"Jesus, Beca." Chloe said rushing to her side as she winced, lifting herself up from where she landed. "Are you okay?" She asked reaching down to take Becas arm but she practically flinched away from her.
"Don't." She hissed, startling the redhead and she looked down at her. Two dark blue eyes glared up at her. Alex stepped back slightly, not sure where to stand, but not wanting to get in the way.
"Beca, let me help you-"
"I don't want your damn help, Chloe! Don't touch me." She spat as she cradled her arm to her chest, and was pulling herself to her feet when Stacie and Kelly rushed in.
"Beca? What happened?" Stacie asked hurrying over, and taking her arm, helping her to her feet.
"I fell." She said, her voice a lot softer than it had been and Chloe stood back. Alex stood in shock, watching as Stacie followed Beca from the room, her hand on her back, guiding her and Kelly walked after them.
"Mommy?" She asked quietly, as Chloe stepped around her, to begin cleaning up the spilled paint.
"What Alex?" She sighed looking up at the child, her voice exasperated. Alex wore a frown, chewing the inside of her cheek the same way Beca did when she was anxious about something and Chloe sighed.
"I'm sorry. What is it?" Chloe asked, taking a calming breath.
"Mama said a bad word, and yelled at you. How come? Are you fighting?"
Chloe looked down at the spilled paint, staining the floor. She scoffed and shook her head. "No Alex. We aren't fighting. Mama just had an accident, but she is okay."
Alex nodded. "But she yelled at you."
Chloe sighed again standing up, and Alex watched her with waiting eyes, her paper still clutched in her hand.
"I know, she didn't mean it." Chloe said reaching for the paper. "Let's see that?"
She held it out and Chloe took it, seeing the grade and smiling widely. "This is wonderful Alex, you are so smart." She said wrapping her arm around her and giving her a side hug.
"Thanks Mommy. Kelly said that my lessons are done for today." She said. "Can I go play?"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, I will hold onto this, why don't you go take puppy no name out and teach her how to fetch? Use that really long leash Mama bought."
Alex nodded and Chloe looked at the paper again as she left the room. She knew she needed to check on Beca, and make sure she was okay, but the paint needed to be cleaned up, and the walls needed to be finished. She looked toward the door, knowing that Stacie was with Beca and she was probably just fine. Aside from her obvious anger at her.
With a breath she decided it would be best to give Beca some space, let her calm down and he would clean up the paint, and finish the walls. So walking over, she turned the music back up and set to work clearing away the paint.
XXXXXX
"What happened?" Stacie asked for the third time as Beca pulled an ice pack from the freezer and held it against her right wrist, wincing as she did.
She shook her head. "I fell." She said. "I moved to fast, and the ladder want stable. It tipped."
Stacie could hear a certain telling edge in Becas voice as she sat down at the island, gently laying her wrist on it and playing the ice pack over it.
"Let me see?" She asked walking over and reaching for the ice pack but Beca jerked it away, causing her to whimper in pain, and Stacie stopped. "Becs, I'm not going to touch it, I just want to look."
She shook her head again. "No, its fine." She said, and her voice cracked. "Just needs ice. Maybe some aspirin?"
Kelly who was packing up her things looked at her in sympathy as Stacie opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the bottle of aspirin. "I better be going." She said walking over as she slung the bag over her shoulder.
"Alex is doing great, though she might benefit from a little practice with her letters, she tends to write them backwards, as children do." She said. Beca nodded and forced a smile as Stacie walked over with the pills and a glass of water.
"Thank you, Kelly. We will get on that. See you tomorrow?"
She nodded. "Yes you will. I hope your wrist is okay."
Beca didn't answer as she used her left hand to toss the pills in her mouth and then washed them down with the water.
Stacie gave a small wave and Kelly was gone before Beca finished the water. She set the glass down, and kept her eyes on it, knowing Stacie was standing there, waiting.
"What, Stacie? Why are you staring?" She asked looking at her, her eyes narrowed. Stacie seemingly taken off guard by Becas tone didn't speak.
"I-, no reason. I was just wanting to be sure you are okay."
She sighed. "I'm fine."
With a slight nod, Stacie sat down. "Beca, what's going on?" she asked reaching over to take her uninjured hand.
She saw Becas eyes flash to the side quickly before she looked down. "I don't know what you mean." She said.
"Beca, you know playing dumb with me never worked in the past it isn't going to work now. What is going on with you and Chloe?" She asked.
With Becas hand in hers, she felt her tense slightly before relaxing. "Nothing, we are fine."
"Bullshit." She said and Beca looked at her, her dark blue eyes troubled. "I know something is wrong. I've already spoken to Aubrey, she will be home anytime. We need to sit down and talk."
Beca huffed and pulled her hand away. "If you were so concerned, why did you go to Aubrey? Why not come to me?" She asked as she stood up, gently lifting her other hand, with the ice pack and holding it to her chest.
"I tried this morning. You wouldn't talk, you told me you would later but Beca, I know something is going on. I saw what happened last night. I saw your face, I saw you turn away from Chloe."
Beca looked down, her eyes glancing around the floor for a moment. "Doesn't matter. Nothing is going on, nothing is wrong." She said. "Chloe and I are-"
"You are not okay. You and Chloe are far from okay." Stacie said standing up as well and Beca shook her head, turning and walking from the kitchen.
"Beca!" Stacie called, her frustration growing and she walked out after her. "Beca, stop, I can't keep up with you." She said placing a hand on her belly and leaning on the side of the recliner when they reached the living room. Beca stopped and turned around her eyes filled with tears.
"I don't know, Stacie. Okay? I don't know what is wrong. I don't know exactly what I did, but Chloe has made it clear that she is angry and she doesn't want me around." She said and her voice cracking on the word made Stacie's heart tighten.
"I fucked up, somehow. It was only a matter of time. I am not honestly one hundred percent sure what I did, but whatever it was, Chloe isn't letting it go." She said. "She won't speak to me, not really. She makes it painfully clear she doesn't want me near her. I can't remember the last time her and I shared more than a quick kiss in passing. I can't remember when any of us really did. Aside from this morning, you and I. But that of course, didn't last." She said.
Stacie let out a breath. "Beca, it isn't you, Chloe she… she is going through some-"
"You know?" Beca cut her off. "You know what's wrong? Does Aubrey?" She asked looking toward the stairs, making sure Chloe wasn't coming down.
Stacie moved around the chair and lowered herself into it. "No, not yet. I… wasn't supposed to say anything, but… now, with all this," She said. "It needs to be handled, and Chloe needs to be honest with everyone."
"Honest about what?"
They turned to see Aubrey standing in the doorway. Her blazer slung over her arm, the keys still in her hand. Stacie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Aubrey walked further in, setting her stuff on the arm of the couch and looked at Beca. "Beca, what the hell happened?" She asked rushing over and reaching for her arm. She stopped with wide eyes however when Beca flinched and moved away from her.
The worst possible scenario flashed through her head and she looked at the brunette sternly.
"Beca, tell me what happened." She demanded. Beca looked at her, in surprise then shook her head.
"Nothing like that, Bree. No one did this, I fell." She said, and could see the relief instantly flood Aubrey's eyes.
"Good to know. How did you fall?" She asked opening her hands, and motioning for Beca to let her look at her wrist.
Stacie watched as Beca held it out for her, and Aubrey gently moved the ice pack. Trying not to let it get to her too much that she allowed Aubrey to see, but not her.
"I was on the ladder, we were painting and Alex ran it. She startled me, I moved to quickly and the ladder wasn't stable. I fell." She said, a small sound of displeasure escaping her in the form of a hiss as she felt a jolt of pain shoot up her arm when Aubrey applied the tiniest amount of pressure.
"Why wasn't someone holding the ladder steady?" She growled moving back and leading Beca toward a better lit part of the living room and Stacie watched silently.
"Chloe was busy. I thought I could do it-"
"Don't lie for me, Beca."
Becas head snapped up as Chloe walked down the stairs and Aubrey couldn't help but glare at her.
"Don't lie? Why would she lie?"
Stacie looked between them, before standing up again and walking over.
"We were arguing. She asked me to hold the ladder, and I ignored her. I walked away. If I hadn't, she wouldn't have fallen, I would have been able to catch her." She said and looked at Becas wrist in Aubrey's hands. Anything to avoid the fire in the blonde's eyes.
"That looks broken." She said, her voice steady, but soft. Beca shook her head.
"It's not broken. It's just sore."
Aubrey sighed deeply and looked at Stacie. "Please help Beca into the car, and I will get Alex. We are going to the hospital." She said.
"Bree I'm fine really, I don't want to go to the hospital."
"Beca, she is right, your wrist is probably broken, and you need to have it looked at. So, please, just get in the car." She said and Beca could hear her voice waver, knowing she was beyond upset, and not wanting to make it any worse.
"Okay." She said softly and she and Stacie walked out of the room.
Aubrey was shaking with anger, her teeth worrying the inside of her cheek as she glared at Chloe. "I came home early because we all need to talk. Apparently, now more than ever." She growled. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you Chloe but your attitude towards her sucks. And now this. I think you should stay home. We will be back."
Chloe looked at her, nodding before looking away. "Yeah. I think I should. Leave Alex with me, she doesn't need to see Beca in the hospital again."
"Fine. We will be back." She said moving passed Chloe and grabbed her keys, storming out of the house.
Chloe let out a shaky breath, feeling the tears in her eyes. She shook out her hands, looking around the room, a little unsure of what to do, or where to go. She had messed up. Big time. A small sob erupted from inside her and she buried her face in her hands for a moment, as the tears took over. Causing her to fall down onto the couch.
She sat like that for a while, crying into her hands. Rather loudly. Not really aware of much going on around her. She just knew that she had royally screwed up, and now was going to have to live with the awful way she had been treating Beca.
She felt something cold touch her arm and she sat up quickly, wiping he tears away and sniffling to see Alex standing in front of her.
"Mommy?" She asked softly. "Why are you crying?" She asked stepping forward and Chloe smiled lightly, lifting her into her lap.
"Because I'm sad honey. I've made some mistakes. And I upset your moms."
"I knew you and Mama were having a fight." She said, and Chloe heard the worry in her voice. "Where is she? Where is Mama?"
"She went out for a bit, with your Moms. It's just us for a little while, bug."
Alex frowned and looked down for a minute. "Did you hurt Mamas feelings?"
Chloe nodded. "I did."
"You should say you are sorry."
She nodded again. "I know I should. And I will." She said. "Just as soon as they come home."
"Good. Because I don't like when you guys fight."
"Me either. What do you say we take our puppy for a walk on the beach?"
Alex smiled and nodded getting off her lap. "I say, yes." She said.
"Have you picked out a name yet?"
She shook her head as Chloe stood up. "Mom said I have until dinner to name her. So I still have time, I think I have an idea though."
"Yeah?" Chloe asked. "What idea is that?"
"Billie." She smiled as they walked toward the door, where the puppy was currently laying.
"Billie huh?"
"Yeah, sure, Billie. I like it, I think it's pretty."
Chloe smiled. "I think so too."
A/N: Sorry for the wait! Serious trouble coming. PLEASE REVIEW. Also, I know I haven't been updating my other stories. Im just really inspired in this one right now.
