The Basketcase and The Princess

Chapter 34

Fuck..."

"Please can we-"

"-Fucking fuck..." Beca muttered again. Put her head down. "Chloe..." Chloe stepped into Beca's path. "Chloe... no..." Beca was leaving the radio station. She had just left Jesse inside, she had finished her shift and him picking up his on the air after her. She had his car keys in her hand. They had a steady rhythm, a good thing going, she'd sleep for a few hours, go to a morning class and pick him back up by lunch time. Things were running tight. Smooth. A well oiled machine. But here was the ghost in the machine. Chloe. "Chloe it's... fuck it's... it's five in the god damn morning. Wh-"

"-So?"

"...Wh-what are you doing out here?" Beca nervously looked around. Deserted. Looked back at Chloe. Dark circles under her eyes. Looked past her, looking for Chloe's car. Nowhere to be seen. "Did you just get here?"

"No I..." Chloe rolled her eyes, looked away, then back. Beca melted and cursed herself for it, under Chloe's gaze. "...darn it, I've been... you're gonna laugh..."

"Probably not."

"I've been parked out back of the station all night, I wanted to come in, I almost-darn it I almost did so... so many times-"

"-What?" Beca blinked, rapid succession. Trying to clear her brain of wanting to step up to Chloe, step into Chloe's space, grab her and kiss her.

"Knew I couldn't... knew I couldn't speak to you when you were on the air, I know that, I know, so I..."

"...So you... what? Waited out here for like... what? Seven hours?! What the fuck Chloe?!"

"I yeah I did..." Chloe stepped forward. "But it was like being with you, hearing your voice on the radio, it's-it's been as close as I've been able to get to you..."

"I..."Beca shrugged. She had quit the Bellas. Had avoided Chloe. Stuck to her word. "I dunno, I'm sorry its been a while I-"

"Too long. Not a while. It's... Fuck!" Chloe's hands went to grasp at Beca. Into Beca's hair. Beca stepped back. Once. Twice. "Please...I-I listen every time you're on. I-I've tried to, I've tried ringing and texting and-and-you I-and-and I guess I didn't get the message. Huh? What happened? You said I was yours and then what? What? Because of what Bree did? Fuck! Bec we-we could've we could've it was a joke we... shrugged it off, we've done that before it's not like he would find out, not like your dad needed to, we could've gotten past it, we've gotten past so much, worse, and you-you just-just took off, disappeared. You always do that, but eventually... you-you come back. To me. I-I even I hung around your classes but erm you've-you've not been there and I-"

"-I switched. Classes." Beca was shocked. Sure she thought avoiding, abandoning Chloe without an explanation would hurt, but yeah, selfishly, she hadn't given it much thought. Couldn't. Knew if she did she wouldn't be able to stay away. So yeah she had mentally blocked out Chloe. Had been trying anyways.

"Oh, guess you can do whatever you want when daddy dearest works here, huh?"

"Yeah guess so."

Chloe stepped forward as Beca walked forward, done with this. Now. Her. Went to walk past. Couldn't bare being out here in the early morning light. Blinding. With this damn red head. Beca had made her choice. The one that looked easy. Wasn't. She had chosen him. Jesse.

"Please I know, I know you're still with him, I-I see his car at your pla-"

"-What? Chlo, the fuck? You...? Do you..."

"Yes." Chloe folded her arms, head cocked. Voice defensive. "Yes, so? Maybe I swing by yours once or twice..." Every day. She wouldn't say, couldn't admit that to Beca. "So?" Moved her body sideways to block Beca trying to walk past her. Again. She could feel herself growing angry. She reached out, a hand on Beca's arm. Beca stopped. Good. Chloe moved a step closer, face to face. Where they were once comfortable in each others gaze, Chloe now felt disconnected.