After He Knew

chapter 26

With my hand still intertwined with his, he leads me to the stairwell and we go down to the underground headcourters.

It would look super intense to a stranger. Like something out of a James Bond movie.

The place exists out of 4 massive connected walls and right at the back there is a control room.

The main wall is covered in flat screen TV's that show images of every major place in the city, including the premises around the mansion and news channels telling us what the government is up to.
Normal gang stuff.

That's how we always know what's going on. Our tech geniuses are always here, and there are rows and rows of desks and computers where they work.

It's empty now, because all of them had left for Greece. Why?

Troy's dad branched out the gang all over the world. Branching out meant that the gang never would fully dissappear and would never stop making money. The biggest one is in Greece.

And Troy stayed here in LA, because enemies wouldn't expect the leader to be in the smallest branch.
Yes, we are the smallest branch. Gives you an idea of how big the Labyrinth actually is.

And that's the plan. We would fight and defeat the North Wind, and those who survived would leave for Greece immediately.

The commotion of a gang war would not go unnoticed by the cops and NCIS, so we would have to leave.

I always knew this might happen, but hoped that it wouldn't and I could continue with my normal life.

Troy walks in front of me all the way to the main control room. When we reach it he closes the door.

"What did you need here? I have to get back to training." I said blankly and looked around.

Lights flashed from the control boards and in the distance I could hear the alarm go off that meant another training session begins.

He put his arms around my waist and it catches me off guard. My hands slightly lift and I put them on his arms.

"How long ago did we have some alone time?" He asked and smiled.

I looked around and back at his face. I smiled slightly and didn't really know what to do.

In the past this wouldn't be so hard, but I just stopped loving this damaged man in front of me.

"Troy, not now, this is the last thing I have to worry about." I said trying to sound kind.

But I genuinely just felt out of place in his arms.

He looked intensely into my eyes for about 5 seconds. He pulled back his head slightly and sighed.

"You can't love him." He said.

Okay? What? I put on a questioning gaze and pulled away.

"What?"

He looked at me and rolled his eyes, "Look, I'm not stupid. You've fallen in love with that Ashton person." He states accusing me.

"What? No I haven't! Why would you even think that?" I let out angrily.

Even I heard that my voice was an octave higher than usual, which means I was lying.

"When will you let it go? I was mad, I hit you once! I didn't want you to fall completely out of love with me!" He yelled.

I forgave him long ago for that, but he was never the one. It only took me this long to realise.

The person in front of me is broken, and messed up, but the look in his eyes made me feel something, made me feel guilty.

"I was there for you when you needed someone, where was he? When your dad was killed I helped you avenge him. ME NOT HIM!!" His voice was so loud and I did not miss that it broke a little at the end.

Even with his outburst I saw that I was hurting him. It pained me deeply. I know that I didn't love Troy like that anymore.

"...in all that time, you changed as a person. Ashton made me feel loved, appreciated, he wanted me to become someone better than I am." I said.

"And I had to leave him! I told him things would be different and I had to leave him! Even when my heart was telling me to stay!" I yelled and could feel myself close to tears.

He slammed his fist into a control panel. "That's what drives me crazy! Your heart should be here with me! What happened to promising you're mine? Huh? What happened to our plans for the future! I know I make mistakes, I make a lot, but you were never one Blake!

Gosh, you're the only thing in my life that I don't regret...that keeps me from just giving up..." his voice cracked at the end.

I was holding my hand against my chest and holding back the tears that threatened to explode.

What I felt for Troy wasn't love, but Troy is a big part of my life and knowing that I'm hurting him makes me so sad.

Both of us were breathing heavily and staring at eachother. I pressed the palm of my hand against my forehead.

"I love you Blake. And...it hurts me more than any knife wound..... any bullet hole....or any bruise, that I'm not the one your heart wants." He said slowly, his voice dripping with emotions that I never thought he could possess.

Tears welled up in his eyes and his body was slouched. I had never seen the Labyrinth's leader so vulnerable.

I couldn't take the pressure anymore, I felt a tear leave my eye, and another.

A small whimper escaped my mouth as I felt my heart squeeze.

I looked at him one last time, before turning and running out of the control room and out of headcourters.

Just before I ran out of hearing range, I heard the echoes of an angry and broken cry.

I'm tired and emotional.

V,C,F. Love you all♡