Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the HSM franchise in any way, shape or form. Nor do I hold any rights to Willow by Julia Hoban.

Dedicated to: hopelessromanticgurl, xxZZBABEY18xx,Ash207, pumpkinking5, coolio1206, yogaluva, MissIndependentlyPerfect, and batzmary. Thank you again for your sweet reviews! This final chapter is for you guys and everyone else who reads this story. Enjoy!

"Before I step out, I have to warn you that my scars are kind of visible. If that makes you uncomfortable, you have to tell me now."

"Claire, did you forget who you're talking to?" Gabriella scolds the blonde, who has her head poked out from behind the dressing room's curtain.

"Haha..right. I can tell you anything," Claire says with a small smile as she pushed the curtain aside to reveal her lean body clad in a black and white bikini top with solid black bottoms.

I should really tell her about mine. She thinks as she spots them almost instantaneously. The scars. There, as contrasting as the black against her pale skin, lay her scars on her upper thighs and arms. Her scars are fairly thin compared to her own scars. The main difference being the length and varied direction of Claire's cuts.

"I know, not the prettiest sight," Claire says, her gaze dropping to her wrist where a single red rubber band encases her skin.

"Relax, they're practically invisible. "

"You don't have to lie to me. I know how bad they are."

"Claire," she begins, her tone matching the gentle used towards her, "You're still one of the most gorgeous women I know." And it's true. Her beauty wasn't overshadowed by her scars. In truth, the confidence she displayed in that moment made her are all that more beautiful. She thinks about her own scars as she involuntarily frowns. What was holding her back from feeling the same way?

"Everything alright?"

Gabriella snaps out of her trance and realizes that Claire is now standing in front of her in a different swimsuit. "How do you do it?" she blurts out without thinking.

"Do what?"

"It's nothing. I think I like this one better than the last one you tried on," she says, the heat quickly rising to her cheeks. Out of habit, she begins wringing her hands under the careful eye of her friend.

Claire looks at her with a bit of apprehension but decides to let it go. She looks at her appearance in the nearby mirror and makes a face. "It's too pink and sparkly. Too much like Sharpay. Why did I even pick it off rack?"

"Momentary lapse of insanity?" she suggests with a grin, causing the blonde to laugh.

"Yeah, that must of been it."

Gabriella's smile falls as she watches Claire disappear behind the dressing room curtain. That was too close for comfort. It's not that she is afraid to tell her or that she doesn't trust her. She knows that besides Troy, Claire would be the most understanding, But there's something about uttering the words out loud that is difficult for her.

"Okay, what do you think about this one?" Claire asks as she pushes the dressing room's curtain aside and does a quick three-sixty degree turn.

Gabriella's head snaps up and she's met with the sight of her friend dressed in a different swimsuit. "You look great. Then again, you looked great in all of the suits you've tried on. Are you trying to impress a certain someone?" she says with a knowing smile.

A blush makes its way onto the blonde's pale cheeks as she quickly adverts her eyes. "I think that I like the ruffled halter the best. I actually looked like I had boobs with that one," she says with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, I think that Ryan would appreciate the cleavage."

The comment catches Claire off guard as she merely stares at the brunette before her with her mouth agape.

"What?"

"Gabriella whatever-your-middle-name-is Montez, I never knew you could be so vulgar."

The brunette simply shrugs, a small smile gracing her lips in response. "Don't pretend that Ryan doesn't play a factor in why you're freaking out over what to wear tonight."

Claire's cheeks turn bright red and so she quickly slips back into the confines. "Is it that obvious?" she asks as she steps out from behind the dressing room curtain in her own clothes and the ruffled swimsuit in hand.

"Not really cuz Ryan's usually nice to everyone bu-"

"Oh jeez, thanks for the voted of confidence, Gabs."

"You didn't let me finish what I was saying. He's nice to everyone but it's different with you. I swear, he spends half of lunch just starring at you."

"Really?"

Gabriella smiles reassuringly as she nods her vigorously. "The only thing is that I think he's too afraid to make the first move. So if you want something to happen between the two of you, then you'll probably have to make the first move."

"I couldn't do that. I'd be too afraid."

"What is there to be afraid of? You like him and he obviously like him. This is the 21st century, dear. A girl asking a guy out isn't that uncommon."

"No, it's not that," Clair trails off as she leads them to a rack of swim shorts. "God, I wish it was just because of that."

"Then what is it?"

"I still have issues that I'm dealing with and I don't really know if I'm ready to share that with Ryan. I mean, with you, I'm comfortable with doing that. But what if it he doesn't understand or feels uncomfortable when I talk about it? Am I suppose to just hide what I'm feeling?" There's an air of franticness that laces her words as she keeps her hands busy with flipping through the various styles of shorts. "I've been there, done that and I'm not falling into that cycle again. Then there's the added fact that I don't know if I can trust him. I know it's Ryan and he isn't exactly a gossiper like his sister. But still! My issues are a big part of me and if I hid that from, it would absolutely destroy me that I can't be honest. If you were in my shoes, wouldn't you be afraid too?" She concludes her rant with her final question directed at Gabriella with all of her attention on her.

I would be terrified.

Gabriella takes a deep breath as she decides what to tell the blonde in front of her. She could tell her that she's been there with her own relationship. That sometimes, she still fears that Troy will wake up and decide that he wants a girlfriend without so much emotional baggage. She wants to tell her that the risk is well worth it because she found someone that makes an effort to understand everything about her. But first, she needs to share what sparked that fear.

"Claire, before I answer that, there's something that I need to tell you. I probably should of told you this when we first met."

"Uhmm..okay," the blonde says as she sets the board shorts in her hands back onto the rack. She turns to face the petite brunette beside her, giving her undivided attention to her friend. She senses her hesitation and places a comforting hand on her arm. "Is everything okay? You know that you can tell me anything."

"I started cutting a couple of months ago," Gabriella says quietly as she fidgets with the rubber band on her thin wrist. "It started before I even came to East High."

"That's it?" Claire says expectantly, causing Gabriella to look at her with an incredulous look. She rolls her blue eyes and pulls her friend into a quick hug. "Gabriella, I know how hard it is to tell someone that but this is me you're talking to. I would be a hypocrite if I scolded you for being a cutter. Honestly, I can't say that I'm really surprised."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you seemed to really get me when we first met in the girls bathroom. I haven't told many people but they all - more or less - have the same reaction. And instead of looking at me like you're sorry, you looked like you understood. Then, after that day, whenever I would talk about my problems, I always felt like you were holding something back from me. I just got this feeling that you wanted to tell me something but couldn't. I didn't want to pressure you into telling me something that you didn't want me to know. So, I figured that when you're ready, you would tell me."

"Besides Troy, you're my only friend that knows. Actually, you and Troy are the only ones that know my whole story."

"Well, I'm really glad that you feel that you can trust me."

"Since we're putting it all out there, do you mind me asking what your blurb about how I do it was about?"

Gabriella lets out a sigh and looks down at her hands. "It's stupid really. I just couldn't get over how open you were about your scars."

"Is that why you're hesitant about going tonight? The scars?"

"I told you it was stupid. You walk out in nothing but a bikini and your worries are if I'm comfortable. I can't even stand looking at my scars, let alone anyone else looking at them."

"Hun, I think it's different for anyone. When I see mine, I don't think about what might have set me off and caused them. They're kind of like battle scars for me. I can look at them and remind myself how far I've come."

"I can't stand the sight of mine."

"And there's nothing wrong with that," Claire says with a warm smile as she hooks her arm with Gabriella's. "I actually have an idea on what we could do. But first, let's find you a swimsuit that'll drive Troy crazy."

Gabriella seems hesitant at first

"About Ryan," she begins softly, capturing Claire's attention, "I think that you should take a risk on him. Yes, it's terrifying to put yourself out there, but it's worth it in the long run. If he can't accept all of you, then he doesn't deserve you and I can't be held responsible for my actions if I kick him in the shins."

Claire laughs. "Why would you kick him?"

"I'm too short to punch him in the face," Gabriella says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, everyone deserves˙someone that makes them happy. If you never take the risk, how would you ever find them?"

"It seems like you know a thing or two about what you're talking about," she teases. "You're really in love with him, aren't you?"

Gabriella falls silent. It had never crossed her mind that she could be in love with him. There was no doubt that she cared about him and would do almost anything in her power to make him happy. But love? No, she couldn't answer that yet. And much to her delight, Claire doesn't wait for a response and is already holding up options for swimsuit attire.

Thank heavens for her short attention.

Gabriella examines her ensemble in the mirror. A black, off-the-shoulder cropped top exposed her red bikini and left little to the imagination. The red board shorts Claire had chosen strategically concealed the scars on her low abdomen, while showcasing her mile-long legs. It was her exposed arms that kept her from looking picture perfect. She saunters back to her bed and digs through the various shopping bags for the tube that Claire claimed would be answer to her prayers.

She plops down on her bed and begins to apply the body foundation onto her left arm, working quickly to blend it well. Like magic, her scars disappear before her eyes and if it weren't for the slight divots in her skin from particularly deep cuts, it's as if they were never there. She eagerly works the same magic on the marred skin of her other forearm. As directed by the sales associate, she waits at least three minutes before dusting her newly even-toned skin with the setting powder.

The wonders of makeup. She thinks as she marvels of how normal her arms look. Not use to having her arms so exposed, she slips on the abundance of bangles Claire had bought her. The metal bangles acted as a little barrier between her little secret and the life she's trying to live. They gave her the slightest bit of comfort.

A knocking on her bedroom door, accompanied by her sister's sweet voice, pulls her out of her trance. "You guys can come in," she calls through the door, while busying herself with putting away some of the clothes she had bought earlier.

"You look cute!" her sister exclaims, while Adam says, "Go change!"

Genevieve turns to her husband and shoots him a look. "What did you say?"

"I told her to go change," Adam replies, crossing his arms defiantly and silently challenging her to argue against his command.

"What's wrong with what she's wearing?"

"It shows too much skin."

"For heaven's sake, Adam! It's a pool party! Half the girls will show up in nothing but a swimsuit."

"Well, that's great for them but they're not my little sister or my daughter's aunt. What kind of example would she be to our daughter?"

"Adam," the subject of their conversation says shyly, capturing their attention, "I don't think you have to worry about my dressing habits affecting her until she's older, or at least born."

"That's besides the point."

"Okay, okay. I'll go change if it'll make you feel better."

"Stop right there," Genevieve says before her sister gets a chance to turn away, "you don't have to go change. You look great."

"Thank you, sis," Gabriella says, moving to give her sister a brief hug. "So, did you guys really come up here to approve my outfit?"

"That wasn't our intention at all," Genevieve says quickly, shooting a pointed look at her husband for his confirmation.

Adam scoffs. "That was my intention," he mumbles, earning a hard smack to his chest from his wife. He scowls as he rubs his now sore chest. "I was just being honest!"

"Just give her what you came up here to give her so she can finish getting ready."

He shoots his wife the dirtiest look he could muster before turning to his sister-in-law with a warmer smile. "Did you like your muffin?"

She resists the urge to roll her eyes but can't help the smile that spreads onto her face. "It was delicious. Thank you for sneaking in there."

"No problem. Let's just hope that you like this gift just as much," he says as he extends a small black box towards her. He chuckles a bit as he notes her apprehension. "Go on, take it. It won't bite."

Gabriella stares at the box and then over at her sister. "I already told you that you guys have given me more than enough," she says, a twinge of guilt churning in her stomach.

"But it's your birthday. I'm just doing what I expect to be done when it's my birthday." Adam tries to reason with a cheeky smile.

She laughs a bit and hesitantly reaches for the box. It's light and is about the size of her palm. It could be more jewelry but she can't imagine Adam buying that for her. Glancing up at her sister and brother-in-law once more, only to receive encouraging nods, she then removes the cover of the box to reveal a thin silver object. "A key?" she asks, her head snapping up to meet his amused gaze.

"It's a copy to Gen's car," he explains. "Troy mentioned that you were warming up to driving again, so I figured that you might want a set of keys of your own. Since it's summer, your sister probably won't be driving much. The car's all yours if you want to hang out with your friends or something. We figured that by the time school starts up again, you'd be ready to drive your own car again and we can pick it up from the old house."

Gabriella remains silent as she merely examines the key It's true that she has gotten behind a wheel a few times in the past month but it was never more than just from Troy's house to her own or vice versa. The thought of going any further than that causes her throat to tighten just a little bit. She doubts that she'll be putting it to use any time soon but it's a sweet gesture nonetheless.

"Thank you," she says finally, looking up to offer him a smile. "I don't know if you should be trusting me with your car just ye-"

"Hey now, "Adam begins, "don't sell yourself short. We know that if you weren't ready, you wouldn't of been behind the wheel in the first place. We trust you, Gabs."

Gabriella smiles once more, this one more genuine. "Thank you, both of you," she says, turning her attention briefly to her sister, who's sitting on her bed. "It really means a lot to me."

"No problem, dear," Genevieve says, her hand absentmindedly rubbing her growing belly. Her hand pauses mid stroke and she tilts her head slightly to the left. "Do you hear a knocking?"

"Huh. That must be Troy." Adam says after a long minute of silence to here that there was in fact knocking from downstairs. "I think we'll have a little chat as you finish getting ready."

"What exactly is that chat about?" Gabriella asks him, her eyes widening slightly. Then to no one in particular, she adds, "And why didn't he just ring the doorbell?"

"Oh nothing really big. I never congratulated on his championship game," he says nonchalantly as he back out of the room.

"Where have you been?" her sister asks, sending her an incredulous look. "The doorbell has been broken since last week."

"If he'd use the front door instead of your balcony as entrance, you might of known that," Adam adds, enjoying the flush of embarrassment that graces his sister-in-law's cheek. "Speaking of which, I should probably go answer the door before he decides to enter through your balcony."

"Just don't say anything that'll embarrass me," Gabriella manages to get out as she awkwardly shifts her feet.

"I won't," he says cheekily before quickly exciting the room.

"You're making it extremely hard to believe you!" she calls after him, merely causing him to laugh.

"He's such a hypocrite," Genevieve says with an eye roll. "He was the party animal when we started dating and look at him now."

"I know. My poor niece might become an introvert and spend her high school nights studying."

"Hey now, there's nothing wrong with that!"

"Yeah, I guess that you turned out alright," she teases as she walks back over to the mirror to reevaluate her outfit.

I actually look pretty good.

"Are you comfortable dressing like that?"

"Why wouldn't it be? Like you said, it is a pool party."

"I know what I said but I also know that as of late, you don't willingly show your arms."

"It's a body foundation that Claire swears by," she explains as she shows off her scarless arms. "It's even water-resistant."

"Wow. I guess you've got it covered. Literally," her sister says with an amused smile. "So, I take it that you're excited about tonight?"

"I'm a bit excited and a bit nervous. God, I don't even remember the last time I went to a party. I think was..." She stops herself from finishing her sentence as she realizes that the last party she went to was where she met Troy and her mother had still been alive.

"What was it?" Genevieve asks, thinking that she just didn't hear her. She then watches as her sister's demeanor seamlessly changes as her dark eyes slam shut. "Oh, the night of the accident."

Gabriella doesn't registers her sister's words. She's too engaged into that very memory that causes a tear to fall down her cheek. It's suddenly too loud as the sound of the crushing of a car and her mother's pitchy screams play in her ear. begin. Her throat tightens as she can practically see the bright light of an oncoming car. The image that comes next cause a second tear to fall. She sees her mother's face with her eyes glazed over and her mouth open slightly as shards of glass cover her.

"Are you sure that you'll be fine going tonight?" her sister asks ever so gently, "Are you okay?" It's the feel of her sister's hand on her shoulder that pulls her from the memory.

The memory is painful. It always is. But it's not something that she can't handle. "I'm fine." she says, her voice wavering for just a second. She swallows the ball of tension forming in her throat before finally looking up at her sister with the smallest of smile. "I'm going to be just fine."

This is ridiculous. Gabriella thinks as she scans the packed room. This is why she hated stereotypical high school parties.

"Hey, are you okay?" Troy practically screams into her ear over the loud music.

She nods, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady herself as she leans up to talk into his ear. "I just hope that none of these idiots get behind a wheel."

"You know what," he begins as he leads her back out the door, "I have a better idea."

"What? No," she says, using all of her strength to pull him to a stop. "Our friends are waiting for us in there and this is like tradition for you guys."

"Then we'll start a new tradition. Just me and you."

"Troy," she scolds, drawing out the vowel in his name. "You really don't have to do this because of me."

"But that's exactly why I'm doing it. You've been doing so well, I just don't want to bring up any bad memories for you. Besides, there's a place I want to share with you."

Gabriella can't resist his sincere smile and the charming way he holds his hand out for her to take. Without hesitation, she slips her hand into his and follows him back to his truck. She looks over her shoulder at the craziness she's leaving behind. Could she take being around a couple of drunks and not think about the drunkard that tossed her world out of rotation? Maybe, but she's thankful to Troy for not letting her risk it.

"Where are we going?" she asks almost 15 minutes into the drive. It could be just because of the night, but the landscape blurring by her window looks far from familiar.

"What did I say the last 4 times you asked me that?"

"That I would just have to wait and see," she says with a bit of a huff, earning a laugh from her significant other.

"You're so damn impatient."

"I know, it's one of my many flaws."

"Wrong. It's your only flaw because you're perfect just the way you are."

Always the smooth talker.

She rolls her eyes as she glances sideways to see his smirking figure. She plays it off like she isn't affected by his words. That she doesn't just about faint when ever he says his cheesy lines. But the truth is that butterflies erupt in her stomach and sometimes it feels like she's floating. And she can't help but wonder, how did she ever get so lucky?

"We're here," Troy announces as he comes to a stop in front of a dimly lit house. The house was clearly only one story with a small front yard and a single car garage.

"And where exactly is here?" she asks as she props open her door and slips out.

"Es la casa de Bolton."

"I don't get it."

"Didn't you take like five years of Spanish? I said that this is the-"

"Bolton house," she finishes for him with a slight glare of annoyances. "I meant. what do you mean this is your house? Cause I can walk to your house virtually half asleep and I can assure you that this isn't your house."

"Well, this is my other house," he says somewhat shyly as he reaches into the bed of his truck and pulls out a picnic basket and a pizza box. "As in my dad's old house," he says as he comes stand beside her and simply watches her as her gaze never leaves the house.

Gabriella freezes as she processes what he's telling her. The topic of his father was always felt like a taboo to her. She knows that he still miss him and he honors his memory every chances he gets. She can sense his pain every time he brought him up but at the same time, he handles it with such grace. He can hold his head up high and tell her how his father did this or that. And she knows that aside from tree house, this was his other safe haven.

"I'm sorry, this doesn't freak you out, does it?"

"What?" she squeaks, whipping her head in his direction. "Of course not. Why would you even think that?"

"I don't know if it freaks you out knowing that this was where my dad died."

"It doesn't," she says softly as she places a hand on his forum, feeling the ripple of his muscles under the weight of the picnic basket.

Troy smiles down at her before inching down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "Ready to see the house?"

She nods wholeheartedly as she takes the pizza box out of his hand and links their hands together. If it were possible, her smile grows even larger as he brings their linked hands to his lips. Silently following him, they make their way up the path to the house, which only has the porch light lit. She frees the picnic basket from his hands as he slips the key in to the brass knob.

"Welcome," he says with a final shove to the door and quick flip of the switch to turn on the lights. "Sorry it's a bit stuffy."

"No, no. It's fine," she says quickly, walking further into the house. The walls are a soft shade of green, illuminated by the small chandelier that hangs above them. A living room and dinning room is set up to her left and the hallway branches off, leaving her to believe that the house wasn't very big. "The house is so cute. You did the flooring, right?" she asks, lifting her gaze from the hardwood floor to look back at him for confirmation.

He nods rather modestly as he gestures for her to follow him and says, "Let's set this down in the family room and then I can give you the grand tour." He leads her to the end of the hall, flicking on the lights as they went to reveal a decent sized kitchen with a breakfast nook at the farthest end. Rounding the corner, he flips a final switch to turn on the lights and ceiling fan.

"An air mattress?" she questions as it's the first thing she notices in the center of the room. Her eyebrow arches upward as she waits for Troy to explain.

"Hey now, don't get the wrong idea," he says quickly as he avoids her gaze and sets their items besides the object of his girlfriend's scrutiny. "That's from when I slept here last week after getting done with one of the bedrooms really late. It's easier than trying to move the couch back in here."

"But you managed to drag the T.V. back in here?"

He chuckles as he takes the pizza box from her hands and sets it by the rest of their things. "That's the first thing Chad helped me move back in when I roped into helping me last week. That and my gaming system," he says, causing her to roll her dark eyes.

Why am I not surprise?

"C'mon, there'll be time to scold me about my priorities later. I'll give you the grand tour," Troy says, as he entwines their hands. He leads out to the main hall and points out all of the rooms they had already pass before crossing and entering a more narrow hallway. "This is the guest room, my room, and the bathroom," he says, pointing out each room and then adds," Okay, so it wasn't that grand."

She laughs but then notices the lone door at the end of the hallway. "What's that over there?" she asks, noting his apprehension as his free hand raises to scratch the back of his neck.

"Oh, thats uhmm...it's - was - my dads room."

"I'm sorry," she says automatically and then scolds herself silently for asking her next question out loud. "Does it still hurt to go in there?"

"Not really. I've given so many tours that I'm pretty much immune to it. But I didn't know if you wanted to see it. I just didn't want it to be awkward. Considering that's where-"

Fully aware of what he's about to say, she cuts him off with a kiss. "I get it," she mumbles against his lips. Her mind drifts back to her conversation with Claire earlier about holding yourself back. Pulling back, she says, "And I don't ever what you to feel like you have to hold anything back because you're afraid of my reaction. I most certainly don't hold back from you."

"I've never felt that way," Troy says with a smile as he brings his hand to rest on her cheek, stroking it affectionately with his thumb. "But it's nice to hear you reaffirm that belief." He kisses her once more before pulling out into the hallway with claims that the pizza would get cold.

Moments later, they're making themselves comfortable on the air mattress as 'The Parent Trap' provides the background music to their makeshift picnic of her favorite foods: pineapple and ham pizza and chocolate covered strawberries, the only chocolate covered thing she'll eat. Conversation remains light as they simply enjoy each other's company.

"Okay, I have one more surprise for you," Troy says as he pulls out a small white paper bag from the picnic basket.

"You really didn't have to. You've already given me more than enough-Is what I think it is in that bag?" Gabriella cuts herself off with her own question as her eyes light up as she catches sight of the familiar logo against the white paper.

"Kourambiethes?" he says, amused by the sudden excitement in her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe you should open it and find out."

She reaches into the bag, expecting to find her favorite Greek butter cookies but instead, her eyebrows furrow as she touches something more stiff.

"Happy birthday," he says with a wide grin as she pulls out a black jewelry box.

"H-How did you know?" she stutters, once she remembers how to talk.

"I walked in on Adam writing your lunch message this morning and he kind of spilled your big secret."

"Oh," Gabriella mutters rather lamely as her gaze drops. "I don't know what to say," she admits as she stares at the third jewelry box that she has encountered today. Granted, only one of the previous two had been jewelry but it still made her nervous nonetheless.

"You don't have to say anything just yet. Open it first, then tell me that you like it," he says smartly, as he shifts closer to her.

She obliges, more nervous about opening this box than the rest. A gasp slips from her mouth as she spies a simple, yet beautiful rope chain necklace nestled in the box. Lifting the silver chain out of the box, she's surprised to see three silver circles threaded through their centers. Looking carefully, she realizes that on the flat surface of each circle is a single word in a bold letters. She reads each of the circles: Daughter, Sister and Friend.

"I would of put 'Girlfriend' instead of 'Friend' but they didn't exactly have a pendant for that," he jokes nervously as he awaits her final verdict. "They're called Infinity Circles," he explains a bit more serious tone. "They suppose to symbolize a continuos trait that the wearer has that never ends. Hence the name."

Gabriella doesn't know exactly what happened but before she knows it, she's on Troy's lap as she cries her eyes out into the crook of his neck. Maybe the day is finally taking it's toll on her? Regardless to the reason behind it, he doesn't miss a beat as he does his best to calm her by whispering words of comfort and gently rubbing circles on her back. Minutes pass before her crying is reduced to slight hiccups.

"I'm sorry. I don't even know why I was crying that hard. So much for being strong, huh?" she says with a teary eyed smile.

Troy leans back so that he could see her tear-stained face. He cups her cheek gently and swipes away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb. "Sure," he begins gently, "you cried but that doesn't make you weak. You're bouncing back and I love you for that."

"You what?" she asks as she pulls back, her dark brown eyes the size of saucers.

He takes a deep breath, smiling softly while reaching up to tuck a loose curl behind her ear and then cupping her cheek again. "I love you. I know, it sounds crazy considering that we've been dating for barely two months. But I just know that there will never be anyone who can make me feel like you do."

She knows what she should say- what he wants to hear. But the words seem to catch in her throat as she drowns in his sincere eyes. Maybe its because she doesn't even know how to describe her own feeling towards him. Admiration, care, happiness, even lust. But love? She wasn't too sure about that. Though, she won't deny that hearing those three little words leave his lips made her heart feel like it would explode.

So she does the next best thing: she kisses him. After all, actions speak louder than words, especially in the case of Gabriella Montez.

She presses her lips to his lips slowly, as if testing his reaction. When he kisses her back, her hands snake around his neck to press him closer to her. Unsatisfied with their current position, she breaks their kiss for only a moment so that she could straddle his hips as she slips her black crop top over her head and casts it aside before bending down to meet his lips.

Giving him the slightest shove, he falls back onto the air mattress. She nibbles at his lower lip and when he moans from her ministrations, she takes the opportunity to slips her tongue into the warm cavern of his mouth. Their tongues duel for dominance but she's quick to surrender. Under these circumstances. she didn't particularly mind loosing control.

He flips them over, taking pleasure in how she felt under him. His lips begin their descend to the column of her neck, reaching all the way to the cleavage shown by her red bikini and back up again. A moan slips from her lips as he bites down on a particularly sensitive part of her neck. He can feel her hands slide down from his hair to down the front of his shirt and so he brakes the kiss for only a second to pull his white shirt over his head.

Missing the warmth of his mouth, she quickly pulls him back to her as her hands trace the defined muscles of his back. She involuntary shudders as his hands seem to be tracing every curve of her body. Her self-consciousness of her scars are long forgotten as his hand inch closer to the drawstrings on her swim shorts. But just as he finished pulling the bow, his whole body seems to freeze.

Troy pulls away suddenly, relinquishing all physical contact from her. He's slightly out of breath as he scoots over to the edge of the bed and puts his head in his hands. He can feel her straggled breath on the back of his neck. "I'm sorry," he says as soon as his breathing evens out.

"For what?" she asks as she carefully places her hands on his bare shoulder blades.

"I took advantage of you."

Gabriella lets out a small laugh in hopes to ease the surrounding tension. "Took advantage? I'm the one that kissed you!"

"Yeah, but you're pretty emotionally right now."

"I'm emotional all the time," she argues with a smile but then her face falls as something crosses her mind. "Oh God. I'm such an idiot," she says as she scrambles away from him to reach for her shirt. "Clearly you don't want me in that way and I-"

"Wait a minute," he says, reaching for her bare waist and pulling her back to him. "Why would you even think that? You're absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. I understand why Adam gave me the third degree when I came to pick you up. You look especially sexy tonight."

"Then why don't you want to?"

"I want to. Believe me, as a teenage male, I want to. It's just that, maybe now isn't the right time. A lot has happened today, like the fact that you were crying your eyes out a little bit over an hour ago. You're probably not thinking straight and I don't want you to regret it. Brie, it's-"

"No. Just don't say anything or I might embarrass myself further," she says as she drops her head into the crook of his neck to hide her reddened cheeks. She stays still in his arms, as if the moment would pass on its own. Gabriella's annoyed that he's telling her how she feels but more than anything, she's embarrassed by her forwardness.

"You're adorable," Troy mumbles, his lips grazing the side of her head.

"Not helping."

He chuckles lowly. "I love you," he whispers, tightening his arms around her bare waist.

Gabriella can't get herself to echo those words and she can only hope that he understood. She feels something for him- something frightening and wonderful at the same time. And the thought crosses her mind that maybe those three words just didn't cover everything. So she settles for two words that embodies her emotions at this moment. "Thank you," she mumbles against his neck, leaving a lingering kiss.

She's eternally grateful for his patience and kindness and for loving her. She knows that as magical as those three words are, they haven't solved everything. The truth of the matter is that love doesn't conquer all. Wether she acknowledged it or not, she had the love of her sister and her brother-in-law and she still broke down from her grief. And in addition to that? She now knows she has the love of her boyfriend, who she knows would do anything to make her happy.

She also realizes that she fell apart and for the months following her mother's death, she had considered herself broken. And while it's been 58 days since she last harmed herself, she can't deny that she is still tempted by the promises of her steel companion. Exactly where does she draw her strength to say 'no' every time? She'd like to say it's because of her inner strength but she knows that it's fueled by none other than by the love of her boyfriend.

Gabriella can't say what will happen to her should he ever leave, but she doesn't want think about that right now. All she wants right now is to bask in this moment where someone as wonderful and selfless as Troy admitted to loving her. It's all the reassurance she needs to keep trudging through her grief and truly move on with her life. She just needs to take things one step at a time and with him by her side, she knew that anything was possible.

She takes her first step.

"I love you too," she whispers so quietly that she doubts he heard her but then his arms tighten around her and her eyes drift shut as he presses his lips to the top of her head.

Love may not conquer all but it most definitely helped make this life of hers just a bit better.

A/N: I can't believe that this story is done and I can officially change its status from 'In-Progress' to 'Complete'. As much as I love writing and the HSM FanFic community, this may or may not be my final story on here. I'm toying with the idea of doing a sort of drabble series but so far it's just an idea, nothing more.

Writing is the first thing in my life that I had complete control of and it is the only true form expression I have. This was a decision I made about a month or two ago when I stopped loving to write. Maybe my passion for writing died a long with my little sister. I really don't know but I loved every moment on here and I'm thankful for all the wonderful friends I made because of FanFic.

You guys have no idea how happy the reviews I've received over the years have made me. I would have some pretty bad days but I'd read a review and it was a virtual stranger complementing me. Seriously, you don't know how much that meant to me that there was something that I was doing right and I made people happy. So, I thank you for your kind reviews and all the time you've spent reading my stories.

Oh, gosh..I feel like I'm going to cry now. lol Damn, my sentimental-ness.
And for one last time on FanFic, I hope you enjoyed this and please review!
I'm not one to really beg for reviews but if we can get the review count to 240, that would at least me feel like I ended on here on a high note. :D

Thank you,
Kae xx

p.s. Happy New Year! haha..I almost forgot about that. Stay safe and may the new year bring you happiness.