Hello! Sorry for the wait, a week isn't that bad though right? This chapter is going to reveal what you all have been waiting to know, the reason for pretty much everything. There won't be much of anything else, I wanted to make Troy's explanation a full chapter because there's a lot to cover, but next chapter, more will happen. I'm sorry in advance if it's confusing or it just plain sucks, feel free to let me know. Enjoy!

"Please, Troy. I need to know. Why did you leave? What were you trying to protect me from?" She didn't let him evade the inevitable, she needed answers. And what better time to seek answers then when you were alone in the middle of the woods?

He remained silent for a few seconds, pondering her question as he gazed at her intently.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything."

Chapter 7

Lost but Finally Found

This was it. This was the moment she'd finally find out the reason for his disappearance, the reason why he left. She stared at him surprised and scared at the same time. Could she handle the truth?

"I finally decide to tell you everything and you're speechless…not the reaction I was expecting." Troy supplied.

"I-I don't know what to say." She finally got out, biting her lip in nervousness, a habit that Troy was all too acquainted with.

"Then don't say anything, just listen." He sat down on a nearby fallen tree trunk, running his hands through his hair. How did he even start?

"It began in Albuquerque, my hometown." She slowly approached him, sitting down beside him.

He sighed but continued, knowing that what he was about to say would change everything, including the way she saw him, and probably not in a good way. "I was a sophomore in college and hadn't yet chosen a major. I was completely lost on what I wanted to do with my life, so I spent most of my time playing basketball, running, keeping busy somehow. I didn't care about where I went…after my dad died during my freshmen year at the University of Albuquerque, I didn't care so much. I stayed in school for my mom, taking general classes that I didn't find interesting in the least bit. I was a perfect candidate for the FBI; The Federal Bureau of Investigation."

She placed a comforting hand on his arm at the mention of his father, but gasped at his last words. He was in the FBI?

"The director of the FBI approached me one day right after I'd gotten out of a boring English course. He gave me his card and convinced me to come into his office one day, so out of curiosity, I did. Apparently, my father was in the FBI. He was one of the best, and I had no idea. None of us had any idea, except my mom. They lied to me and my sister our whole lives." His eyes distanced, remembering the way he'd felt upon realizing everything he knew about his father was a lie.

"Troy, if this is too hard…" Gabriella spoke, noting his faraway look and realizing how difficult reliving his past must be.

"No, it's time you knew, you deserve to know." He looked at her, taking a deep breath and willing himself to continue. "The director, Paul, he told me that he'd been watching me, he came all the way from New York to talk to me, apparently the building we were in was a smaller branch of the FBI and the office wasn't his, it was temporary. He said that he wanted me to come to New York and fulfill my potential. He said that I was a lot like my father and that if I wanted to be, I could follow in his footsteps. I was furious, I didn't want anything to do with my father's double identity, as far as I was concerned he was a liar. I stormed out of the office, deciding that I'd never return and that I'd never become like my father. That was until I found the letter…" He paused, looking away deep in thought.

"What letter?" She asked cautiously, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"The letter my father left me to read after he died. It was in a lock box in his office at home. My mom gave it to me, it had my name on it. I didn't read it for days, but when I finally opened it, the truth that I was looking for was written out in front of me. He told me about his job, his real job. Everything clicked; why he made me take karate and self defense classes, why he'd make sure I wasn't naïve about the world around me, why he constantly told me, 'never trust anyone you don't love.' He wanted to make sure I was prepared for anything. He said he was sorry for lying and that he didn't want for me what he had. He wanted me to have a normal, safe life. And of course, as soon as I found out he didn't want me involved with the FBI, I joined. I was still very angry at him for keeping that monster of a secret, and also because I felt obligated, somehow. So I moved to New York, where one of the main FBI branches is. Also, to please my mom, Paul pulled some strings so I could attend NYU, where I met you. I trained, learned everything about the business…and I enjoyed it. I finally felt like I was doing something that I was good at, and I was meant to do."

"But I thought you were an accountant…" She hugged her arms to her body, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, and a little betrayed.

"No, I was never an accountant. It was my cover. There are basically two types of FBI agents, Gabriella. There are the kind that work behind a desk, putting the pieces together patiently, and those who work in the field, finding the bad guys. I was never one to be patient." He tried to explain in a way she'd understand, regret filling him as he watched her detached countenance.

"So all this time, you lied to me? Just like your father lied to you?" She looked up at him.

"There's not a day I don't regret it." His head lowered dejectedly.

"But that doesn't explain why you left…" She realized, watching as he winced.

"When I met you…everything changed. I suddenly had something to lose. A month before I left, Paul briefed me on a major case, that of Hector Petrolli." Her head snapped up and she gasped, realization suddenly dawning on her.

Troy looked at her knowingly before continuing, "It had been rumored that he was behind numerous drug transactions and other crimes all around the world, but no one could get any proof. All the agents who'd been placed on his case either returned unsuccessful or never returned at all, turning up dead or disappeared all together. Paul wanted me to go undercover for a while, to gain his trust. My first thought was you. I immediately started to turn down the job, because I couldn't leave you. That was until he told me that Petrolli might have had something to do with my father's death."

Gabriella's jaw dropped, the array of information making her head spin.

"Apparently, my father was tracking Petrolli and his business deals. After figuring that out, I was torn. I wanted to avenge my father, I wanted to bring down the man that was so good at staying up. So after much debate with myself, I decided I had to take the job; letting someone else take it would feel wrong. But then there was you, Gabriella." He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"I knew that if I took the job, I would lose you. If I took the job as a right hand man to Petrolli but still had you in my life, it put you in danger. If they ever found out I was an undercover agent, they'd not only kill me, but they'd go after the ones I loved, and I couldn't take that risk. I thought about telling you why I was leaving, I thought about telling you everything, but then decided not to because you'd only worry. I didn't know how long the job would be, but I knew you'd be waiting, and I didn't want that for you. I didn't want you putting your life on hold for me. I thought you'd be better off just letting me go and moving on…so I pushed you away. I acted like a jerk, to make things not only easier for you, but for me. I didn't want you to hurt when I left, and I thought picking fights would make it hurt less for me too. But I should have known nothing would lessen the blow. You were my everything, Gabi. I loved you so much…I still do."

Her eyes filled with tears at his admission. She'd been yearning to hear him say those words for years, and now that he had, she had no idea how to react.

"Troy, I-

"Gabi, leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You deserve better, you deserve to be with someone like Liam, who can give you everything I never could." He cut her off, not waiting to hear what she had to say. He already had a vague idea, "Troy, you left me. I don't love you anymore, I love Liam. My perfect, rich, slick haired boyfriend who doesn't own anything else but freaking suits." Okay so maybe the last part wasn't realistic, but he couldn't bear the let down. Gabriella Montez had been in his thoughts and heart the whole two years he'd been away. He'd been pretending that maybe she missed him as much as he missed her, and hearing her say she didn't feel the same would crush his hopes. He decided he'd say what he had to say, then remain blissfully unaware of reality. The reality that involved the love of his life not loving him anymore.

She stared at the ground, trying to process everything. She decided to address the Liam situation later, and backtrack.

"I'm sorry about your father." She remained staring at the ground.

"I never understood why he lied to us until you came along." Troy turned towards her.

"What do you mean?" Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"He hid it from me and my sister, to protect us. I hid it from you, to protect you." He supplied, trying to get her to understand.

Suddenly, she stood up, Troy following after her shortly.

"But you didn't have to hide it from me, Troy. You thought by not telling me, I wouldn't worry. I still worried. I worried about you every day and every night, even after I met Liam. And although it was a risk, it was my risk to take. You had no right making that decision for me. I wouldn't have put my life on hold either because you were my life. I would have waited forever. That's how much I love you." That's all she said before turning away from him and walking in a random direction, arms wrapped around her body tightly.

Although it was the worst possible moment to smile, Troy could feel the corners of his lips turning up.

"That's how much I love you." She didn't use the past tense.

There you go! Hope everything makes sense, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in a REVIEW. :)