business and he goes through women like a knife through butter."

"Why are you worried about little old me now?" Gabriella said with meek shrug, "It's been five years David, you've never called or mailed me. You just show up out of nowhere at the restaurant."

"Because you're soft," he said with a small smile, "Everything about you is kind, sweet and loving."

"Maybe Troy just brings out the concrete in me," she said playfully. Why was she feeling the sudden urge to protect him?

David put the spoon down and he let out a sigh, "There are rumors Gabs," he said taking on a softer tone, "Ugly ones about him and other women, women as current as from a month ago."

Gabriella stilled as she bit her bottom lip, it seems Troy hadn't been as discreet as he'd thought. Gabriella felt like an idiot as she prepared herself for what she was going to say. Now it was solely up to her acting abilities to persuade David that she was a happy wife with a husband who would never hurt her. "You know how rumors are David, Troy's a powerful man, it doesn't surprise me that women would lie in attempt to be paid off."

"Jesus," David said taking a step back from her and crossing her arms, "Do you hear yourself?"

"Do you hear yourself?" Gabriella said looking at him earnestly, "What do you expect to come from this?"

David turned so that he could reach into the cabinets for two plates, he also reached into another one to produce two wine glasses. "In truth?" he said pausing to look at the glasses in his hand. "I don't know what I want to come from this?" Turning around he turned off the stove and began to serve them both. Gabriella looked back at the small table that had been cleared and set for them to eat.

For the sake of avoiding awkward silence she walked over to the counter top and took the two glasses he set there and brought them to the table. They moved around the kitchen like a practiced routine both use to the shape of their bodies and to the items needed at the dinner table for a meal. Gabriella already knew he would need a glass of water to go with his wine because he never ate without a glass of water just as he knew to fill her wine glass half way because anything more made her giggly. When it was time to sit the two stood face to face in the small kitchen the aroma of food mixing with the soft scents of perfumes and colognes.

"I missed you," she heard herself say before she could stop the words from coming out.

"I'm sorry, the last thing I want to do is hurt you," He said with a slow smile. There was another pause as they stood there in front of each other looking, staring and entranced by all the changes and similarities they could find since the last time they saw each other. "We should eat,"

Gabriella tore her eyes away and looked down at the wedding band on her finger. "Right," she said clearing the fog that was taking up residence in her mind. Everything was so messed up and she couldn't tell her feelings from Troy and her feelings for David apart.

Troy was full of passion and control, a man who knew what he wanted and taken it without question. But David was gentle, patience and knew her better than she'd known herself at one point. All the things she spent so many lonely nights yearning for, she used to find in his arms. He'd never leave her to sleep alone after a night of passionate love making. He'd never tell her not to wait up for him because he wasn't coming home. Never brush past her in the kitchen like she didn't exist. How was she supposed to know what to do? What to say? What about his kiss? Would be as temptingly sweet as she remembered? Would he look into her eyes and just know that her marriage was a joke? Was it a joke?

"So how did you meet him?"

Gabriella jerked as she looked up at him while she took her seat, "Well he was sort of a regular at the restaurant?" she said tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "One night my mother brought him into the kitchen to meet the cook and I guess the rest was history." It was all history, everything between her and David were so far away from her now that she felt foolish. She could barely remember what it was like to make love to him. How was ever going to forget what it felt like to be with Troy? Was it even possible to forget that kind of desire? The way he would hover over her kissing her in all the right places that seemed to make her almost float away from reality.

"Troy Bolton was a regular at your restaurant?" David gawked, "Your cooking must be even better than I remembered."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Gabriella the restaurant was amazing but let's be honest for a man such as Troy, don't you find it rather odd that someone like him would eat there?"

Gabriella looked down at her plate, "I never asked him about it before," she said lifting her spoon, "I mean I guess it's odd but it still wouldn't change anything."

"You've changed so much," David said watching her as she tasted her food.

Gabriella eyes fluttered shut as the mixture of food swarm through her mouth, "This is delicious," she said once she wiped the edges of her lips with a napkin.

"Thank you," he said with a small smile.

Gabriella lifted her second spoonful and then paused as she glanced over at him. He had yet to touch his soup, his eyes were just staring at her and she couldn't escape the odd feeling of discomfort that seemed to be there now that she was under his gaze. "Is something wrong?"

"You're beautiful, your skin is glowing, your eyes are sparkling and for the life of me I don't know how to be around you," he said with a small laugh. "It feels like we're just going to through the motions."

"I imagine it will get better with time?"

"How much time?"

Gabriella narrowed her glaze, "David you're the one that left me,"

"I know," David said with small frown, "I guess what I need to know is what you're feelings are?"

"David I'm married?" Gabriella said with frown. Her sister's warnings flashed through her mind; there was more than her heart on the line. Her family was depending on her, Isabella who had nowhere else to go was depending on her, her mother who wanted to preserve her father's dream was depending on her. Even Troy to some extend was depending on her and her insides were beginning to ache with the heaviness that all these favors had on her shoulders.

"But are you happily married?" The question hung in the air filled with meaning and empty on momentum. When she didn't say anything he leaned forward, "Do think there a chance that things between us are still romantic?"

No. The thought came over so loudly she almost thought she said it out loud but David was still waiting for an answer. He had hope in his eyes and he had a glimmer of something she use to be drawn to but after all was said and done he wasn't enough for her, at least not anymore, not after having so much with Troy. Gabriella pushed her chair back and quickly she made her way towards the living room to grab her things. "Coming here was a mistake."

"Gabs, that's not what I meant."

Gabriella came to the door with her hand on the knob she turned to see David standing from his chair and already half way across the room, "David don't." When he stopped she pulled the door open, "I'm sorry if I lead you on."