A/N: Hey everyone! I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter.

We've got a POV change for this one. So to clarify all of the I, me, my, mine etc. apply to Chloe. All of the you, your, yours, etc. apply to Beca except for the occasional dialogue in which case that rule is sometimes null in void. You're all smart people, I think you can figure it out.

Chloe POV

I was thirteen years old when my grandmother passed away. It was a Wednesday and I was in a rather heated argument with Gavin Adelman over The Great Gatsby. No, it wasn't in the curriculum and yes, I had my doubts that he had actually read it. He was a bully and may very well have just picked a fight for fight's sake.

I had always been a bit precocious and as such had taken it upon myself to pour over the city library for more reading material after I had exhausted the school library's rather undersized, and in my opinion, inadequate collection.

For whatever reason, Gavin had taken it upon himself to completely tear apart the book that had quickly become one of my favorites. I was about five seconds from tipping the paint we were using for a project right over his head when our teacher quietly called my name. With one last glare at Gavin, I gathered my things and grabbed the pass from Mrs. Whitman.

I made it halfway to the principal's office when I noticed my mom standing in the hall, a panicked look across her features. She told me that Grandma had died. She told me that Grandma had a heart attack. She told me we were going to go home and tomorrow we were going to the funeral.

I watched my relatives dressed in black on the day of the funeral. I watched my aunts and uncles congregate together, greeting each other with sad smiles. I watched my younger cousins, running around oblivious to the pain that filled the room.

My grandfather stood at the center. He was dressed in a crisp black suit, a bright green tie standing out amidst all of the black. His gray hair was combed and he was freshly shaved. I watched as he accepted the hugs of friends and family. I watched as he pressed a tender kiss to my grandmother's forehead before they closed the casket. I watched as he stood tall the entire funeral.

During the luncheon after the funeral I needed air. I couldn't stand to make small talk with people I normally only saw once a year so I slipped out back only to find my grandfather already sitting there, eyes fixed forward.

I smiled at him and took a seat next to him on the curb.

"You know how everybody talks about love at first sight?" He asked me after some time. I turned to him and nodded. "I think it's bull shit."

I couldn't help the small giggle that rolled out of me at my normally proper grandfather swearing.

"It really is. When I first met your grandmother she didn't want anything to do with me. At first sight, she hated me. I was black and leather jackets, your grandmother, she was bright colors and dresses every day. I had a little bit of a reputation, spent most of my time in school in the principal's office and your grandmother was in charge of half the clubs in school." He smiled at the memory.

I never knew that he was a troublemaker when he was younger. While he never went to college, he was still one of the most intelligent people I knew. He had to have known better. Pushing the thought aside, I listened as he continued.

"I asked her to the school dance and she turned me down. She was the first girl to ever turn me down. I think I was more in shock than anything because I asked her if she had heard me. She replied that yes, she had and no, she wasn't interested.

"It took half a year's pursuit before she finally agreed to go on a date with me. It was another year after that before she told me she loved me. Love takes work, Chlo. Life's not some fairy tale where people fall in love after a day and a shared song. That kind of love isn't real. The real stuff isn't easy. It takes compromise."

He paused for a moment.

"You know your cousin Marty keeps asking me why I'm not crying today," he laughed out.

"Well he always has been a nosey little…" I trailed off not sure if him swearing had given me the right to do the same.

"Nosey little shit?" He asked with a smile and laughed when I nodded. "Well I was going to try to explain it to Marty but I had my doubts about whether he would understand. You, on the other hand, it wouldn't be wasted on you."

I watched as his hands fell to the silken green tie around his neck. He held the tie up, a small smile stretching the corners of his lips up.

"Your grandmother gave this to me for our fiftieth anniversary. She gave me one just like it our first Christmas together. She told me that all I had for work were black ties. I liked black ties, I told her, they were practical. You could never tell when they were dirty. But she just kept buying me bright ties. She was always doing that, adding color to my life even though I never asked her to.

"I was black and she was bright colors. She gave me color to paint over the black and even though she's gone I'm not going to stop painting with the new palate she added to my life," he somberly finished before standing up with my help and dusting his pants off before giving me a hug and guiding me back inside.

The story to this day was one of my favorites. After fifty-six years of marriage he was still as in love with her as he had been when they were kids.

I told myself that when I got older I was going to find that person, the one to splash my black and white world with neon. I told myself that when I found them there wasn't going to be any doubt in my mind. I told myself that I was going marry them and that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together.

But life, a lot like love, was not a fairy tale. It was real, visceral and it often kicked you right off the path you thought you should be on only to make you fend for yourself in the brush.

"Mrs. Mitchell?"

I was jarred from my thoughts to see Marqueis, one of the most adorable second graders I had in my class, in front of my desk.

"Yes Marq?"

"I wanted to give you this," he said, tossing a bag of skittles onto the paperwork in front of me. "When I'm sad, my daddy always buys me a bag of skittles and sometimes by the time I finish them I don't even remember why I was sad." He shrugged his shoulders at me, scuffing the ground with his worn Nikes. "I know you try not to be but I can tell you're sad so I thought maybe they would help."

I smiled genuinely at the little man in front of me with his Spiderman backpack and checkered button-up shirt. Kids were always so much more intuitive than people gave them credit for.

"Thank you Marq," I grabbed the bag of skittles opening them. Leaning forward as if to tell a secret, I whispered conspiratorially, "but I'm not sure that I'll be able to eat this whole bag. What do you say we split them?"

He nodded enthusiastically cupping his hands. I poured a good amount into his hands before he scooted out the door.

I sighed, my left thumb gravitating towards my ring finger only to find it bare. Sullenly, I looked down seeing the pale outline of what once rest there stand out against the tan skin. I brushed away any negative thoughts and instead let my hand spin my necklace around its chain.

My eyes glazed over the paperwork in my hands.

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage

Having a best friend who was a lawyer had certainly helped me in the search for a lawyer of my own. Aubrey herself worked at a firm that had a special division for civil and divorce law and had helped me get in contact with someone quickly.

It had been three months. Three months of separation and I hadn't seen you once. Jesse and Aubrey's wedding and all the surrounding activities would be the first time I had seen you since the day I packed up everything I owned and moved into their spare bedroom.

You had reconciled with Jesse. I could tell by the way he would look down at his caller id before shooting me a panicked look and taking the call on the balcony. He also acted as the middle man for his own wedding plans. You would contact him with details, he would relay them to me, I would give him my opinion and he would tell you and the cycle would continue.

It was ridiculous, I knew that. It was childish, I certainly knew that. Even more childish was my own behavior at even the mention of your name. The first couple of weeks I was a mess. Every knock, every phone call I hoped would be you, but it never was. Three months later, I hadn't seen you once.

That was part of the reason the papers rest in my hands. Maybe it was irrational of me since I was the one who left but I couldn't help wondering why you didn't even put up a fight. How could you let me walk away? I had always been head strong and stubborn but if you had done something, said anything at all instead of staring emotionlessly at my packed bags I don't think it would have come to this, at least not this quickly.

Jesse had tried to casually bring you into conversation after the first three weeks, but I had stopped him. He eventually gave up trying. And while I was dying to know what you were doing, how you were doing, I didn't want to let you in. I couldn't let you in again.

You were my color, the palate I thought I would spend a lifetime with. And maybe that wouldn't make sense to the outside world because I was always the cheerful one, the outgoing one, the bright one. But the outside world didn't know you like I did. Your freshman year you waltzed into my life dressed in muted colors. I never intended for you to become more yet somehow you did. I found color in your words, your humor, your passion for music, your passion for living. I couldn't think of all of that anymore.

See, it was easier for me to pretend you had never colored my world than to remember the gradual dilution of your color back to black. That was how I felt now, black and empty. Hollow. And unlike my grandfather with his bright green tie I didn't have fifty-six years of knowing how it felt to have my world lit up, I barely had six years.

At our wedding you promised me forever, I suppose I should have solidified what your definition of the word was considering you wouldn't even fight for a day longer.

My lawyer told me he could deliver the papers to you or your lawyer himself but I had declined. Part of me hoped that if I did this in person that maybe you would snap out of it and be something that you haven't been for a long time: my Beca.

I flipped through the papers one more time, searching for any errors knowing that now was the last chance I had to change anything without fuss.

My eyes zeroed in on our finances. We had decided early on in our marriage the percentage of each paycheck we would allot to each account whether it be savings, checking, or the amount we would save for holiday donations each year.

I wasn't sure how I had missed it, then again you had always handled our finances. Nonetheless, I was familiar enough with our accounts to realize that there was a large amount of money removed from our savings. Doing some quick math, I estimated there to be somewhere around $4500 missing.

Shaking my head from side to side I tried to think of a reason that you had taken the money out. Our savings had always primarily been stockpiling for when we decided to have children.

When we got married, a little under 4 years ago, we had already talked about children. We were in agreement that they were a definite for the future. However, much like forever we both had different ideas about what the word future meant.

I thought future meant a year or two. So when after that amount of time had passed and I broached the topic several times you said we shouldn't consider it until we had a house. A year later when we had moved into our house you said that we needed more fallback finances. Then another year passed and five and a half months later, the merger began. Now, I was looking at the savings account we had spent years building for our children and realized that we didn't need it anymore.

And maybe that was exactly what had gone through your mind. I let out a bitter laugh at that thought.

I had done my best to stay positive in the past three months, yet I knew that I would probably never look at the world the same. I was jaded. I was kind of bitter. I felt like Ms. Havisham in Great Expectations. I found myself thinking that at least Compeyson had the decency to leave her before they got married. I knew I was the one who left, but I had only left physically. You had been emotionally checked out for months before I took any physical action.

So maybe I was more than kind of bitter. The skittles on my desk told me that even the kids I was teaching were starting to take notice. I wanted to be happy again and maybe divorce was the only way that could happen.

I shook my head again before taking the papers and placing them in my bag. I took a glance at the small watch on my wrist.

4:48

I had two thoughts. One, I was going to hit traffic so hard and two, Aubrey was going to kill me.

Fantastic.

I picked my bag up off the floor and moved out of the room, flicking the lights on my way out. I smiled at Kyle, one of our janitors, and gave a little wave as he puttered down the hall vacuuming.

I put my car into drive and was immediately gridlocked in traffic as soon as I entered the highway. I wasn't even upset about it. I had stayed at school longer than I was supposed to and now I was stuck in traffic.

I was okay with admitting it: I was stalling. Tonight was the night of the rehearsal dinner, tonight was the first night that I would see you in three months and I would much rather be stuck in traffic indefinitely than actually have to attend this rehearsal and the subsequent dinner.

I knew this day was coming. It had been on the calendar for a year, glaring at me for the past three months.

I secretly hoped you would blow this off just as you had their engagement party but then thought better of it. I wanted my best friend to be happy and a missing member of the wedding party never boded well. The engagement party had taught me that.

I listened to the idle talk on a radio show, letting their dull tones lull me into some sense of comfort.

A while later, I pulled into a spot in the apartment parking lot. I hesitated to take my keys from the ignition.

I didn't want to leave the car. I knew that the sooner I walked into that apartment, the sooner I would be getting ready, the sooner I would be at the dinner, the sooner I would be handing you the papers that would be putting a legal end to our relationship.

I putzed around on my way to the apartment, purposely taking the stairs to waste more time. I stopped outside the door, Jesse and Aubrey's voices, muffled, sounding through the door.

I pushed it open. I noticed Aubrey completely done up and looking particularly polished, phone in hands. Jesse stood beside her in a well-fit suit, with his favorite skinny tie clipped to a shirt beneath. They turned as I walked in.

"Thank God," Aubrey sighed, setting her phone down before turning towards me. Her concern replaced with anger. "I thought you had gotten into an accident or something. Why weren't you answering your phone?"

I took out my phone and noticed it was still on silent. "Sorry Bree, I must have forgotten to turn the ringer back on after school. I was working on something and then got caught in traffic."

Jesse placed his hands on her shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze to which she visibly relaxed.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes." She walked steadily towards her bedroom closing the door with a slam.

Jesse gave me a small smile. "She's just a little stressed. I'm sure it will be fine." I nodded. "She was worried that you weren't going to show up."

"I would never do that to her," I replied simply. Because I wouldn't.

"I know that, she knows that. It's just after the mishap with the engagement party and uh…" He paused, frantically searching for a way around your name. "Well, she just kind of has it in her head that somehow our wedding is doomed."

"That's ridiculous."

"Well you've got eighteen minutes to prove that it isn't," he said looking at his watch with a boyish grin.

I waved him off already heading towards the spare for the dress that hung in its closet. I didn't have enough time to try and restyle my hair. What I had done this morning would have to be enough. I retouched my makeup and slipped into the dress I had set aside a week ago.

It was a simple black dress, its hem falling a couple of inches above my knees. It was a recent purchase, one Aubrey insisted I buy for this event.

With only one minute to spare before the Aubrey imposed deadline, I paused before leaving the room. My eyes fell on my work bag, more specifically on the sliver of paper showing at its opening.

"30 seconds Chloe!" Aubrey's voice rang out from the kitchen.

I grabbed the paper, carefully folding it so it would fit in my clutch.

"15!" Aubrey shouted.

Walking into the kitchen I rolled my eyes at the sight of her tapping her toe up and down, eyes fixed on her watch and made my way to the door.

The church was thankfully just down the road. As I got out of the back of Jesse's car, I noticed your car already in the lot. I stared at the crappy fifteen year old civic that you refused to let me trade in.

It was Aubrey's hand on my shoulder that brought me back to reality. Her earlier anger completely faded, she sent me a sympathetic smile and linked arms with me while leading me inside the building.

They had decided on a small ceremony with a similarly small wedding party which meant there were a lot less buffers in the room than I was hoping for. You were Jesse's best (wo)man. For groomsmen Benji had flown in from Vegas where he had a very successful and long running magic show on the strip and then there was Jesse's slightly younger brother Aaron.

Aubrey had selected me as maid of honor and asked her cousin Shannon and one of her best friends from high school Jen to be in the wedding as bridesmaids.

I let Aubrey walk ahead of me to greet her parents and her future in-laws who were congregating near the entrance. Jesse trailed behind Aubrey, wrapping an arm around his brother's neck and messing up his hair.

Boys.

I said a quick hello to Shannon and Jen while keeping my eyes peeled for you. Your car had been here so you were clearly here yet I couldn't seem to spot you anywhere in the church.

After some time, I noticed Benji standing over near where the raised floor of the choir. He was holding about four too many wires and trying to sort them all simultaneously. A petite blonde woman I didn't recognize was trying to help him. I smiled as he awkwardly turned them over in his hand, the blonde shaking her head at him with a laugh when he got the cords crossed.

If Benji was in charge of the sound system I knew there was no way we were going to be hearing anything tomorrow. He was a great magician, but had never quite grasped the concept of electronics.

It was only a moment later that your head bobbed into view from behind the piano and I should have known. You had rewired Barden's entire sound system one night simply because, and I quote "it could be better."

Benji listened to something you were saying, nodding his head and reaching for a specific wire, one the blonde nabbed before he could reach it. She swatted his hand away, still smiling, before crossing it with one in Benji's hand.

She then moved behind what looked to be the church's sound board. You gave a thumbs up and she flicked a switch at Benji's command.

That familiar sound of a mic turning on filled the air and then your voice floated through the speaker.

"Check, check," as though you had done it a million times before.

Benji smiled widely and nodded at the blonde who flicked the switch back off. Benji took a step back, setting the wires down carefully so as to not lose the connection. He accepted your knuckle bump in his trademark socially awkward manner, producing a rose from thin air and handing it to the blonde. She accepted it graciously.

You took some electrical tape off from the piano top and ripped it into strips with your teeth. I saw you wave Benji off, placing the tape on the delicate wires yourself. The blonde moved over to help you. Benji made his way towards us.

I saw your lips move before ending in a smirk. The blonde looked shocked at whatever you had said. My frown deepened when she gave you a playful shove before you both started laughing.

"Chloe?" Aubrey called me over to where she was standing with Jesse and a man I assumed was the pastor given his attire. I let the frown slide off my face, replacing it with a smile that was probably much too large to be considered genuine. "This is Pastor Luke. Pastor Luke, this is my maid of honor Chloe."

I shook the older man's hand with a smile. "Lovely to meet you Chloe," he said returning my smile. "You're probably already aware of this but after the ceremony tomorrow I'll need you and the best man to come with Jesse and Aubrey to act as witnesses when they sign the marriage certificate. Short little event, shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes depending on how in detail the wedding photographer wants to make it. I had one photographer who thought he needed six different angles of the couple signing the papers. Fifteen minutes of my life I won't ever get back."

I smiled, I liked him. He wasn't what I was expecting from Aubrey's favorite pastor. I had always envisioned the man to be a little more uptight.

"And I'll have to pass on the same information to your best man as well if you'll just let me know when said best man arrives..."

"Present," your voice drifted from behind me. I fought the shiver that threatened to run up my spine as you approached. I had always been hypersensitive to your presence. It was part of what had alerted me that my feelings for you were less than platonic when we were in college. I couldn't help it; my body was somehow attuned to yours. It had never bothered me before, but now I just wanted to find the off switch.

"I suppose the term best woman is more appropriate then," Pastor Luke said, smiling widely at you.

"Well I was born lacking some equipment I'm told is necessary for the other title," you said, a crooked grin forming on your lips.

I noticed the blonde hovering behind you, her hands stuck in her back pockets. I wondered what her role in this was. I wondered what her role to you was.

I cast a judgmental eye over her. She was pretty, I suppose some people would say. She wasn't anything too special and she was wearing jeans. Didn't she realize this was a formal event? Apparently not.

Pastor Luke began to relay the same information to you, everyone else falling into separate conversations.

I noticed you looked beautiful, in a tailored dress that seemed like it were made for you and only you. Your hair falling in loose curls I had once told you I loved. You stood with your normal bravado of confidence even though I knew you were secretly still insecure about some facets of your appearance for reasons I was still searching for.

You looked brighter, happier than I had seen you in quite some time. The black circles that were a permanent fixture on your face in the months before I left were no longer present.

My brow furrowed as I continued to look at you. There was something so different about you but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I'm not sure what I expected. Maybe there was some part of me that expected you to be a wreck but clearly you weren't. You looked put together and happy. You looked happy without me and regardless of how indifferent I pretended to be, that hurt.

Your eyes were glued to Pastor Luke, never looking anywhere but.

"Alright then, that's settled," Pastor Luke said, his voice loud enough that everyone encircled us, "Aubrey if you could pair everyone in the wedding party up as they will be in the procession we can get started. Jesse, you'll be with me."

Jesse smiled and threw a wink at Aubrey before following the pastor down the aisle.

Aubrey gave me a half-smile as she turned to the small wedding party.

"Okay so first will be Beca and Chloe, then Benji and Shannon, Jen and Aaron, and me and you Dad," she rattled off quickly before moving to the back and taking her dad's arm.

And I had known this moment was going to come too so it shouldn't have been a shock to me, but it was. Because suddenly you were right beside me and after hearing your voice for the first time in three months it was overwhelming to have you so near. I was on sensory overload. You were near enough that I could smell your body wash mixed in with the smell that was uniquely you.

Your eyes were fixed on your feet, on the worn heels that were found there. I kept my head forward, noticing out of the corner of my eye you opened your mouth several times, only to close it immediately without saying a word. It had never been this awkward between us before. I felt my neck heat up at how uncomfortable the situation was.

My soon-to-be ex-wife and I were going to walk down the aisle together. This was some quality material right here for whatever satirist was interested.

Pastor Luke waved us forward. I heard you exhale before offering out your arm. I took it, feeling your body tense as soon as I had contact. Without my permission, my mind began to remember all of the times you used to melt into my touch. And then I felt my face heating up for an entirely different reason.

By the time we were moving down the aisle my face must have matched the color of my hair. If you noticed, you didn't say anything as we parted to stand on either side of Jesse and Aubrey.

Pastor Luke began an overview of the ceremony, explaining how everything would flow. It was all a bit repetitive given how many weddings I had attended in my lifetime, not to mention my intimate familiarity with my own.

I let my eyes wander to where Aubrey and Jesse's parents were sat huddled together in one of the front pews. I was pleased to see the small blonde was nowhere to be found.

Maybe she had been the choir director or something, although her attire hadn't exactly screamed professional.

Our eyes met briefly as he prattled on, immediately after you took an interest in your shoes again.

We met in the middle of the altar to march back down the aisle. You were just as tense as when we had started. I shook my head lightly having never thought anything would be this… off between us. Then again I never thought I would be filing for divorce either. For now, it was clear that the possibility of us being friends was incredibly out of the question.

When we reached the end of the aisle, you retracted your arm quickly, smoothing the hem of your dress. Your eyes drifted casually towards mine. We stood there a couple of feet apart in complete silence until Pastor Luke put a hand on your shoulder, startling you enough to make you jump.

"You think we'll be able to use the mics tomorrow or should I start practicing my sermon at a shout?" He asked.

"No, erm, it should work for at least tomorrow but you should come with me and I can show you what new pieces of equipment you'll need if you want to make it last," you said casting me one last glance before you began walking back over to the sound board.

"You guys can't be this awkward tomorrow," Aubrey said coolly and I jumped a little. I wasn't even aware she was standing there. I was a little on edge.

"Not my fault," I bit back defensively.

"She's not the one who left," Aubrey countered immediately.

"No, but she is the one who let me leave." I steeled my features letting Aubrey know I wasn't going to back down even if she did this for a living.

Aubrey sighed, "I know this is hard for you Chlo, just… talk to her maybe." I looked over to where you were gesturing at some of the cords below you as the pastor listened intently. That damned blonde back over behind the board. "She's hurting too, you know."

"Sure looks like it," I scoffed, watching you adjust something over the blonde's shoulder. Aubrey gave me a look and I knew it was bad if Aubrey, who normally hated everything that you did, was taking your side. "Bree, it's not that simple. We haven't talked in months. I don't think there's anything to say."

"Please, just talk to her," Aubrey said and walked over to Jesse.

Everyone filtered into their separate vehicles with a restaurant we had made reservations at for a destination. I sat silently in the back of Jesse's car as Jesse and Aubrey chatted quietly about this and that.

We were one of the first vehicles to arrive at the restaurant thanks to Jesse's fast, and sometimes dangerous, driving.

Aubrey walked with poise up to the hostess stand and giving the name Swanson, Jesse's last name and what would be her own last name by this time tomorrow. The hostess told us it would be ready in a couple of minutes, Aubrey nodded. I checked my watch to see we were about five minutes before our reservation.

I settled into one of the benches nearby, pulling my phone out only to tap aimlessly on it. I kept my head down as the various people from the wedding party entered the restaurant. It wasn't until I felt that familiar sensation and knew that you had walked in the entrance that I looked up even though I didn't need to.

You stumbled through the door, catching your toe on the rug that lay just inside of it. And then that damned blonde trailed in behind you, helping you catch your feet again.

My feet carried me to the bathroom before I even knew I was moving. I let out a great breath once I was inside of its safe walls. I turned the water on in one of the sinks, bending down to splash some of the water on my face not even caring that I was washing off most of my makeup in the process.

This was what I wanted, I told my reflection.

I wanted you to move on. You were supposed to move on… Well I was supposed to move and maybe I had thought that you would just… take up knitting and buy some cats. No, it wasn't very realistic but I think I was supposed to be given a creative license given it was my own imagination.

I wanted this. This is the reality the papers in my clutch would be cementing. I wanted this.

"I want this," I told my twin in the mirror before exiting the bathroom. I made my way around the corner, easily spotting the long table Aubrey had reserved.

As fate would have it, the only remaining spot was right next to you. And that blonde was seated across from you next to Benji. I gave an incredulous look towards the sky wondering who up there was gunning for me.

I pulled the chair out beside you and settled in, doing my best to keep repeating that sentence again and again.

This is what I want. I want this.

I did my best to keep my head down throughout the meal. I spoke when I was spoken to and politely kept up conversations with the people scattered to my left, but I never spoke to you. I did my very best to ignore everything about you.

It didn't work. I didn't expect it to. I tried to ignore the way your arm brushed up against me occasionally and how you would snort sometimes when you laughed suddenly at something Benji or Jesse would say. I tried to ignore the way your hand played with the base of your wine glass. I tried to ignore the fact that you were sitting right next to me but I couldn't.

Halfway through the meal I gave up. I politely folded my napkin and excused myself from the table. I needed air. I'd had enough ignorance, now I needed air.

The crisp spring air greeted me as I entered the empty patio. I leaned against the rail outside.

It looked like rain. I tasted the saltiness of the nearby ocean but felt the winds of the impending storm. I breathed them both in, hoping that maybe they would help any of this make sense.

And then you were there, before I even looked over my shoulder I knew you were there.

"Hey, um," your hesitation evident in your words. I could imagine you pinching the bridge of your nose, as you often did when you were stressed. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head from side to side, not believing that of all the possible words for you to choose, those were your first words to me in three months.

"What are doing out here?" I asked, my voice a little more defeated than I was hoping it would be.

"I wanted to check on you," I spun around leaning my back into the rail as I arched an eyebrow at that response. You were wringing your hands in front of you, your foot tapping out a beat to the song inside of your head. "And Aubrey may have threatened my life if I didn't go."

That sounded about right.

"She told me that if we don't talk tonight we're going to ruin her wedding," you said, taking a few slow steps towards me.

"She told me the same thing," I said with a small laugh.

"Something about our awkwardness overshadowing the beacon of love she and Jesse are trying to erect tomorrow," you said, staring at your hands.

I gave you a puzzled look, "She didn't tell me that."

Your eyes shot up to mine, "Oh well, all the same really since nothing got through after she used the words erect and Jesse in the same sentence." Your face scrunched up as you shuddered at the thought.

I smiled, giving you the confidence to step forward to the rail beside me. You leaned up against it on your elbows, hair blowing back with the increasing wind.

This was my decision, I told myself grasping my clutch tighter, I wanted this, I needed this.

You had given up on our relationship months ago, I deserved better than to be treated like a nuisance that you couldn't be bothered with. I deserved better than to be placed below work on your list of priorities. I wanted a love like my grandmother and grandfather, a love with bright ties and promises that actually meant something. I thought I wanted that love with you. I guess I should have asked what you wanted earlier on.

"How many people do you think Aubrey's going to bitch out tomorrow?" You asked, a small smile on your lips.

I turned back around, facing off the patio in the same direction that you were before replying, "At least eleven."

"Wow, not a lick of hesitation to jump right into those double digits," you laughed and I couldn't help but join in.

"You've met her, I'll actually be happy if we make it through the day without her throwing up on someone."

"Oh God, I just hope their honeymoon isn't anything like their first time." My brow furrowed and you picked up on my confusion. "She never told you about that? Really?"

I shook my head.

"Well you didn't hear this from me, Aubrey would hate me even more if she knew that I knew about this-"

"She doesn't hate you," I stated falling easily back into the old argument pattern we jokingly used to have.

You chose to ignore it, "And I didn't hear this from Jesse because who knows what she'd do to him if she knew he told anyone about it. So…"

"Basically this conversation never took place?"

"Exactly," you nodded before beginning the story giddily, "So Jesse invited Aubrey over for dinner at his apartment. Benji was at some expo in New York or something so they had the apartment to themselves. They ate dinner, had dessert and were watching a movie when things started to get a little heated. So they started to make their way to Jesse's bedroom and, well, Aubrey being Aubrey was of course prepared for this very occasion. She told Jesse she was just going to the bathroom to change into something more comfortable. Anyways she comes out of the bathroom in some sort of outfit I never want to even think about her wearing and she's trying to walk over all sexy to Jesse and I guess as she's crawling towards him on the bed she kind of threw up everywhere."

"She didn't…" I was unable to hold my laughter in. It bubbled up and over as I imagined the scenario taking place.

"Oh she completely did. She was really nervous," you giggled out.

"I can't believe she never told me that," I said when I was finally able to catch my breath.

"Somehow they still had sex that night. No other person in their right mind… They're freaking made for each other I swear," you laughed.

And for a minute I let myself forget. I let myself forget that you neglected us. I let myself forget that we weren't an us anymore. I let myself miss this.

I missed being able to laugh with you about our ridiculous best friends. I missed talking to you without there being a fight.

"Yeah, they are," I said solemnly.

Your hands in front of you, I caught a small shine on one of your fingers. I was surprised to notice it was your wedding band and engagement ring, the rings I had given to you.

Noticing my stare, you pulled your hand back sliding the rings from your finger.

"I've… uh been meaning to give these back to you…" You fidgeted in place bouncing from one foot to the other, a tell that the next line out of your mouth was going to be a lie. "I just kept wearing them so I wouldn't lose them before I could give them back so here," you thrust them in front of my face.

I sighed, "Keep them." Mirroring your words to me three months ago. You slid them back onto their proper home and turned forward once more. The sky was getting darker, the storm nearly over us by now.

"Can I ask you something?"

Your lips turned up at the corners and I knew you were itching to tell me that I already had. You nodded once.

"I was looking into our accounts yesterday and I noticed a chunk missing from savings," I broached the subject lightly. "I'm not mad or anything. I mean most of it is your money anyways I guess I'm just a little curious what you're using it for."

"About that. I've erm, I, I um didn't really know how to bring it up but Chloe, I-" You started, but your words were cut off by the shrill ring of your phone. Your eyes fell shut. I shook my head. Nothing had changed. It had been three months and nothing had changed.

"Let me guess, work?" I asked, my tone acerbic. You didn't deny it. Nothing had changed. "What, can't go a single night without a call from them, can you? I guess I shouldn't be that surprised that you'd tell them to leave you alone on the night before your best friend's wedding. You still can't block off time for anyone but yourself, can you? Why should I be surprised? "

"No, it's not-"

"Save it Beca, you don't have to explain yourself to me anymore," struggling with the clasp on my clutch I finally broke it open. Taking the neatly folded papers out from inside, I pushed them into your hands.

Your phone, still ringing, was the only noise in the air as you stared at what I had just placed in your hands.

"Chloe…"

"If you have any questions, just get in contact with my lawyer…"

"Chloe."

"I stapled his card to the back. He works in Aubrey's firm. He's supposed to be one of the best in the area…"

"Chloe!" I stopped rambling as you nearly shouted at me. The wind whistled around us, having picked up considerably since we first stepped out here. I waited for you to say more, but you didn't. You just stared at me, your hands balling up into fists and crinkling the paper inside of them. Your face was completely blank, emotionless.

"Nothing ever changes does it," I said under my breath. As if on cue, your phone rang again.

"Take it, otherwise they'll just keep calling," I muttered before adding one last comment.

I turned my back to you and walked away. It was too reminiscent of the last time we had seen each other.

I felt exactly how I did that day. I wanted you to stop me. I wanted you to tell me you loved me. I wanted you. I didn't want this. I never wanted this.

What I wanted was a fairy tale. But life wasn't a fairy tale. Love wasn't a fairy tale. Each step I took away from you pulled me further into the black. I resigned myself to the darkness, wondering if I was ever meant to find color again.

A/N: Don't kill me now, although I'm sure it's tempting. I still haven't decided on a length for the overall story but there will be plenty of Bechloe interaction in the next chapter.

Thank you, again, to everyone that reviewed and read the last chapter. Even if you don't have an account, I accept anonymous reviews and I LOVE feedback. I also appreciate corny (and punny) jokes, favorite quotes from the chapter, etc.

Feel free to skip over the next line if you don't want to know…

I love happy endings to stories so keep that in mind while you're incredibly angry at me.