The Truth Comes Out

Chapter 8: Car Ride Home

"How did you even get here?" Chloe breathes.

"Drove."

"Oh. I got a ride from Aubrey. Shit. I hope she isn't worried..."

"It should be fine." Beca reassures her.

The walk to the car is peaceful. The neighborhood is quiet; everyone retired to their beds hours before. The rattling of Beca's boots and the hum of cars from the city are the only sounds occupying the crisp air.

Chloe cuddles closer to Beca and tightens her grip on her arm. She feels safe with Beca. Warm. For once in her life, Chloe is genuinely happy. She grins and looks up into the darkness of the night sky, and exhales. She watches her breath dissipate up with the stars in the sky.

Beca looks curiously over to Chloe as she slowly breaks away from her grip to grab her car keys, then with a small smile turns back to unlock her door.

Beca struggles with the incorrect key and, frustrated, goes for a second attempt at the car door. Chloe stands back and watches her, wondering what could possibly happen next this wonderful night. It's a forty-five minute drive to Beca's, another fifteen minutes to her own house.

A whole car ride.

Alone.

Together.

Chloe takes a breath in, a sudden nervousness overcoming her body.

There's a huff and a grunt, and Beca triumphantly opens the car door.

"Your carriage awaits."

Chloe giggles. "Thanks." She climbs in the passenger's seat and closes the door. The interior lights fade off and Chloe sits in the darkness as she watches Beca make her way to the other side of her Hundai. The lights come back on as Beca opens the door and plops herself down into the drivers seat.  The setting is on the highest knob, so that the seat pushed all the way up to the wheel to allow Beca to reach the pedals. How adorable, thinks Chloe.

She starts the car and rolls down the windows. The sweet air from outside fills the car, chasing away the musty air initially occupying the inside. She backs out of her parking space, and they begin their journey home.

It's silent before the freeway. Both girls allow their minds to dip in and out of thought.  Beca would occasionally look over at Chloe, admire her eyes; wandering out of the window, her hair;  whipping at her face, playing with her eyelashes, catching in her lips, and Chloe would pretend not to notice her staring. It's not an uncomfortable silence, they just don't see the need to always be talking. They both appreciate a break from the chatter.

Someone has to be the one to break the silence first.

"Chloe, my lady, we have important matters to discuss."

Chloe turns her head to her and sighs. "I guess we do."

Beca keeps her eyes trained on the road, it seems she's sharing an intimate staring contest with the stop light in front of them. "Do you love me?" She says it flat out.

Chloe's face falters into a serious expression. "Yeah, Beca. I do."

"How... When...? Erm..." Beca wasn't prepared with a follow up question this time.

"Beca, don't pull that crap with me." Chloe's eyebrows crinkle. "Don't tell me you were blindsided by this. I've been outwardly drooling over you every since we met."

"Wait, Chloe, I thought that was just me! There's been this crazy... energy between us that always used to freak me out because it was so strong, and I knew it was real, it had to be something, so when this perfect girl actually says she felt it too...that's when you know it's the real thing."

Chloe puts her cheek on the soft seat cover and looks up at Beca. "And do you love me?"

Without skipping a beat, the reply comes: "Of course I love you."

"Mmmm?"

"I mean, in the beginning I was totally intimidated by you. This beautiful girl who has no sense of personal space." She chuckles. "I didn't know what to think." She sighs. "But then I got my shit together and realized that I love this girl. It was just a fact."

"I've never felt this way before, Beca. I'm so, so glad we found each other." Chloe sniffs and wipes her eyes.

Beca looks at Chloe's tearing eyes and suddenly has a scared look on her face. "Oh..."

"It's fine, Becs, keep your eye on the road. I don't know why I'm crying."

"It just scares me when I see you like --fuck!" Beca jerks the wheel and the car swerves violently. A truck horn blairs, sounding uncomfortably close. Chloe covers her ears.

There's silence, and the darkness comes.