You probably all hate me :( Sorry for the slow updates. This is the last chapter, I will post a poll soon for the next story.

Chapter 15

"I thought we meant too much to you to write about?"

It was two days since Gabi had spent the night nursing Troy in her own inimitable way. Two days of work, two days of separation and even now she wasn't face to face with her favourite person.

She swallowed and cleared her throat, taking her cell-phone outside the building as she continued the conversation.

"Have I done something to make you feel like I broke that promise?" She wondered lightly, wondering where this new insecurity was coming from on Troy's part.

"Your article, Gabi. 'Why boys feel threatened by a well-dressed girl'? You're telling me that's not about me?"

Gabi felt the shock hit her square in the chest and she honestly had forgotten that those words had come from her fingertips after a long day of searching for a subject matter to introduce her latest fashion ideas and now it was evident that she had used Troy's reaction to her as inspiration. Only it wasn't intentional and she certainly never meant to hurt him…

"Troy…" she began, not knowing how to justify her insensitive use of his insecurity in her article.

"I'm listening, Gabi…" he offered flatly and she felt hurt, too, by his tone and judgement. Hadn't they just got past this, she wondered? Weren't they making steps and building trust? She sighed as she realised he had already made up his mind and that this call was just to tell her what he'd already decided.

"I'm sorry if you felt the article was about you," she offered softly, resigned. "I promise I never meant to hurt you in any way…"

"It hurts, Gabi," he said her name again in that angry way and she closed her eyes and winced at it. "I expected different from you…"

The dial tone shocked her as much as his accusation did and she stared at her cell with a horrified stare.

"Gabi?" Charles interrupted her moment, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Are you okay, you look like you've seen a ghost?"

Gabi looked to him, then her cell, then back to her colleague.

"Troy saw my article…" she whispered, still not living in the real world. People rushed by but her heart plodded on slowly and time seemed to slow down, stretching out every painful breath and every excruciating moment.

"And?" Charles asked expectantly.

She bit into her lower lip. "He thinks I wrote it about him…he thinks I'm insulting him somehow…"

Charles flicked his eyes over her face, a small tight frown stiffening his features. "You need to go and see him…"

"I don't think he'll let me," she awed.

"Don't be silly, you just wrote what you know…all writers do. He'll understand when you go and see him," he assured quickly.

"But what if he's right?" she worried.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked, confused.

"I mean, I didn't mean to say anything bad but what if, deep down, that's how I feel? That he deserves to be insecure to give me the control in our relationship? Jerome did that to me, you know? He made me want to take all my control back…"

"Gabi, you're babbling," Charles gave her a little shake and she closed her mouth and swallowed to appease him, even though her own state of mind hadn't changed.

"Sorry, Charles. You're right; I should go and see him."

"Take lunch now, I'll tell Elaine," he added and she nodded, going back inside to grab her bag before she headed out for good.

/

"Jesus, Troy, are you getting lessons?" Chad asked as he pushed open Troys half-open door and slunk into his bean-bag, pausing to listen to more of Troy's raw guitar-playing.

Troy merely glared at his friend before clenching his teeth and then carried on playing regardless.

"So…" Chad broached as he sank into the bean bag comfortably.

"I know why you're here," Troy stated, not looking up from his guitar.

"Good," Chad smiled. "Then we can cut the small talk and get right down to business…"

"I don't want to talk about it, Chad," Troy warned.

"Well you have to," Chad countered and Troy frowned at his insistence. "We're best friends and that means you have to talk to me," he added. "You can do whatever else you want, but you have to talk to me…"

Troy stopped playing and paused for a moment considering the likelihood of Chad going away. As if to confirm his fears, Chad folded his arms behind his head and got even cosier in his bean bag if that were possible.

"Fine," he sighed moodily and put his guitar down. "But Gabi was right, things will get awkward with us all being friends…"

Chad shrugged. "I can deal with it."

"Fine," Troy grumbled.

Chad tilted his head at his friend sat on the bed edge and waited.

"Andie always used to put me down you know?" Troy started rhetorically, not waiting for an answer. "Whatever she could find to criticise me on- she would. My clothes, my hair, the way I look…"

"Dude, I know," Chad softened his voice and his position, sitting up.

Troy gave him a direct look. "She would say that she was so much better than me, too good for me…that I didn't deserve her…" he elaborated and Chad frowned.

"What else, Troy?" he prompted gently.

Troy sighed. "She would always say that I was threatened by her if I ever answered back. She made out like by me saying something I was belittling her," he laughed without humour. "When she was the one belittling me…all along…"

Chad swallowed and steepled his long fingers together, pausing before he next spoke.

"Troy, what does this have to do with Gabi?"

Troy licked his lips. "Those words…everything she wrote…it was…it was like Andie was back. It was like she was back and controlling me with the insecurities she created…"

"Gabi isn't trying to control you…" Chad offered, twisting his lips. "She just wrote something from experience and it hit a nerve."

"What if she wrote from the heart, Chad?" He ventured a broken, blue-eyed look to his friend.

"Gabi is not like Andie," Chad promised.

Troy pressed his lips together unsurely. "How do you know?"

"I live with her," he answered. "Believe me, that girl has the biggest heart I know. And she's been hurt, too. Just like you. But she still has room for more, you know? She still loves you, right?"

Troy waivered. "I knew I wasn't ready to meet anyone…" he dropped his forehead to his fist and sighed.

"You know what, buddy?" Chad asked and Troy looked up. "I think you are ready…or why would you be so scared about this failing?"

Troy swallowed down the painful lump in his throat that threatened to be tears. He avoided looking at Chad but his friend knew him well and he rose to give him a man-hug quickly and before anyone would see.

He grasped his neck and shook him gently to re-affirm their boyish friendship.

"You're gonna get through this," he assured.

Troy dipped his head and let his hurt tears flow while his friend subtly rubbed his back, then let up as the front door went, signalling the arrival of Ryan or Jason.

"I'll go cover for you," Chad promised and looked back before he closed the door. "Just talk to her," he told him before he went.

/

Okay, heels weren't the best idea. When were they ever? And they were brand new, sky-high, black velvet round toed platforms that matched everything. Or at least they would once she had worn them in.

Right now they just pinched and pressed and injured her already poorly toes.

"Stupid shoes!" she grimaced, looking down her bare legs to the offending items, annoyed they were spoiling her approach to Troy's house.

She was wearing a floral jumpsuit with short-shorts and cap sleeves, 50's style. The background was black like her shoes and the flowers large and bright. Perfect for spring. Only she didn't care one fig about spring or fashion or shoes right now.

She just wanted to salvage whatever was left of her bond with Troy. Sure, he might never forgive her for printing that article. And okay, she might not be able to live with that, but at least she'd know she did everything she could to resolve the situation. Gabi Montez was not a quitter.

Maybe they could put that on her gravestone, she mused. She might actually have the need for one sooner than she thought-

"Gabi!" Chad swung open the front door and feigned surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously, wondering if Ryan and Jason knew about the article, too.

Chad shrugged nonchalantly. "Picking up my CD…" he lied and she smirked.

"You are such a bad liar…"

"Is that why I'm single?" he teased and let her inside.

"Yes," she replied, swapping places with him so that he was outside now.

"Gabi," he called her round and she twisted. "Just give him time."

She nodded, wondering if that were a warning that she shouldn't have come today because it was too soon. When would be a good time to come she wondered? Tomorrow? In two days? She couldn't put off something she wanted to resolve right away so she took a deep breath and headed through the house, heading up to Troy's room.

She knocked twice and held her breath.

"Come in," the voice called and she ventured inside the room, not missing Troy's surprised look.

She took a deep breath at the sight of him. He was in his pyjamas still even though it was midday and he was cradling a forlorn guitar on his lap. She silently wished she'd been here a moment sooner to hear him playing.

"Nice guitar…" she broached, testing the waters.

He looked up, under thick brows and his blue eyes held hers like they always did, before dropping back down.

"You came, then."

"Did you expect me not to?" she arched, a little defensively.

He didn't answer her question and she felt helpless as to how to change his mind.

"Do you want me to go?" Her breathless question shocked him and he frowned at it. He'd hurt her, too. He could see it in her eyes and now she felt like she didn't even have the chance to talk to him, to explain or to re-assure him the way she evidently wanted to- just by being here alone. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to give her that chance or not, because he could save himself right now if he wanted to.

He could save himself from this dangerous minefield of emotions…

Or, he tilted his head and let his eyes drink in her beauty, falling on her amazing shoes that revealed the redness of her heels and evident pain she was in wearing them, just like usual. Or, he could let go of everything he held onto now with tight fists and let this crazy thing run it's course- whatever it was, whatever it would be- he could just let go and let it happen. Out of his control, against his very self-protective nature, he could let Gabi truly into his heart and trust her to take care of it.

"Don't leave," his answer was a bare whisper in the room and Gabi sighed out in relief at hearing his familiar words, words she wasn't sure she would ever hear again.

She stepped forward, just once. "I'm sorry…" she began, her hands shaking in fear. "I'm sorry that I ever wrote that stupid article and that it hurt you and that this had to be the end for us…"

"What?" he looked up, confused.

Her lips trembled and tears cascaded her face. "You want to end this, don't you?" She barely managed to ask between enveloping sobs.

No! His heart screamed and he opened his mouth to repeat it, but Gabi was crying into her hands and he rose from the bed with his natural instinct to comfort her and he found himself taking her very gently into his arms and pressing his chin into the top of her head to hold her close; denying every urge he had to push her away and forget this reunion.

"No," he sighed into her hair, absorbing her sobs. "No I don't want to end this," he assured.

"But on the phone…you were so angry…and I was so stupid…and-"

"And nothing," he murmured, kissing her hair. "I'm the idiot, not you."

"I'm sorry I said those things…I'm sorry I made you think-"

"Shh," he cut her off from her apology and held tight until she caved and then he sat back on his bed with her between his thighs were he could still cuddle her.

"I'm sorry but I need to take my shoes off…" she sniffled and kicked off the offending footwear; wincing as her sore feet protested against being aired.

"You need treatment," he observed, noticing she had used her shoe-removal as a way to escape his embrace and now she stood forlornly in his room. But clearly with the intention to stay.

She shook her head. "It can wait; I just wanted to take them off while we finish talking."

He blinked. "At least let me mend your feet," he begged. "If not your heart…"

She looked up at him as he rose and came toward her and something in his words told her exactly what she needed to hear. He knew how much he had hurt her by calling her and then hanging up that way. He knew her heart was breaking at the thought she might have ruined this; and he was admitting he wanted to mend the broken things between them so that they had a chance to carry on, just like before.

Only nothing would ever be like it was before, she realised, but maybe that was a good thing. She shouldn't have written that article and he shouldn't have frozen her out but as their eyes locked and they came closer together, she realised some things would also never change.

Like the taste of him as he kissed her; or the way his tongue thrust into her mouth, seeking more. Or the way she drove her tongue back against his and clung onto him as though gravity had failed and was trying to befall her.

She whimpered as he pulled away and she wobbled on her tip-toes, slowly lowering back to the floor while she waited for him to speak.

"Will you let me mend your feet?" he asked; vulnerability clear in his hopeful features only she knew the question he was really asking was, 'Will you let me mend your heart?' And she already knew the answer. She already knew the answer because she'd never met anyone who kissed her the way Troy did and she wasn't prepared to let that feeling go just yet.

"Yes," she panted out, her heart stuttering back to a semi-normal pace and she wondered if he had forgiven her.

He nodded and took a relieved sigh in, touching her face gently before moving to fetch first aid while he directed her to sit in the old chair in his room and she obediently went, equally relieved that things between them were okay after all.

"So, I have a question for you…" Troy relayed as he came back in and sat in his bean-bag to prep her feet.

"Oh?" Her curiosity was piqued.

"How do you feel about Uni parties?"

/