It'll Be Okay (A Bechloe Fanfic)

Chapter 7

Chloe's POV

"Beca was gentle. A word I haven't used since being with Jake. I've never really had any friends since moving here. Beca was now the only one. I took a long nap before being awoken by her. "Here's some crackers and water. You need a little something to filter out that alcohol from your stomach." She says handing me the food as I sit up. She sits down on the bed next to me, and folds her hands neatly in her lap. "How you feeling?" "I'm better. Thanks." I say quietly. We sit for a minute while I take a cracker in my mouth. "You have a beautiful voice." I tell Beca, looking up at her. "I didn't know you sang." "I didn't think you'd remember that." Beca mumbles looking up at the ceiling. "Don't be embarrassed," I say. "Singing is good for the soul." "Where was that attitude when I was a kid?" She chuckles to herself. "What? You weren't allowed to sing or something?" I look over at her and giggle lightly. "Something like that. I loved to sing but my dad said it was disrupting his work, and he worked from home." "What did he do?" I ask curiously. "He was a web developer or something, I forget what exactly it was." "And your mom?" Beca sits for a minute a saddening look in her eyes. "Um... a teacher." She stares a blank stare. "Hey ya know, I think I left the stove on, I'll be right back." And with that she jumps off the bed and heads to the kitchen. I ruffle my brow, take a deep breath and follow her towards the kitchen. "Beca? I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." I say confused by her feelings. "Oh, it's okay, I'm not uncomfortable. I just... family is kind of a sore topic. We're not real close anymore." "Oh." I say setting my glass and plate on the kitchen counter. "I'm sorry to hear that." Beca bites her lip and stands in front of the fridge. "You wanna watch a movie or something?" She asks. "Yeah, okay." I respond and we walk over to the couch in her living room. "If you do, ever want to talk about your family, I'm here and you can tell me." I say looking towards Beca as she browses through the channels on tv. "Thanks Chloe." She says, taking a sigh. "See anything you want to watch?" "Gossip Girl?" I suggest. "Sounds good to me." Beca replies selecting the channel. "I should probably check my messages, make sure Jake didn't try to contact me." I say standing up real quick. I wobble slightly on my feet. "Woah, want me to get it?" Beca says moving her feet so I can get out. "Thats okay, I got it." I head down the hall into Beca's bedroom and walk over to where my stuff was neatly folded on Beca's dresser. I pick up my phone and turn it on, relieved to see no notifications from Jake. I return to the living room and my spot on the couch. "He say anything?" Beca asks as I begin to make myself comfortable again. "Nope, this happens sometimes when he gets really drunk, he forgets about me, sleeps for a while and hangs out with his new bitch. It's like I'm nonexistent." "Well, you'll never be nonexistent to me." Beca says. Okay was she  flirting with me? Jesus Mitchell stop playing with my feelings like this!

Hours go by that lead into the evening. Beca sits on the opposite end of the couch and we listen to the quiet chatter coming from the tv. "I've been thinking," Beca starts when the show goes to commercial, "and I'd like it if you stayed here with me. We can get your stuff from Jakes and you can move in." "I'd like that. But I don't know how we're gonna get my shit back. Jake guards his house like a safe. I don't even have a key." "We'll find a way." She says rubbing my calf. "Even if it means going to the police." She gives me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry I got out of control last night Beca. I just didn't know who else to call and-" "It's okay Chloe. I appreciate you calling me, it makes me feel..." Beca takes a long pause. "It makes me feel needed." She looks down at her lap. There is a long break of silence before I begin to speak again. "I hope I wasn't too embarassing." I chuckle. "Oh you were quite a handful." Beca says smiling. "You tried to seduce me." "Oh god! I did?" I laugh lightly, but mostly out of humiliation. "I'm so sorry." "Hey it's okay it was actually kinda hot." Beca says rising up from the couch. "You want something else?" "No I'm good." I say pondering Beca's last sentence. Did she just say I was hot? That was sarcasm right? Why did my heart begin to race when she said that? Dammit Chloe. Beca returns from the kitchen a few moments later stirring a cup of tea. "Drink this." She says, giving me no choice. "It will help your stomach." I take a small sip and feel the warm fluid relax my body. "Mmm." I hum. "Thanks. You really know how to take take care of someone." I smile. "Can I ask you something?" Beca says looking at me seriously for a moment. "Those scars, on your back and arms... I saw them last night when I was um, when I was changing you. Did Jake do that to you?" I look down at the tea in my lap and try to hold all my emotions in. I was mad at myself for letting Beca see those, and at the same time reminiscing the horrifying images of Jake striking me over and over again until I was black and blue. I let a single tear emerge from my eye, then another, and another. Beca scoots close to me and wraps her arm around my back. "I'm sorry Chloe. I'm so sorry he treats you like this." I sit there and cry to Beca for a moment before responding. "I'm just too shy to stand up for myself. The pain was too much, so I've been giving in, and doing exactly what he asks, even if what he wants isn't exactly pleasant. I'm just not strong enough." I lean my head into her shoulder and cry even more. She grabs a couple Kleenex off the table and hands them to me. "Chloe, you're not alone. I know exactly how you feel. It's okay to feel scared in this situation." "We'll get you out okay?" I nod. "Okay."

Beca's POV
Chloe lays facing away from me and I sit up in bed reading my Anatomy textbook. When I finish my chapter, I toss the book on the floor by my bag and flip off my light, turning in the darkness to face towards Chloe's back. As soon as I am down under the covers, Chloe rolls over to face me. I close my eyes not knowing that hers were looking right at me. "Beca," She startles me. "I thought you were sleeping." I smirk. "Earlier when you said you 'know how I feel', were you talking about your dad?" I sit in silence and think about Chloe's question. Sure, there's endless stories of my dad abusing my brother, mom and I. But for some reason, a specific one stands out in my head at this moment.

***"Daddy get off of her!" I scream jumping on his back. He flings me off onto the ground. "Run kids! Run!" Mommy cries. Jason grabs my hand. "C'mon Beca!" He yells pulling me off the floor. I clutch my side, excruciating pain flooding over my abdomen as I hyperventilate. "MOMMY NO!" I sob watching my dad punch her in the side. Jason drags me into his room, slams the door and locks it. "Where does it hurt Becs?" He asks me. I point to my side and he instructs me to lay on his bed on the opposite side. He pulls up my shirt and examines me. "No blood, you might have some bruising though. Maybe a broken rib or two." "A broken rib or two?" I cry. It hurts to cry. He goes to his desk drawer and pulls out some of his gauze and medical tape that he uses for his sports injuries. We hear a loud crash from outside the door and I clench my eyes shut and wish this nightmare to go away. "Don't listen to it Becs." He says flipping on the boombox next to his bed. Blink 182 comes on and begins to drown out the sound of abuse that always seems to flood our house. Jason carefully wraps my side tightly, so that I wouldn't hurt it anymore. When he is done, he helps me sit up and brings me into a hug. "I promise Beca, it'll be okay. We'll get out of this. I'll keep you safe."***

I recite the memory to Chloe and her beautiful eyes well up with tears. "Beca..." She says sympathetically. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay now? I mean this was only..." "Like seven years ago... yeah I'm okay. I don't see him anymore, he's in jail. And Jason is studying to be a doctor here at Barden, so at least theres him." "That's horrible," Chloe whispers under a soft breath, "what you guys had to go through." I nod. "It really was. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Especially not you Chloe. I'm going to help you okay? Like Jason was strong for me, I'm gonna be strong for you."