Meant To Be

9.

Author's POV

"That was a long lunch", Stacie mentioned when she saw the tiny brunette burst through the door with a brown bag in hand. "What took you so long? You haven't even eaten yet?!", she said when she saw Beca take out her taco from the brown bag. Beca didn't even acknowledge Stacie's question and just ate and stare at the floor. "Beca? Did anything happen?", Aubrey asked as she and Stacie walked closer towards the girl. "Bumped into Chloe on the way just now, she asked me to get lunch with her", Beca replied, still munching on her Taco before Aubrey gestured for Stacie to give them some time alone. "Then?", Aubrey sat next to her. "Kind of snapped at her.", Beca replied. Aubrey nodded and ran her hand up and down on Beca's back. "Do you want me to talk to her?", Aubrey asked. Beca quickly shook her head before telling Aubrey to not say a word to Chloe since she doesn't want the situation to get more messy. It's bad enough that she's in this whole dilemma, she doesn't need to drag anyone else into it with her. 

"I'm gonna head off early, I'll see you guys at home", Beca stated and turned to Aubrey and Stacie who's sitting together at the counter. "Okay, get home safe, see ya!", Stacie replied while Aubrey waved her goodbye. After Beca walked out the door, Aubrey turned to Stacie. "Do you think she's gonna be okay?", she asked. "I don't know, she was only starting to get.. better- you know? But I believe in her. Hopefully she doesn't do anything stupid", Stacie replied with a sigh. 

That night, around 12AM, while everyone (but Alice, who went up early to call her parents) was in the living room watching a cooking show (which Aubrey suggested), a rapid door bell ring interrupted their show. They all looked at the door with their eyes widened, wondering who would be doing that at 12 AM. Aubrey walked to the door and opened it just to find Luke who had a passed out and bloody Beca next to her with her arm around his shoulder. "What the fuck", was all that Aubrey could let out before making way for Luke to drop Beca on the couch. "What happened?!", Emily said in frustration before she rushed to the kitchen to get cloth and water. "I don't know! I got a call from the bartender that she was in a fight or something and by the time I got there, they couldn't even get her to stand", Luke explained with a panic in his voice. Chloe stood there looking at Beca on the couch, she didn't even recognized her anymore. With all the bruises, and scars and blood it was just- it wasn't Beca. Emily came back with a bowl of water and a cloth in her hand and as she knelt down next to Beca she felt her hand shaking. "Here", Chloe offered to take the cloth from her and before she could do anything, Emily snatched her arm away. "NO. This is all your fault!", she screamed out before wiping the blood of Beca's face. "Em-", Stacie called out before she was cut off too. "No! I'm sick of everyone trying to pretend that her being here is fine when it's not! After what she's done?! Look at Beca! There's no more- no more life in her!", Emily finally broke into tears. "She was fine. She was happy and she was the most amazing person I know- she still is! And you-", she turned to Chloe, "you broke her.", Emily stated before Stacie pulled her away to the kitchen.

Chloe stood there in shock, not knowing what to say. The only thing that she can think of doing now is taking care of Beca so that's what she did. Pulling herself together, she went to get a blanket and covered Beca's body with it, tucking her in. She knelt down next to Beca and wiped the remaining blood of her body, her hands, her knuckles that was shining red, bruised and bled out. Softly, she let her hand run down Beca's face as she forced to hold her tear back. "I'm sorry", she let out. She sat there, staring at Beca who's passed out and reeked of booze. She gently traced her fingers on Beca's knuckle, passing each bruise and scar with a heavy heart. She looked down on her feet when she heard Beca groaned in pain and her body slowly came back into motion. "Becs?", she called out quietly. Beca winced in pain with every move she makes and slowly opened her eyes to see Chloe right next to her, eyes filled with tears. "Hey, what's wrong?", Beca brought her hand to Chloe's face to wipe her tears away. "Beca!", Emily rushed out the kitchen and ran to her. "What happened?!", she asked sternly and Chloe moved aside to let her have a moment. "Just a bar fight, Em", Beca groaned while she covered her eyes with her arm. "No. You don't get to lie anymore when you had to get dragged home unconscious!", Emily replied. "Just had a bit too many to drink and dude was getting on my nerves", Beca replied to which Emily rolled her eyes to and turned to Chloe, "I need a word with you", she directed before walking back to the kitchen while Chloe stood up willingly and followed behind her. 

"You need to leave. I don't care where and how, you just need to leave", Emily stated while crossing her arms together. "Emily, come on. If Beca is fine with me staying-", Chloe replied, surprised that Emily was kicking her out. "She is not fine with it. She might look that way but look at her now! Does she look like she's fine?!", Emily asked, slightly raising her voice. "You are unbelievable. You know for a second there, I thought you might be good for her. I thought you guys were actually meant to be. But no. I had it all wrong. You are the worst person for her. She is much too good for you and she doesn't deserve you and your black soul. So leave. No one wants you here", Emily explained. "Would that really make things better?", Chloe asked. After a moment of silence, Emily replied, "Yes. You need to leave, if it wasn't for Beca, I wouldn't even have let you in the house! Now look at where that got us. So please, for the love of God, pack up your stuff and go-", before Emily could finish someone cut her off. 

"No one is going anywhere", Beca stood behind her, an arm on her stomach wincing in pain. "Beca, this is unbel-", Emily wanted to add on. "Ems, I know you're looking out for me but this is not the way to do it. Chloe is staying here and she can stay here for as long as she want to", Beca looked at Chloe. There was a brief moment of- yearning, of hope, and home in her eyes, Beca thought.  "Fuck this shit", Emily walked off and went to her room.