Chapter 20: The Things I Hid
"Mmmm Beca," Chloe muttered, enjoying the sensation of Beca's lips against her neck as the redhead continued to cook the French toast, hashbrowns and bacon for dinner. They decided to have a fun night where it was breakfast for dinner and then prepare Beca for the album release party which was the next day. Chloe smiled for a moment while her girlfriend kissed all over her skin, but after a moment she pulled away. "You know, if you keep distracting me, we're going have burnt breakfast for dinner and I don't think that you want that." She teased while flipped the bacon and toast.
Beca groaned and left a few more kisses on the redhead's neck before she stopped. "Alright, I guess burnt bacon doesn't taste good," she said, leaning against the counter and watching her girlfriend as she made dinner for the two of them. "Are you excited for the party?" Beca asked.
"Of course I'm excited for your party. Babe, this album is going to be huge. You and Taylor worked so hard on it, and I can't wait to finally give it a listen." The redheaded stated with a happy smiled before continuing. "You've only let me hear the song you wrote for me and I'm pretty sure that's because of the drama we went through a couple weeks ago." She said chuckling, her smile then faded. "I don't know why I ever doubted your faithfulness. And I don't know why I didn't believe you when you were telling the truth. I'm so sorry."
Beca walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Hey, baby. It's alright. You had every right to be upset with me, and I'm okay with you being upset with me. That's in the past, so let's just focus on what's ahead, okay?" She said, smiling and tilting Chloe's chin up with her finger. Chloe groaned softly and leaned her forehead against Beca's, wondering how it was so easy for Beca to forgive Chloe for not trusting her, and how it took Chloe a couple days before she could even speak to Beca again.
"How do you do that?" Chloe said. When Beca pulled back confused Chloe continued. "How are you easily able to forgive me after I so harshly doubted you?"
Beca smiled and chuckled. "That's an easy question. It's because I love you more than anything, Chlo. Yeah, you doubted me, but it's not like it was totally unwarranted. You had your suspicions, and I'm not going to get angry because you helped me realize I wasn't being a good girlfriend," she replied.
"Yeah, but you said so many times that you faithful and I still didn't believe you. You basically pleaded on your knees." Chloe stated. "I still ran away, and it took you having to sing a song and give me a promise ring for me to realize that you were telling the truth." Chloe said looking down. "I should've had more faith in you. I'm really sorry." She said looking back into Beca's eyes.
"You don't need to apologize to me anymore, Chlo. I've forgiven you," Beca said, smiling at her with a reassuring look in her eyes. "I've forgiven you, so there's no need to keep apologizing. If anything, I should still be apologizing." Chloe leaned in and kissed Beca's lips gently, lingering there and placing her hands on Beca's waist.
"You don't need to apologize anymore either, I've forgiven you too." She whispered, moving her hands to the dip in Beca's back and pulling their bodies closer together.
Beca smiled and leaned her forehead against Chloe's for a few moments before pulling back. "You don't want to burn the food," she said with a chuckle, grabbing a few plates while Chloe finished cooking.
"Fine, but I'll be coming for you later," Chloe said with a playful glare before getting the rest of their dinner ready. Once she had it ready they got their food on their plates and sat at the counter. Chloe took a bite of French toast and then smiled as the sweet bread touched her tongue, enjoying the buttery syrup on her taste buds. "How's it taste for you babe?" She asked.
"This bacon is really good, even though it is a little burnt," Beca replied with an overly-enthusiastic smile. She let out a playful gasp when Chloe slapped her arm. "Hey! It's not my fault you burnt the bacon a little bit! You were the one who couldn't stay away from me."
"It's not like you weren't enjoying it." Chloe said chuckling at her girlfriend and then taking a bite out of her hashbrowns. "You dig me, and my kisses. I was just trying to give you more of what you like." She informed Beca with a cute wink and a devious smirk.
"You do have a point, but as much as I like your kisses, I like properly-cooked bacon more," Beca said teasingly as she took a bite out of her French toast.
"Fuck off," Chloe said trying not to grin widely at Beca, doing her best to keep herself from laughing. She took a sip of orange juice and then once they were full Chloe put the leftover food in containers and then put the dishes in the dishwasher before going into their room to change into some pajamas.
Beca went to their room a few minutes later. Since the door was closed, she decided to knock. "Can I come in, or are you still changing?" She asked.
"Babe, you can come in, I don't mind having you see me change." Chloe said as she stripped down into her underwear, taking off her bra and putting on a gray button up long sleeve pj shirt and a pair of matching gray shorts that went down just past her bum.
Beca opened the door and closed it behind her, sitting down on their bed and smiling at Chloe. Beca grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "Hey," she said softly before leaning up and kissing her lips gently. Chloe had finished buttoning up her shirt when she felt Beca's hand pull her towards their bed. A smile mixed with a smirk tugged at Chloe's lips when Beca kissed her lips.
"Are you sleeping in your blazer and jeans?" She said jokingly as their lips pulled apart for a moment.
Beca chuckled. "I can if you want me to," she replied with a smile before reconnecting their lips in another kiss.
"You think you're pretty funny don't you?" Chloe said, chuckling softly against Beca's lips.
"Well, you seemed really proud earlier that you told me to fuck off," Beca replied with a smile, "I will admit that I was surprised that you said that."
"I was just playing along with stand up comedian act, I do really enjoy it." Chloe said smiling and kissing Beca's nose gently, her hands resuming the position on Beca's lower back that they were in before dinner. "I think having a sense of humor is a very attractive feature in a person."
Beca raised her eyebrow playfully. "Well then, I guess that's why you find me so attractive," she said with a smug smirk while running her hands up and down Chloe's back.
"You are pretty attractive, I have to give that to you." She said. "Your sense of humor is one of the many reasons that I love you." Chloe's nails softly scratched against Beca skin under her shirt before kissing her girlfriend again, connecting their lips in a slow, deep and passionate kiss.
"Oh yeah? What are some other reasons that you love me?" Beca asked. She pulled Chloe onto her lap and cupped Chloe's face with her hands, deepening the kiss.
"I love you because you have always accepted me for me, I love you because you're kind and confident in who you are. I love the way you hold me at night, and the way you kiss me, and I love it when you sing to me." Chloe stated with a smile letting Beca's lips trail off down to her neck. "But the thing I love about you the most, the fact that you put others before yourself, you're not selfish and you want others to be happy." She said, pulling back from Beca's kisses and looking into her eyes.
Beca smiled and blushed a little at Chloe's words. "There are a lot of reasons that I love you too," she told the redhead with a smile. "I love everything about you. I love your eyes, your hair, your smile. I love it when we cuddle, and I love being able to kiss you and call you mine. What I love most about you is that you never gave up on me. You waited for three years to be with me. You've never given up on me, and so many other people in my life have, so that means a lot to me."
"While you were with Jesse, I just wanted you to be happy, that's why I didn't push you away. That is why we became close friends, because I couldn't stand the thought of not having you in my life even if it was just friendship. This was true even when you were with Macy, I figured out that she was there to pick up the pieces I left when I left for Chicago, and she seemed to make you happy as well, so I didn't try and break you apart." Chloe said smiling softly. "All those things I did, I did them because I love you and wanted you to be happy. You know, besides moving Chicago."
"You know, you don't always have to do things to make me happy. You should do things for yourself, too. Sure, I was upset at first when you left for Chicago, but I shouldn't have been. You had and still have every right to do things for yourself, and I shouldn't have tried to tell you otherwise," Beca replied.
The redhead then interrupted Beca with a sweet kiss on the lips. Her hands rested on Beca's shoulders and their foreheads leaned together. "I really love you, you know that right?" Chloe whispered, pulling back only to say those words before kissing Beca's lips again.
Beca smiled at the feeling of Chloe's lips on hers. "I'm never going to get tired of the feeling I get in my stomach when you kiss me. It feels like hundreds of butterflies flying around my stomach."
"I feel the same way when you kiss me too baby," The redhead whispered, kissing Beca on the lips. "You make me smile, your lips are so smooth yet rough at the same time. It's what makes you such a great kisser."
"You're a pretty good kisser yourself," Beca murmured back while her fingers ran through Chloe's hair. Beca pulled back from the kiss for a moment and smiled, gazing into Chloe's eyes. "I love you so, so much," she whispered.
"Really? That is so crazy because I love you so so much too!" Chloe said cutely giggling and giving Beca her signature wink before climbing under the covers and pulling Beca with her.
"What a crazy coincidence," Beca said with a small chuckle. She put her arm around Chloe's waist and pulled the redhead closer to her, resting her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck. Chloe smiled and closed her eyes as Beca embraced her in a strong yet gentle hold, Chloe linked their fingers and brought Beca's hand up to her mouth and kissed it sweetly.
"Do you think this album will be bigger than yours with Ariana?" She asked before letting out a cute yawn.
"It all really depends on if people like it or not. Hopefully they will, but you never know," Beca murmured back, sighing with content as they laid there together.
"I think this is going to be your most successful album yet." Chloe stated with confidence. "Do you know why I think that?"
Beca sat up and leaned on her elbows. "As a matter of fact, I cannot read minds, so why do you think that?" She asked with a small smile on her face.
"Because, you branched out and wrote a song instead of just producing it. You went outside your comfort zone and helped Taylor write an incredible song." Chloe said genuinely smiling and turning her head towards Beca.
Beca smiled and leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to Chloe's in a sweet kiss. "This is what I was talking about earlier. You've always believed in me and my dream. Thank you, Chlo, from the bottom of my heart. It means so much to me that you support me."
"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true." Chloe whispered, smiling and kissing Beca one more time before turning to turn off the light. She then turned back and cuddled close to Beca, her face resting on Beca's chest. "Goodnight my love." She whispered.
Beca smiled and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, baby. I love you," she murmured before falling asleep. Beca woke up the next morning and got out of bed to make herself some coffee. Once she had done that, she went back into their bedroom and sat on the end of the bed, taking an occasional sip of coffee while she watched Chloe sleep. Chloe slept peacefully with a smile on her face, smiling from a dream she was having.
The way some of her ginger hair fell in her face made her look absolutely adorable and irresistible to Beca. Chloe was just one of those people who could look cute and sexy at the same time when she did a number of things. After a few more minutes, Beca gently tapped Chloe's shoulder. "Good morning, baby. It's time to wake up," she murmured. When the redhead didn't move, Beca opened their bedroom door and Barden came running in, jumping on the bed and starting to lick Chloe's face.
That certainly woke the redhead up, and she laughed as their adorable dog licked her face. After a moment she said, "You could've woken me up with your kisses you know that right?" Chloe said with a grunt and she started laughing when Barden licked her nose.
"I know that I could have woken you up with kisses, but I thought you would enjoy puppy kisses more," Beca said with a smile. She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Chloe's lips. "There. Does that make you happy?"
"Yes, it does. Not that Barden's kisses aren't cute, but I prefer yours," Chloe said smiling and kissing Beca's lips again. She then got up and got changed for the day, getting ready for work. "What time is the party tonight?"
"The party starts at 8:00, but we can go a little later if you want," Beca replied, going into the kitchen and pouring a cup of coffee for Chloe. Beca quickly made them some toast and scrambled eggs then put the food out on the table before sitting and starting to eat her breakfast.
"I'm good with anytime really," Chloe said smiling. "I'm just excited for you to be getting your second album release in a year. Most producers have one every two years," Chloe said smiling as she sat down to eat.
"I've just been really lucky with all of the opportunities I've been given. If I didn't get the chance to work with Snoop Dogg, I would probably still be an intern. Look at me now. I'm in LA and about to release a second album," Beca said with a wide smile.
"I'm so proud of you baby, this is really huge of you. And I'm so happy because when you're happy I am." Chloe said smiled and hugging her girlfriend.
Beca smiled and looked at the time on her phone. "I should go get ready for work. I'll see you later, babe," Beca said, smiling and pecking Chloe's lips. She stood up and put her dishes in the dishwasher before going to take a quick shower.
Chloe left for work and got there early to grade papers. She smiled and texted Beca. "I can't wait for the party."
Beca was sitting at her desk when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She smiled when she read the text from Chloe. "I can't wait for the party, too, baby. It's going to be so much fun, especially with you as my date," Beca texted back. Chloe got Beca's text and smiled at the screen before she continued to grade papers.
Around 6:30 that evening, Chloe was putting on her dress for the evening. The door opened and Beca walked into the apartment, setting her work bag on the table. "Chlo? Where are you?" Chloe was in their bedroom and had already started drinking. She had a rough day at work, mostly due to her finding out that the choir program wasn't getting enough funding and her job was on the line.
"I'm in the room baby," she slurred. Beca noticed that something about Chloe's voice didn't seem quite right, but she brushed it off and went to their room.
Beca opened the door and smiled when she saw Chloe, but her smile quickly faded. Chloe was sitting on their bed with a bottle of wine in her hand, and she seemed to be having a hard time holding herself up. "Have you been drinking?" Beca asked. Chloe stifled a cough and took a sip from the quickly draining bottle.
"What? No, I've just had a couple sips." She said before looking to the bottle. "I-I have to get my mind off my day. Let's go t-to the party."
Beca sighed and took the bottle from Chloe. "This is almost empty, Chlo," Beca said, putting the bottle down on the nightstand. "What happened today? Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine okay?" Chloe said nonchalantly. She leaned in and kissed Beca before taking the bottle and taking another sip. "Let's go to your party. You don't have to be all up in my business."
"I just want to make sure that you're okay. If you don't want me to, then that's fine," Beca said. "Just make sure that you don't drink too much at the party," she said with some concern in her voice.
"Do I get a special prize if I behave baby?" She asked smiling widely and drunkenly, standing up and putting her shoes on.
Beca couldn't help but smile and chuckle at her girlfriend's drunken antics. "Maybe. Let's see how things go," she said, looping her arm through Chloe's to help her stand.
"You're such a good girlfriend baby, I don't tell you that enough." Chloe said with wine on her breath as she kissed Beca's cheek. They made their way into the limo and Chloe rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.
The limo dropped them off outside the club at which the party was going to be held. Beca managed to get her and Chloe inside without too many pictures being taken of them by the paparazzi. They walked inside, and Beca held Chloe close to her as they walked. "You excited, babe?" Beca whispered to her.
"I'm so excited for you baby." She said smiling widely. "This is so, so good for you and Taylor." She said.
Beca smiled and squeezed Chloe's hand. "Thank you. It means a lot to me," she replied. Beca made eye contact with Taylor, who was across the room. "Hey, do you think you'll be okay by yourself for a few minutes? I need to go talk to Taylor for a second," Beca said.
"I'll be great." Chloe slurred drunkenly kissing Beca's cheek before letting her girlfriend go. She instantly made her way to the open bar, getting a fruity drink mixed with tequila. She took a sip of it and smiled.
Beca returned around fifteen minutes later. "Hey, Chlo," she said, walking over to her girlfriend and kissing her lips softly. Beca noticed a few empty glasses on the bar table next to the redhead. "Looks like you've had quite a few drinks," Beca said, signaling for the bartender to pour her a shot.
"I'm just letting loose tonight, you know? I've been so hung up and uptight lately I need to relax and have fun." Chloe slurred in her drunk voice as she took another sip of her current drink. "How is Taylor?" She asked.
"She's excited about the album. I think everyone's excited about it. It's definitely going to be one of the best albums she's ever released," Beca said. When Chloe finished her drink, Beca gave her a glass of water to drink instead. "Is everything alright? You never get drunk like this, and I just want to make sure you're okay," Beca said, squeezing Chloe's hand gently.
"Stop worrying about me!" Chloe snapped, startling Beca. "Tonight is about you. I can tell you my issues when I'm ready!" She moved the water aside and got a shot of vodka. She took it and then walked drunkenly to sit down.
Beca was slightly taken aback by Chloe's attitude. "Fine," she said, setting her jaw, "God forbid I want to make sure my girlfriend is okay," she muttered under her breath. An hour into the the party as speeches were being made and songs were being played, Chloe was near the point of being pass out drunk.
"And that's when my boss told me I might get laid off!" Chloe said drunkenly to Beca's boss. "But please, don't tell Beca. She'll get mad if she finds out she might have to pay rent for me."
Beca had finished giving a short speech about the album so she decided to go check on Chloe. Beca walked over to the bar and saw that her girlfriend was laying her head on the table. It was obvious that she was having trouble staying awake. Beca went over and sat next to her, gently tapping her shoulder.
"Oh hi!" She said drunkenly. "How are you?" She kissed Beca's neck and leaned into her.
Beca smiled and put her arm around Chloe's shoulder, bringing her closer. "I'm doing well. How are you?" She whispered back.
Chloe continued to kiss along her neck, "I'm so good." She whispered.
Beca chuckled softly and moved away from Chloe a little bit. "Right now probably isn't the best place for this," the brunette murmured.
"But I want to congratulate you with kisses." Chloe whispered, nibbling on Beca's ear.
"I know you want to congratulate me, and I appreciate the gesture, but right now isn't the best place or time," Beca said, turning her head away from Chloe. A pout formed in Chloe's lip, and the redhead set her jaw while she crossed her arms.
"Okay fine." She said before getting up and stumbling over to the bar to get another drink. She got a shot of patron and downed before Beca could even react. Beca's boss came up to her.
"So Mitchell, I hear your girlfriend is having trouble with her job. I'm sorry to hear that." He said patting the short brunette's shoulder before she looked at him with confusion.
"Uh, thanks?" Beca replied, her eyes searching for Chloe in the crowd of people. She saw red hair out of the corner of her eye, and she quickly walked over to the redhead. "Why didn't you tell me you were having trouble at work?" Beca asked.
Chloe's drunkenness seemed to disappear for a moment when Beca asked her question. "Uh, I don't know what you're talking about." She said, not making eye contact with Beca. She took another shot of patron. "There's nothing to worry about."
"Really? Because my boss came over to me and said you were having trouble with your job," Beca said, crossing her arms. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked again.
"There's nothing to worry about okay? Just let me be!" Chloe said before beginning to walk away. The redhead only made it three steps before she passed out, falling to the floor and hitting her head hard on the floor.
"Chlo!" Beca yelled as she watched her girlfriend slowly fall to the floor. Beca kneeled down and pulled Chloe's unconscious body into her arms. Beca checked for any bleeding on her head and then picked her up. "Can somebody call an ambulance? I need to make sure she doesn't have a concussion," Beca said while she held Chloe in her arms.
Taylor instantly got her phone out and called the nearest hospital's emergency response team. "Yes, we have a woman here and she's unconscious...She's around twenty-six years old..she had been drinking, yes… We are having an album release party… At Residual Heat Recording Studios on 60th and Roosevelt." Taylor hung up and nodded at Beca, letting her know the ambulance was on its way.
Chloe groaned but stayed unconscious. Beca walked over to a bench and sat down, holding Chloe while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Beca leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's gonna be alright," she whispered softly.
The ambulance arrived and took Chloe to the hospital with Beca in the back of the ambulance, sitting beside Chloe in case she woke up. Once they made it to the hospital, they ran some tests on Chloe, who was sleeping soundly. They also just let her rest since her blood alcohol level was high.
When the doctors had finished running their tests on Chloe, they let Beca into her room. Beca sat down in a chair beside her hospital bed. The brunette took one of the redhead's hands and squeezed it gently before bringing it up to her lips and kissing it softly. About an hour later, Chloe woke up drowsy from the pain medication they had given her. She instantly noticed Beca's hand in hers, seeing the headphones tattoo on her left wrist. "Beca?" She murmured, "Where am I?"
A small smile appeared on Beca's face when she heard Chloe's voice. "Hey, Red," she said softly, "You're in the hospital. You had a lot to drink and you passed out and hit your head, so the doctor wanted to make sure that you didn't get a concussion."
"Are you mad at me?" Chloe whispered, beginning to tear up. "I got really drunk and I'm so sorry. I probably ruined your big night."
"Of course I'm not mad at you, Chlo. I'm a bit confused as to why you didn't tell me about your trouble at work, but I'm not mad. I could never be mad and I will never be mad at you," Beca replied, using her thumb to wipe a few tears off of Chloe's face.
"But I lied to you. I denied that anything was wrong. We promised to always be honest with each other. I've lied for a couple weeks now, work has been hell, I might lose my job because of low funds, and top of that now I may have a concussion because of my stupid decisions." Chloe said looking down and covering her face with her hands, sighing deeply.
Beca tilted Chloe's chin up with her finger. "Like I said before, I'm not mad at you. What I do want to know is why you didn't tell me about work. I could've helped you. Did you feel like you couldn't tell me for some reason?" Beca asked.
"I was just scared that if I told you that you'd get upset. You covered the rent for so long our first few months here before I went to Chicago and I didn't want you to worry about having to do it again-"
"Chlo, I could care less if I had to pay rent for both of us. I just want you to be happy, and I'll do anything to make sure you are happy. I never want you to feel like you have to keep things from me," Beca told her in a soft voice.
"I'm sorry I hid this from you. I promise I will always tell you the truth from now on, I won't hide anything from you." Chloe said taking her hand in Beca's. "I love you."
Beca smiled and leaned forward, slowly kissing Chloe's lips. "I love you too, baby. Forever and always," she murmured. Chloe pulled Beca into the bed and cuddled close to her. She closed her eyes and rested with a smile on her face. Everything was going to be okay between her and Beca. All that was hanging in the back of her mind was the fact that she might lose the best job she had ever had. She held onto Beca and slept, trying not to worry about the troubles ahead.
hope you enjoyed this chapter. Will Chloe be able to keep her job? Keep reading to find out more!
until next time,
Youngstoryteller.007 and