The Basketcase and The Princess

Chapter 28

"Beale? Wha-what are you-how-"

"-Shut it, just-just let me talk." Chloe bristled past her. Wanted to push past, bump Beca's shoulder, hard. Beca stepped aside. Allowing Chloe in. Into Beca's apartment. Chloe had been dying to go over, every one else had when Beca had moved in but her, she had just needed to be there, alone with Beca, but now? Now she wasn't so sure. And yeah. Sure yeah it had felt good, no great, no not that either, satisfying? Yeah satisfying to hang up on Beca, but she still had to know. Chloe had to know for darn certain if Beca had lied to her. Again. Another strike. If Beca wasn't then maybe, a slither of a maybe Chloe could. No Chloe knew she would forgive Beca. Everything. Forgive Beca what should never be forgiven. Beca had hurt her because she wanted to be with her. Beca wanted her. She wanted Beca. Fuck what anyone else thought. It was her life. Could be theirs. Could. Darn it they could still make it work. No they could never. Chloe knew that but she still wants to. Try. If Beca was honest with her. If Beca was open with her. Out for her. Maybe. Just maybe. Chloe had to know. Either way.

"How did you-"

"-Stacie. Now shut it and let me talk." Chloe walked past her couch, an image of Jesse and Beca making out on it flashed in her mind as she went straight to the kitchen, leant back against the edge of the bench. She looked around to see if Jesse was there. If any trace of him was in Beca's apartment. Were they over? Beca and Jesse. Or were they over? Beca and Chloe? Could Beca and her be together? Like really together together, Beca had told her she was in love with her. Was that a lie? Was it worth anything? Was anything Beca told her worth anything? Did she even care? She already felt happier being in the same room as Beca. Chloe hated herself for driving over there. Had hated the way her voice had sounded, a plead, pathetic as she had asked Stacie where Beca's place was.

"Sure okay." Beca wanted to sit, move them over to the couch, wanted them both to sit, but felt like a stranger in her own home. She stood, awkward, in front of Chloe. Skin tingling. Not knowing what she was meant to do. Beca wanted to go over to Chloe. Wanted to touch her. Cup her face, light, kiss her, gently. Kiss an apology into Chloe. So fucking couldn't. "Beale whatever," A nervous smile. Hugged herself. Wanted to reach out. Touch Chloe. Knew she couldn't. But all she wanted was to touch her. Felt her fingers tingle with the ghost of the memory of Chloe's skin, Chloe's hands in hers. Against hers. Felt like. No knew she had no right to touch Chloe. Never did. "...whatever you want-"

"-Just shut up..." Chloe shook her head, eyes tight. Tried to figure out what she wanted to say. Everything she had went over and over in her mind on the drive there just, pft! Gone. Once she was there. Once she was alone with Beca. She didn't want to be alone with Beca. Right? She really thought Jesse would be there. Jesse would be there, and she would. Would what? She would have told him everything. Then Beca would have had to face it. Face him. Face her. Face herself. Beca would have to make a decision. But he wasn't. Her and Beca were alone. And Beca could barely look at her. "... Okay just shut up... I got-I fucking got," the words came out with venom, "my scar..." Chloe looked up, Beca still couldn't look at her. She waited. Waited. Until Beca's eyes looked up. Quick. Found hers. And stayed. "...I got my scar the day I lost my entire family." Chloe blinked slowly. Watched as Beca's eyes flickered all around her face but never left it. Watched as Beca's brows knotted, her mouth fell open slightly. "You wanna know more... Mitchell?"

"Chlo..." Beca didn't have a fucking clue what to say.

"Huh Bec wanna know about the sad history of Chloe Beale?"

"Fuck," Beca wanted to embrace Chloe, hold her and tell her everything would work out and she would always be there for her and thought that was probably what Aubrey had done time and time again for Chloe and she would never be Aubrey to Chloe. She was Beca, and she had fucked up Chloe's life, and it already was fucked up, isn't everyone's, in their own way, so why couldn't she have been there for Chloe to make her life better instead of making it worse. "I-I'm so sorry."