Freedom (Pitch Perfect One-Shots)

Bridge

"Get over it, Beca. You're better than this."

It wasn't swift like she had hoped, getting Chloe out of her mind. Nothing between them was the same anymore. Familiarity breeds comfort, that's why it was so hard to let go. Beca sat slumped over her desk, glancing at the calendar. It was Friday. The nights that Chloe never even bothered to come home. The apartment was quiet, as if her best friend didn't even live there anymore. Muffled car horns outside and footsteps of upstairs neighbors was all that occupied the air. It was New York, after all. The city never slept, and because she never knew where Chloe was, neither did Beca.

Every night in for Beca was a night out for Chloe. But, it wasn't always that way. After graduating Barden University in 2015, Beca found herself a decent paying music-producing job In Brooklyn, New York. Chloe didn't really have a plan for herself, so she followed. The first couple of years in the city were spent by each other's side. They didn't have a choice, really. Both of their salaries were smooshed together for a large-ish studio apartment. That's what they did, the two of them. Sandwiched what little they had together to create something bigger. Their budget, their clothes, and since Chloe was the only one with a bed to bring, they shared that too. Eventually, they put together their days, free-time, and their nights-in. Whatever shows Beca watched, Chloe curled up beside her and joined. They went to sleep at the exact same time, right next to each other. Despite the way Beca came across, with her cold demeanor, she loved every second of it. She loved Chloe. She was never sure if those feelings were reciprocated, but every ounce of her heart told her she did. It was about a month ago when Chloe wasn't even really present in the apartment that Beca started to doubt her conclusion.

TV shows became re-watched and dinners were ordered in for one. The other side of the bed was cold when Beca went to sleep, and to her dismay, freezing when she woke up. Beca wasn't even sure if Chloe came home most nights, but was afraid of crossing a line. So, she never asked. Around five-thirty was when Chloe used to get home. Beca was two blocks away from her work, so she used to always get home before Chloe did. But now, Beca was always home before Chloe. And perhaps it wasn't just the sheer fact that Beca didn't feel the need to wait for her friend anymore that made her downcast, but it was the other things. The small things. It was Chloe's bright blue eyes barging through the door asking about her day, the small kiss on the cheek before she hung her coat up, lacing her fingers into Beca's and plopping the two of them down on the bed to relax after their 9 to 5 jobs. All of which gave Beca butterflies, as much as she'd care to admit. Beca hated herself for not being honest with Chloe about how she felt. She had all of the opportunities to tell her that she wanted to be with her always. But she took it for granted. And now it was gone.

Sighing, Beca slid her arm out from underneath her head and glanced at the time. Seven-fifteen in the evening. There was one thing that still gave Beca some happiness, and that was the Brooklyn Bridge at sundown. Managing to pick herself up off of the chair, her feet moved one by one towards the door. She left her phone sitting on the bed, although she knew it was unsafe to walk around in the evening hours without it. Not bothered to care about who could call her. Even in the slightest chance that it could be Chloe.

The bridge was only a five-block trek from the apartment building. Beca and Chloe had found the bridge by accident when they had just started living in the city. Originally, they were looking for a place to get dinner, but instead Chloe insisted on taking a detour to the bridge. Beca was never really a "sunset" kind of person, but she had to admit, the concoction of oranges and reds puffed with distant blue clouds were something pretty spectacular. Especially with Chloe being in awe as well. After that night, it became a weekly occurrence for them. Every Friday night they'd watch the sunset at the Brooklyn Bridge. Each time they'd go, Chloe would start to get a little closer to Beca. Touching her hands and shoulders more, linking arms as they walked. Which not only made Beca fall in love with Chloe more, but also fed into her conspiracy that Chloe was secretly in love with her, too.