AN: I'm really sorry for not updating! Life has really slipped me by these last few months with college and stress, but I'm back now, and I have full intentions of finishing this story (no worries we still have a good many chapters before that happens). I'm also glad I waited this long and I think you guys will be too because I've come up with a few unexpected twists for this during the time I spent away from it and well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out :)
Also, anyone reading That's What You Get, I plan to have the next chapter of it out sometime next week, if not sooner.
And just one more thing: I've recently felt the need to start a new fic, this being my first Vampire Academy fic (I've become extremely obsessed with that series) so any other fans can go check that out, if you want to of course :)
And, lastly, thank you all for putting up with the wait. I promise to try my hardest not to let it happen again.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Troy and Gabriella were stunned silent. A cold, hollow feeling engulfed Gabriella, and she couldn't process what Maria had just said.
"You're going to take it, aren't you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then, you're going to force me to go back to California, and I'll never see Troy again."
"That certainly is an option," Maria started. "I would much rather you go willingly, though."
"No," Gabriella said, her voice stronger now. "You'll never convince me to leave, not as long as Troy is here."
"My original offer still stands," she replied. "But, by the end of those three months, if you don't leave willingly, I will make you go. So, basically, you two have three months maximum, then this relationship is over."
Gasping, Gabriella covered her mouth as fresh tears fell from her eyes. Automatically, Troy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, allowing her to cry. "Sh, Brie, we'll get through this," he murmured, soothingly caressing her back. Sending a sharp look to Maria, he decided to throw out any and all manners as he spoke, "If all you came back to her for was to upset her, then you are no better than her father. If all you came here to do was to make Gabriella feel miserable, then you're doing a good job. You cannot come back to her and try to take over her life. If you ever want her love and trust, hurting her isn't going to help. You may hate me, I don't care, but I'm in her life right now whether you like it or not, and I won't go anywhere as long as she wants me here, and anyone who knows me knows that I won't just stand here and watch someone harm Gabriella in any way, and so I suggest you leave. Right now."
"You don't tell me what to do," she claimed.
"No, but this isn't your house. All I have to do is tell Rachel what you're doing and you'll never be allowed here again," he warned.
She scowled but said no more as she fled the room, closing the door behind her. Turning his full attention back to Gabriella, he pressed his lips to her forehead as she continued crying. "Brie, she's gone now. It's just us."
"W-why is she doing this to me?" she cried, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. It killed him to see her like this, and he would do anything to take her pain away. He pressed his lips to her forehead as she continued crying.
Slowly, he kissed her tears away before replying, "She loves you. She only wants what's best for you."
"What's best for me?" she repeated, outraged. "What's best for me is to stay here with you! Why can't she just open her eyes and see how much we truly love each other?"
"I don't know," he admitted.
"Y-you tell me to let her back in my life, but I-I can't. Not if she's going to destroy it," she said. "Please, d-don't let me go."
"I'll never let you go. I promise," he vowed. "I love you, way too much."
"You've never done anything for her to hate you," she said. "It's not like I have bruises all over my body and I'm afraid and depressed all the time because you're abusing me. Can't she see that you're not at all like my father?"
"I know that I'll never break your heart, and you trust me that I won't," he said. "You're my salvation, my only true reason for living. I never want to ruin that."
"You won't," she assured him. "You're so good to me."
"Gabriella," he started, suddenly sounding serious as he took a step back and studied her. "I don't exactly support this, but I know you gave me this option. When the time comes for her to take you away, you and me . . . we can run."
Gabriella's eyes widened in shock as she spoke, "But, remember what happened last time?"
"We'll do better this time. We have three months to prepare," he replied. "Then, when you're eighteen, we can return."
"H-how will we graduate?" she asked him. "It's our last year."
"Don't you already have more than enough credits to graduate?" he questioned. "As for me, well, I'll work something out."
"You have it all planned," she stated, shaking her head. "I can't ask you to do that, Troy."
"You don't have to," he stated. "What's the difference last time and this time?"
"Your life was at stake!" she argued. "No one is going to die this time!"
"So, you're saying that saving our love for each other isn't a good enough reason to run away?" he questioned. "You're saying that you would rather throw what we have away by leaving than running away with me where we at least still have each other?"
"You know it isn't like that!" she denied, tears filling her eyes as she gently touched his face. "I want more than anything to make this work. I want to be with you, but there's nothing we can do about this, other than make the best of what time we have left."
The warmth in Toy's eyes vanished as her words sunk in, leaving him with an expression Gabriella hadn't seen in a while. He felt as though she had just slapped him in the face, and she could sense that he was getting angry.
"I can't believe you're saying this!" he snapped, causing her to flinch under his tone. "You're the one who taught me that life and love are too precious to just throw away! We have to fight this."
"But, what good will running away do?" she questioned, her voice rising to match his. "Running away isn't fighting! It's running away."
"Yeah, well, I don't think love is going to win over the courts," he stated. "But, look at me. Look right into my eyes and answer me. Would you rather go with your mom or stay here with me? You know I won't stand in your way if you want your mom. I totally understand. But, if you choose me, then I will fight to keep you here. I told you, I don't want to lose you if I don't have to."
"You know I choose you, Troy," she said. "When I'm with her, I don't feel safe. I only feel completely safe when I'm with you."
"And that's what matters," he stated, wrapping his arms back around her waist, pulling her closer. "We have three months to figure it out. Just remember that I won't give up on you that easily. We've been through worse."
Nodding, she leaned forward as he leaned down, capturing her lips with his. They didn't know how many minutes passed that they just stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, but they finally came back to reality when Troy's phone went off.
Groaning, he pulled out his cell phone and upon seeing Chad's face, he realized that he was beyond late. "Hey, Chad, sorry I'm late. Something came up. . . I'll explain later . . . Yeah, I'll be there soon, or if not, I'll call you back within the next five minutes."
Gabriella listened, feeling her heart drop when she realized that he would have to leave. She was supposed to spend the day with her mother, but it didn't seem like that would be happening now. Now, she would have to spend it alone.
"Gabriella," he said, his voice gentle. "I don't have to go if you don't want me to."
"No, you should," she said, although she sounded hesitant. "I'll be okay."
"I'll try to come by sometime tomorrow," he promised, kissing her forehead. "Try not to miss me too much."
Gabriella cracked a smile, but Troy could tell it was forced. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he pressed a series of light pecks on her lips until he finally heard her giggle. Finally satisfied, he smiled and said, "I'll call you tonight, okay?"
Nodding, she said, "I'll walk you out."
Opening the front door, Troy was instantly taken aback to find Maria, standing by her car. He wasn't sure whether to leave or stay. He didn't want to leave Gabriella alone with her after the earlier incident, but he also didn't want to make matters worse.
"It's about time," Maria scoffed, folding her arms over her chest.
"I thought you left," Gabriella snapped.
"And I told you that I wanted to spend the day with you," she replied. "And that's what we're going to do."
"Stay strong," Troy murmured, kissing her forehead briefly, whispering, "I love you."
"I love you, too," she replied, also in a whisper. "I hope you have fun."
"I can't truly have a good time knowing that you aren't, so you try to make the most of this," he stated.
Giving him the best smile she could muster, she kissed his cheek and said, "Be careful, Troy."
"Always," he replied, pecking her forehead.
As Gabriella watched him walk away, she felt the uneasiness in her stomach intensify with every step he took. Finally, once he was out of sight, she turned toward Maria who appeared to be lost in thought.
"Mom," she started. "I don't want to fight with you anymore today, so I'll go on the condition that you don't start anything about Troy."
Snapping her attention back to her daughter, Maria reluctantly nodded in agreement. "I promise I won't."
"That's all I ask," she replied, locking the door behind her.
Unexpectedly, the car ride was silent. Gabriella expected Maria to break her vow to not start something about Troy within five minutes, but it never happened. The silence wasn't exactly comforting either, however. After ten minutes, Gabriella decided to speak. "So, where are we going?"
"The mall," Maria replied. "Rachel told me it's been a while since you last went clothes shopping. I figured shopping is the best form of mother/daughter bonding, after all."
"Mom," she started, her voice sticking in her throat. "You wouldn't. . . You're not really going to force me to go back to California with you, are you? Just because you don't like who I date?"
Maria was silent for a moment, and she thought she was ignoring her. Then, finally, she heard a small voice say, "I just want my little girl back . . ."
The admission stunned Gabriella into silence. Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, she replied, "I'm not a little girl anymore, Mom."
"Exactly," she stated, and Gabriella could see that tears were filling her eyes. "You're almost a woman now. When I left you, you were only twelve. Now, you're soon going to be living on your own at college or someplace and I'll rarely see you! And it's right after I decide it's safe for us to have a relationship. Gabriella, you might not like my decisions, and I certainly resented decisions my parents made for me, but someday, when you're a mother, you will understand why I'm doing this."
"Mom, I get that, I really do, but isn't there a way that I can stay here and you still be in my life?" she asked. "It's just. . .I feel like my life is almost perfect here, and I don't want to give it up just yet."
"Matt and I only have the funds saved to live here for three months," she stated. "I'm sorry, but it's either all or nothing."
"I understand that you want to be in my life, and I appreciate what you're doing," she started. "But, you need to understand the facts, Mom. You left me five years ago. I don't care what the circumstances were, but you robbed me of four years of my life when you left Allie and I there with him. You robbed Allie of her life, period. If I never came here, I don't know where I would've ended up, but I know that I would be wallowing around day in and day out in self pity. But, then, I met Troy, and every time I'm with him, I'm reminded of how it should feel to be alive. Every time he kisses me, I forget the past and the pain that's always gnawing on my soul. When we're apart for more than a day, the past haunts me. I don't. . . I don't want to be reminded of the pain. I don't think I could make it if he's not in my life."
"Gabi," she started, her voice gentle. "I'm not doing this to separate you. I don't want to be mean. But I just want to be with you the last few months before you do go off to college. Even when you do, you and Troy could go to the same college and everything if you want. The separation would only be temporary. Even during that time, you can e-mail, video chat, text, whatever you want with him or any of your friends."
Surprise lit up Gabriella's face as she repeated her words over in her mind. "You . . .you would actually let me communicate with him? I thought you hated him."
"It's impossible to keep two people in love apart," she mused. "I'm sure you would find a way to one way or another."
"So . . . wait . . . You finally see that we love each other?" she said, even more astonished than before. "When did you realize it?"
"This morning," she stated. "He must really love you to have stood up to me like he did. I was clearly surprised, given his whole good manners act he put on before. He saw that I was upsetting you and he yelled at me for that, not because of my feelings toward him. That's when I realized that he really does love you."