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After texting and leaving Troy a few voicemails throughout the night and again this morning but never hearing back from him, Gabriella resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't be able to talk to him just then, as much as she wanted to. A part of her was upset that Troy believed the worst in her but the other part, the part that knew she was hiding what she was, understood and just wanted to make things right. Gabriella sighed as she put her hair brush down on the counter, studying her reflection, the perfect image everyone in Copanvy expected her to be. 'If only being the perfect princess was as simple as looking like it.'
Gabriella grabbed her dance bag and her bag she packed with surprise gifts for the girls at the teen center before she walked down to the smallest dining room to have some breakfast before starting her Saturday. One of the male servants quickly but nervously took out Gabriella's usual chair and helped her sit, leaving her as soon as he heard her sharp intake of breath as her eyes landed on the newspaper waiting for her.
"Secret love affair gone wrong? Prince Patrick the real deal in near future?" she read aloud, her own heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears. "No, this can't be right!"
"Oh, but it is," remarked Lauren, coming into the room with a disappointed look on her face with a matching expression on Edward's as well as he took his seat at the table too. "This is exactly the type of nonsense we didn't want involved in your life Gabriella."
Gabriella's eyes scanned the front page news article, most of it luckily only talking about the possibility of what happened last night, meaning the security team had successfully kept anyone who could have really caused trouble far away from the argument she and Troy had the night before. What saddened her were the pictures of them arguing but even more so the picture of Troy walking away from her, an obvious hurt and wounded expression on his face. 'God, I really hurt him bad this time. I need to talk to him, make him listen.'
"You do realize that you've put this family, this country, but most importantly yourself in a tough situation now, don't you Gabriella?" stated Edward, studying his granddaughter as she frantically read the newspaper article again as he sipped his coffee. "Reading that over and over isn't going to make it any better. They even cite a source who talks about how you've been dating Troy for some time now. Your history from back in high school, after all we did to cover that up, to make it easier to settle in here."
Pushing back the tears that threatened to fall, Gabriella sadly shook her head. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I was going to make everything right."
Lauren's interest immediately piqued with that remark. "Do you mean to tell me that after all these past few days you were actually going to go back and accept Patrick's proposal like we suggested?"
Gabriella bit the corner of her lip as her appetite for the breakfast put in front of her disappeared. In her heart, Gabriella knew that what she had really meant, what Gabriella still wanted, was just to be with Troy, whatever the cost, but her mind was also telling her that she had to also consider her royal responsibilities, the largest and dominant one being now, the expectation of Gabriella marrying Patrick after telling him no.
Gabriella felt butterflies rapidly flutter in her stomach as Patrick knelt down before her, clearing his throat before kissing the back of her left hand right below where the diamond bracelet Patrick had given her rested. "Gabriella Felicia Anna Lauren Montez, Princess of Copanvy, will you do me the great honor of being my wife, my future queen of my heart, and take me as I am, to share your life with me for the rest of time?"
Joining the nerves in her stomach, Gabriella's heart sped up, knowing that this was the moment a lot of people had been waiting for, from the Copanvy Royal Advisory Council to the people of Copanvy, to her own family. Before she knew it, tears filled her eyes, knowing that she was going to hurt someone right now, whichever way she answered but knew she had to stick with what she had decided on doing earlier today, despite this new event.
"Patrick…" she started, her voice actually trembling as a tear slid down her face unchecked. Gabriella felt her throat closing with the tears that threatened to fall but she cleared her throat, fighting it back. "I can't marry you."
Four simple words left her mouth, words that were sent directly to Patrick's heart that was now shattering from the pain at hearing and understanding them. "Why?" he whispered, unconsciously clutching Gabriella's left hand a little tighter. "This is what was meant to be, what is expected of us. Gabriella, despite that, I do love you. Don't you know that?"
Gabriella drew in a shaky breath, knowing she had to remain strong but finding it difficult seeing the vulnerability in Patrick's eyes, the pain in his voice. "I do know that Patrick and any woman would be lucky to have you as the main man in her life, honest. I just, Patrick please understand that I do love you, you are amazing, but I just, I'm not in love with you."
Tense silence formed between them as Patrick reluctantly stood up, his hopes for the night shattering along while his sense of failure built. "This is what we were meant to do though. Maybe you aren't in love with me now but couldn't you learn to be in time? After all, most arranged marriages aren't love marriages but the fact that we love each other now is a great foundation to eventually be in love with each other."
"As hard as it is for me to say this Patrick," started Gabriella, taking in another deep breath to try to calm her emotions, "I don't think I can ever be in love with you while my heart belongs to another."
"But so many people are expecting this Gabriella! I thought, well I thought that despite you dating Troy too that you would see that you and I are what's best for Copanvy, that we were meant to be," argued Patrick, his misery giving way to his own sense of duty which he himself had been charged with. "Does that not matter to you anymore?"
Gabriella shook her head, knowing that uttering the next few sentences would be her turning point, the point of no return. "It does matter to me, what is best for Copanvy, which is why I cannot marry you. I cannot in my right mind lead you on and the people of Copanvy to believe that I can be a strong and happy ruler of a country when I cannot be with the one person I'm in love with. You and I were meant to meet and go through this journey together but we are not meant to be in the end Patrick. I can't fool you into believing that we are because we aren't, no matter how hard this is for me to tell you all this. You really helped me adjust to the idea of being arranged and what my future could look like but I can't in my right mind commit myself to you for the rest of our lives."
Patrick studied the determination in Gabriella's face behind the sadness he believed she truly felt about tonight. "So what are you going to do? Surely you aren't going to accept another suitor like Sergio…"
"Absolutely not. Patrick, if I were going to follow the path that so many in Copanvy want me to, what my grandparents want me to, you would be my selection, please don't doubt that. I, well, I have to be true to myself," returned Gabriella, her voice softening as she thought about her deep bond with Troy. "I know there will be ramifications but I need to do this, I'm sorry Patrick."
He pushed back any sad emotions he felt, knowing that Gabriella's mind was already made up. "I guess then there isn't anything I can do to change your mind."
"I'm sorry," she replied, slowly slipping her left hand out of his grasp, another tear rolling down her cheek.
Not trusting his voice any further, Patrick just nodded his head and began walking back to the car, not even extending his arm out to Gabriella as he normally would have out of knowing he wouldn't be able to touch her again without losing complete control over his emotions. When Patrick finally reached the car, he got in and waited for Gabriella to join him, a few minutes behind.
Neither spoke a word the entire drive back, neither knowing what to say to make the situation better. When they had finally arrived at the palace, Patrick parked the car but didn't turn off the engine, knowing it wouldn't be long before he left. "So this is it huh?" he finally asked, unable to prevent himself from asking the one question he wasn't sure he wanted the answer to.
Gabriella toyed with the charm bracelet she wore on her right wrist, drawing courage from it. "It is, I'm sorry Patrick."
As Patrick watched Gabriella unclasp the diamond bracelet he gave her, Patrick shook his head and placed a gentle hand over the cold piece of jewelry before she could slip it off. "No, keep it. This isn't the end of me being in your life Gabriella, even if it is just as a friend."
Gabriella nodded her head in understanding, somehow relieved that Patrick seemed to be handling things better now. "I better go inside."
After allowing their eyes to meet again one last time, Gabriella undid her seatbelt and got out of the car, making her way to the palace doors she usually entered through after dates with Patrick. She watched as Patrick drove off into the night, feeling a part of her heart ache for what she just did while most of her felt a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders, knowing that there was definitely no turning back now.
'At least I thought there would be no turning back,' she thought, coming back to the present moment from her reflection, deciding on playing it a bit safe with her grandparents as she still wanted to buy some time to try to get back in touch with Troy. "I don't think Patrick would accept me if I did go back Grandmother."
"Of course he would," answered Edward. "It would be the Diaz's greatest honor to have their youngest son become the prince of Copanvy. As much as I may not like Raul and his tactics, his youngest seems to be the only one of the suitors you have really spent time with that you could be somewhat happy with."
"Then you know I'd never be fully happy," stated Gabriella, daring to look back at her grandfather, who was peering back at her over the coffee cup he was drinking from.
Lauren and Edward exchanged a look before Lauren replied, "We understand that you may not be fully happy but you must know that the blood you were born with dictates that you give up some of your personal feelings and life for this country. Your grandfather and I were truly arranged, without the choices you have been given, and we have managed to get by and do love each other."
"And we expect the same from you, that commitment to put your country first," added Edward. "So, should we expect to be throwing a birthday and engagement ball in December?"
"No, I would rather not," answered Gabriella, getting up as she ignored the untouched breakfast before her. "If what you are telling me is what you both and this country expects of me, I don't have anything to celebrate this year or ever again. Excuse me, I'm late for the teen center."
Before Lauren or Edward could say anything further, Gabriella quickly left the room, picking up her bags, and vacated the palace grounds as fast as she could, strongly feeling the need to get as far away as she could just then.
"Bolton, dude, you need to calm down," said the familiar voice of Chad from the other side of the line.
"I can't!" exclaimed Troy, almost wanting chuck the cell phone in his right hand as he continued to pace outside on the balcony of his apartment. "Gabriella is fucking engaged to that bastard and there's nothing I can do about it! She can't even tell me to my face she is!"
"Did you sleep at all last night?" asked Chucky, his voice carrying over the line from where he sat next to Chad in Taylor and Chad's living room with Chad's cell phone on speaker. "That could be why you are being so irrational man."
Troy let out a harsh laugh at this. "Irrational? Chucky, don't you think I deserve to be angry about this? About Gabriella's betrayal?"
"What if she didn't though Troy? What if she was telling you the truth and she turned Patrick down?" returned Chucky, getting a slap on the arm from Chad.
"Dude, he's clearly heart broken by this! How can you not support him and take her side?" demanded Chad.
"Well maybe it's too early for your mind to comprehend since it is 8:30 in the morning but why the hell would Gab lie to him about this? There's no point!" argued Chucky, another smack heard over the line, this time Troy assuming was Chucky returning Chad's slap from earlier.
Hearing Chucky's argument, one that echoed the one that Troy's heart had been trying to get through to his brain, made Troy more doubtful about what he thought was his firm understanding of the situation. "Both of you, stop!" a female voice yelled from the other side, a voice Troy recognized as being Taylor's voice laced with some sleepiness from probably having been woken up by the arguing siblings. "What are you two yelling about this early? Aren't you usually out for your morning run now?"
"Troy is on the phone, heartbroken because of your best friend," stated Chad, silence following his words.
Troy wished he could be there in that living room, to see what was going on, the expression on Taylor's face as he had no doubt Taylor knew what was going on. Breaking the silence, Troy heard Chucky's voice say, "See Chad, there's no way Gabriella accepted Patrick. She's not malicious like that!"
"Then why is Troy thousands of miles away from us completely heartbroken?" challenged Chad just as Troy glanced at the clock and realized that he was late for his scheduled game with Luka at the teen center.
"Shit!" cursed Troy softly, sliding on his tennis shoes and grabbing his car keys and wallet from the table before locking up the apartment and getting into his car to start driving while still listening to the discussion on the other end of the line. So far all he was able to get from Taylor's participation in the conversation was that Gabriella was hurting too, that piece of information really not making Troy feel any better.
"Why would Gabriella be pictured kissing that other guy if she said no?" threw back Chad, feeling very defensive of the situation on behalf of his best friend at the moment. "It's not like Troy could have taken that picture, submitted it to a newspaper, only to hurt himself in the end."
"Of course Troy didn't take those pictures!" exclaimed Taylor, getting more annoyed at her husband by the second. "It's clear from what you two told me that he was surprised when he saw the newspaper. Gabriella wouldn't do that to him, not by a long shot. She is in love with him you idiot!"
Chucky joined in by saying, "Your wife has a very valid point as usual Chad. Pictures can be printed out of order and no one would know the difference especially if there are no time stamps. It's clear someone knew about the proposal, someone outside of Gabriella's trusted photographers."
There was a pause before Taylor asked, "Do you think it was a set up?"
This piqued Troy's attention, realizing he hadn't questioned where the source of the pictures had come from, letting that thought run through his mind as he stopped at a red light. "You think Patrick is capable of setting her up like that? I know we aren't his biggest fans and we don't know the guy but it's hard to imagine him doing something like that, especially if he cares for her in any way," answered Chucky.
"Taylor, I love you but what you are saying just doesn't make any sense! Why can't you just admit that your best friend has coldly hurt mine?" asked Chad, his taking Troy's side in things making Troy feel a bit better about things.
Taylor's response though was like throwing cold water on Troy, making him realize another point of view in the matter he hadn't considered as he sobered from the little effect the beers with Tomas had on him the night before. "Because you don't seem to know the truth Chad. Think about it, if she did or didn't, you have to remember that she did what she did out of what Gabriella thought was right. Even if what you are saying was true, that Gabriella did accept Patrick, do you think she truly did it out of desire and want? Gabriella has the unfortunate position of being a princess of a country with all that goes with it, including the responsibilities. Choosing Troy would cost her everything, don't you understand? Gabriella would have good reason to accept Patrick because her sense of duty and responsibility has always been there but to be honest, and I'm only saying this once, she didn't accept him."
There was another pause before Chad asked, "How do we know you aren't just protecting Gabriella?"
"As you are Troy? You don't have any proof that I'm not but seriously guys, especially you Troy if you are still listening, think about this long and hard. After everything Gabriella knows you have done for her Troy, after Riley, Alicia, Celeste and countless others who have interfered with your life together, do you really think Gabriella could have changed so much from who she was when we were all in high school?" answered Taylor, letting her words sink in without saying anything further.
Knowing that all three people on the other line were waiting on Troy's answer this time, feeling the pressure of having to comprehend and give them an answer, Troy said the first thing that came to mind. "I don't know. This is getting too hard Tay. Maybe I should have stayed with Celeste and not gotten involved in this whole world of Gabriella's now."
He heard her sigh and could practically imagine Taylor shaking her head in disappointment. "Then maybe you don't deserve her then after all Troy."
There was a shuffling of the phone on the other side before Troy heard Chad's voice much more clearly, indicating that the speakerphone feature had been turned off. "You all right man?"
"Yeah, I dunno," replied Troy, feeling the mix of emotions race through his body once again, for the hundredth time in the last twenty-four plus hours. "Look, I'm going to go. Thanks for being there man, having my back and all."
"Sure dude, anytime. Hit me back if you need to, k?" returned Chad.
"Thanks," said Troy before ending the call, dropping his cell phone onto the passenger seat before refocusing on the last part of the drive to the teen center.
Troy was in such a rush to make it inside before he was any later, he failed to see Gabriella walking to her own car, also too much in her own world to see Troy getting out of his car as Gabriella unlocked and then got into hers. Once inside, Troy ran inside and slowed down as he spotted Luka and saw the younger guy wave with a smile, letting Troy know silently his lateness was okay.
"Hey man, how's it going?" asked Troy, pumping fists with his "younger brother."
"Good. You just missed your lady though," replied Luka, earning a snort from Selena, who was sitting on the couch next to him with Mikey on her other side, drawing Troy's attention to the younger female.
"I doubt he'd care," she mumbled, looking straight at Troy, Selena's gaze unwavering.
Feeling annoyed at the attitude the teenager gave him, Troy allowed his words to slip right out without thinking much about it. "What is your problem Selena?"
"You," she simply answered, knowing she was taking a chance at Troy blowing up at her but seeing this as the best window she had to communicate with Troy about what she felt was a huge mistake on his part.
"Whoa, Selena, back off a bit there babe," interjected Luka, not liking the narrowed gaze she was currently focusing on his "big brother."
"No, let her have at it. It's clear she's got something bothering her," said Troy, refusing to look away from Selena's gaze. "Tell me Selena, what did I do to piss you off?"
Selena sighed, understanding now that Troy really was as clueless as she had feared. "It's not what you did but what you didn't do. You didn't believe Gabriella when she was clearly telling you the truth about Patrick."
Troy arched his scarred eyebrow questioningly at this. "I didn't believe Gabriella? Do you even know the truth, the whole picture Selena? I bet you don't because you sure don't know my side."
"I don't have to. Troy, she's heartbroken right now and it may not be completely your fault but it is in large part because you didn't give her a chance, you didn't believe in your supposed love for her, you didn't follow your gut," returned Selena, hitting a sensitive spot in Troy's being just then. "Gabriella takes on a large part of what happened on her, and maybe it is right that she does but when she left here just a few moments before you came in, all I saw was how utterly down she is today. Are you so sure about what you believe that you are willing to let Gabriella go again?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" voiced Troy, frustration clear in his tone.
The two teenaged guys remained silent as Selena just stared back at Troy, eventually replying, "Maybe because we are all cheering you on and would hate for you to leave everything the way it stands now, with you two both hurting for no good reason."
Troy let out a sarcastic laugh at this, shaking his head. "No good reason? You think the love of my life being engaged to another man isn't a good enough reason?"
"I think it would be if it was the truth. Troy, I'm asking you this not only for Gabriella, or you for that matter, but for me, for the rest of us who clearly look up to you both, to what you two share. Without you two being together, well, I think I'll lose all hope in true love and that belief Gabriella has reinstated in me that there is someone special for all of us out there," murmured Selena, happy at least that it seemed that Troy was absorbing everything she was saying to him. "If you and Gabriella can't work out, maybe there isn't such a thing as true love after all."
Allowing Selena's words to linger in his mind for a few moments longer, Troy just showed his understanding with a nod of his head before he walked away, silently telling Luka to follow him to the basketball court where they played for the next few hours, letting Troy focus on something other than his raw emotions and the severe doubts he now had about Gabriella and the situation he thought they were currently in.