TRIGGER WARNING: this chapter may contain triggering and/or sensitive material. Verbal abuse and suicidal thoughts are some topics mentioned. Please read with caution if the contents of this chapter might trigger you.
"So what happened?" Vanessa asked. Like Stacie, she was a tall brunette who was lighthearted and just wanted to enjoy life. She also happened to be Stacie's older cousin who loved to tease her at every opportunity she had. The two were practically inseparable though and were close with each other.
Her and Stacie were sitting in a large white living room with a glass table in between two white floral printed couches that sat across from each other. It was a room with a lot of natural light from the double doors with large windows that led to a relatively large backyard. A few potted plants were scattered around in a neat matter. Stacie had always said it was "very much grandma meets modern day."
Stacie took a sip of her ice water and replied, "My girlfriend and I broke up and I just need some space right now. Figured LA would be the best option."
"Oh," Vanessa nodded and said, "We'll it's nice to see you again after all these years. What have you been into?"
She wanted to say, "My girlfriend," as a joke but decided against it. "Nothing much. My friends and I joined a volleyball team and that's going descent. We're getting better. Oh and we all set Beca up with someone. Her name is Chloe but she's engaged to a man who is the absolute worst in every way imaginable. It's only a matter of time before she leaves him and her and Beca can live their happily ever after."
"Well that's great. For the both of you. Last I heard she was still staying in her apartment," Vanessa replied pulling her legs under herself.
Stacie nodded. "Yeah, believe me it wasn't easy. She got pretty mad a few times and blew up. We somehow got her out though and after she met Chloe, things started to change. She was still very quiet and reserved, but she seemed to be more at peace. Or at least starting to get there. Chloe brought the old Beca back and she even has a dog now." When Vanessa's face lit up, Stacie smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, he's an older dog. His name is Max and he's just a joy to be around."
"I'll have to swing by and see him and all your new friends then," the older Conrad relied. She was only two years older than Stacie, but that was two years she never let her cousin forget.
Stacie rolled her eyes but asked, "So what's up with you? Anything interesting happening?"
Vanessa just smirked and raised her left hand, showing off the large diamond ring.
"No way!" Stacie gasped, immediately moving to the other couch to admire her cousin's ring. She suddenly pulled away with a straight face and added. "How could you? You and I were never supposed to get married. We promised we would never and that we would always have fun with no commitments."
Vanessa snorted and replied, "Says the one who was so affected by her breakup with her ex that she flew halfway across the country."
It hurt, but Stacie knew she had a point so she nodded and tried to laugh it off. "Who's the guy? Are you still with twinkle toes?"
The older woman laughed and shook her head. "Jonathan? Yes, I am. I said no about half a dozen times over this past year but I finally decided that a life with him was a life I wanted. Plus, he's an insane cook so I think he's somehow keeping me under a magical spell."
"I always knew he was sketchy," Stacie joked and they both laughed. She needed this. It was really nice to just forget for a while even if Aubrey was still in the back of her mind.
"Oh, hey," Vanessa said, suddenly remembering her plans for the day. "Khan and his fiancé wanted to hang out in a few hours. Would you like to come? I'm not quite sure what they have planned but I think it was just to walk around the city to see what sort of trouble we could get into."
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Remind Me I'm Alive (Bechloe)
FanfictionSuffering from anxiety and depression, Beca Mitchell finds herself spending all of her time alone or worse, at a job she absolutely hates with a boss that actively tries to ruin her day. Across town, Chloe Beale is in a similar situation as her fian...