The Trouble with Rock Stars

Chapter 13

Sunday, she worked at the practice.

Due to an event in town, it wasn't particularly busy. Gina and the other nurses seem to be catching up on some filing, huddled together in the main office gossiping and listen to music.

Gabriella sipped her coffee in the break room as she stared at the small television screen. She didn't give a crap about the news coverage on the festival in town. She called Kelsi earlier and left a message on her cell. After the events of last night, she'd probably want to be left the hell alone too. The rest of her day passed swiftly and was relatively painless. Despite the countdown to Troy's departure tick-tocking in her head.

Things were so weird now. She'd said I love you, she told Kelsi about them, probably destroying her friendship in the process. Even people around town were acting strange. Whispers seemed to follow her around like a shadow. She'd even seen a blurb about Troy and his small-town whirlwind romance on TMZ.

Good lord. She was subject matter on TMZ. Granted, they hadn't named her specifically, but it was her in the picture, watching Troy remove his shirt at the booth that day at the fair. She was without a doubt the mysterious brunette. God, how many people were looking at that picture? Whispering, shaking their heads and muttering "we knew it," under their breath.

When she finally made it home, she let out a sigh as she dropped her keys into the bowl by the door. A dull throbbing pain settled behind her eyes and for a moment she wasn't sure if she would cry or groan in frustration.

"So, they were right?" her mother's voice startled her causing her to look up. "What people were saying," she added. "You were sleeping with him?"

"Mom," Gabriella started.

"I don't know what's worst." She said crossing her arms. "That fact that I overheard the news from Troy and know that you didn't feel like you could be honest with me or the fact that you let me make a fool of myself defending you when you were sneaking around with him."

"I swear it's not as bad as everyone is making it sound," Gabriella said quietly.

"And how would I know that?" Maria said placing her hands on her hips. "Honestly, what the hell were you thinking?"

Gabriella couldn't help but flinch. "I wasn't," She murmured after a moment, "I'm sorry."

Her mother let out a sigh, before opening her arms and motioning for Gabriella to come to her. "Oh, honey."

It was as if the final straw on her nerves had snapped. The back of her eyes began to burn, and she made her way into her mother's arms just as the tears began to fall. "I don't know what to do."

"Just start from the beginning and we'll go from there," her mother said quietly.

~*~

"You slept with her?" Kelsi asked again for the third time as she barged in through the front door. Not even giving him a chance to give her a proper greeting or slam the door in her face for the scene from the night before.

"Could you be more specific, according to you I sleep with a lot of women," Troy said pushing the door shut with annoyance.

Kelsi spun around and placed her hands on her hips. "You slept with my best friend. She's like a sister to me. To us for that matter."

"First of all, I've never considered Gabriella a sister. A friend maybe. Never a sister." Troy said sternly.

Kelsi made a face before crossing her arms. "Regardless of whatever she did or didn't mean to you, you knew what she meant to me."

"I did," Troy said with a slight nod, "Which is why I would have preferred we were honest about it from the start, but Ella felt otherwise, and I respected her wishes."