Manhunt (Sequel to Bechloe - Chicago was a mistake)

Chapter 14 - The Curious Incident of The Missing DJ

Chloe's POV

She had said she wanted to be alone but it had been over 3 hours and we'd heard nothing from her. I'd gone out looking for her on my own. I'd seen Beca like this before. We had dated. I knew her better than the others. I hadn't long left when I remembered somewhere I used to find her a lot. There was a little gated park that she had loved to take the dogs to or just go to. She was there and she looked cold. I took off my hoodie and held it in front of her face. She looked up at me and I saw her broken. She'd been so strong for so long. I'd barely ever seen the girl cry or show emotions and here she was.

It was getting dark at this point and I pulled out my phone while she put the hoodie on.
'Chloe: I found her. No need for you guys to look. I'll bring her home soon
Aubrey: Be safe'
Next thing I knew a small little voice spoke up next to me.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to check on you, Beca."
"Okay." We sat in silence for a bit, neither of us daring to talk.
"Just ask what you want to ask, Chloe." I turned to face her but she was still looking forward. I did as I was told.
"How much do you remember?" This time she turned to me but I didn't get a worded answer, I got a kiss. I was shocked by her actions but they were very welcome. 1 kiss turned to 2 and 2 to 3 and so on until she just stopped. I was out of breath but it still completely caught in my throat at what she said next.
"Everything...I think." Her eyes were still closed from the kiss. Almost as if she just didn't want to face me. I brought a hand up to her cheek and ran my thumb over the cheekbone until I saw her eye lids flutter open. The stormy blue was brought out. They were filled with tears.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want to remember."
"Well why not?"
"Chloe, I was gone for months. No one came to find me. No one helped me. It was just me and them."
"Who is them?"
"Jesse."

I gasped. How could Jesse of done something like that to her. I was fuming.
"He hurt you?" I got up to leave. I was going to kill the bastard but her hand shot out and held me back.
"No, he would never but they'll hurt him if I say anything."
"But Beca, they'll go to jail. You can be safe."
"No."
"Just please tell me who it is and I'll handle everything for you."
"I said no, Chloe." Her voice was quiet but certain. I wasn't going to get anything out of her.
"But why?"
"I don't want you guys to get hurt too. I don't know what they're capable of. They're crazy."
"Beca, they hurt you."
"And I won't let them hurt you." How could one voice sound so sure and confident while being so small?

We walked around the park together after that. I would tell her tales of the Bellas to make sure she remembered and her giggles didn't tell me whether she did or not but it didn't matter. I couldn't help but admire the smile on her lips as she talked about something I wasn't listening to. I was happy and I was with her. There was nothing more I could ask for. Well, maybe a kiss but I could wait. She was content, smiling, laughing, joking around with me. It was almost like we were back to where we were before we broke up.

I couldn't help myself from lifting a hand to her face when I saw a piece of hair obstruct my view. I tucked it gently behind her ear while she turned to me, blushing. She was so flushed I was sure she must've gotten really hot or something, although she already was.
"What?" Her voice was pretty high pitched.
"Nothing," She didn't seem to believe my answer, "you're just so beautiful, Beca." Somehow she went even redder.
"You're just saying that."
"Believe me I'm not." She turned to look away from me before I placed my hand back on her cheek so she had to face me. "You're amazing to me and when I thought I'd lost you it was torture. I love you, with all of my heart."
"Chlo, I don't know what to say." I shook my head while my mouth formed words.
"You don't have to say anything just please please promise me you'll be safe and you'll be okay."
"I want to."
"Then why don't you?"
"They're close, Chloe."
"And?"
"And maybe I should go, so you guys can be okay."
"If you're going somewhere I'm going with you."
"No."
"Beca, I just got you back."
"I know but I'm not allowed to be happy."
"Who says you're not allowed?"
"She did, when she threatened the lives of everyone I care about."
"She?"
"No, I-I didn't say that."
"Yes you did."
"Chloe please just let it go. Let me go. Move on."
"But I'm happy with you." Tears were starting to pool in my eyes at this point. Every word I spoke felt as if it was being choked out. I could hear my own voice breaking. "I love you."
"I love you too, so much."
"Then don't go, stay. I can't move on from you, I can't let go." She smiled a sympathetic smile at me as she placed one of her hands over mine, the one that still resigned on her cheek.
"You can do it. I know you can." I was crying now. She was leaving me.
"I don't want to do it."
"I know-,"
"No you don't Beca. I worried about you for months." I must've looked crazy, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I just got you back and you wanna leave again. After what happened during the Europe trip I finally found you again. Then you were gone again. Once I finally found you we started dating. You then broke my heart and left. I had nothing left and you were just missing, gone off the face of the Earth. When I found you again you were so badly injured I thought I was gonna lose you for the last time but you fought and we're here. So don't tell me to move on because I've loved you for years Rebeca Mitchell. Every time you leave it breaks me a little more so if you want to leave again, don't come back."