Chapter 6
What. A. Night.
That party was something. I've never had such an awesome time before. Well, in all honesty, there's an exception... Exception that was included in yesterday's package, with luxury perks. Well, almost all included. Most likely because I earned myself a PG-13 ending.
Memories start to play in my mind like a Reel. Singing, a dirty picture, more singing, boobs, hot open-mouth kisses, Amy's poison, underwear, an intoxicated Jesse, people rubbing against each other, red hair and vanilla.
Anyway, it's time for regrets.
First thing's first. Acetone odour summons me back to reality. I open my eyes, and the sunlight blinds me; I bring my hand up in defense. My mouth is dry as sandpaper and my body feels sort of weird.
"Ugh." I push myself up with my hands into a sitting position. I rub my eyes and yawn, extendinding my legs and fanning my toes.
"Good morning, Beca." I hear Chloe's voice, softer than usual, just above a whisper.
My eyes try to focus on what's before me, and I see Chloe Beale, wearing hot pants, and a sports bra, her hair up in a messy bun, sitting on her task chair in front of her bed, feet resting at its edge. Between her thumb and index fingers, she's holding a nail polish brush.
Before I can even reply, I feel a throb in my head. The pain makes me hiss. One of my hands fly up to my forehead, and I roll my eyes in disdain.
"Well, shit." I exhale profusely and let my body fall back on bed. "I hate myself." I mutter.
Chloe chuckles. "There are two pills and orange juice on the night table."
I turn my head to glance over the night stand, to corroborate. I push myself on my elbow, and without much thought, I take the two tablets to my mouth and gulp down half of the drink. I sigh, satisfying my thirst. One problem down.
"That was, um, thank you." I mumble as I let my head back on the pillows.
Chloe hums softly, content. I see her painting her toenails, her chin resting on the left knee.
"What time is it?" I ask her.
Her eyes point at my direction, then back at her task. "Last time I checked, it was almost noon."
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. And push myself up again, and turn to sit on the edge of bed, my head between my hands, elbows on my knees. I sigh, massaging my temples. I'm still wearing yesterday's clothes.
"You should take a shower." Chloe suggests, and I glance at her, feeling a lump in my throat. I really don't understand the feeling that's taking over me.
Do I stink?
"Yeah," I swallow slowly, get on my feet, and make my way to the bathroom. Suddenly, my stomach starts to betray me every step of the way. I feel so nauseated. I absolutely don't wanna hurl my insides on Chloe's room carpet. A few more strides, and finally reached the bathroom. I shut the door behind me, and in a brisk, I kneel before the toilet bowl, pushing the seat up before humiliating myself.
Chloe knocks the door. "Beca?"
I clean my mouth with the back of my hand before replying. "Yeah?" It comes out more strangled than planned.
"You okay?" She sounds concerned.
"I'll live." That's all I answer.
...
The Swanson-Beale household is silent just after noon, which is a rare scenario. I make myself downstairs, and the house it's sparkly clean. Who made this happen? I'm pretty sure the house was a disaster last night. It was so crowded and the BYOB wasn't exactly sophisticated. I guess the girls outdid themselves very late last night or very early in the morning.
I scan around the place, and enter the living room to find Jesse resting on the sofa, his head tilted on the back of the couch, his arms idle by the sides, heating pad over his belly and wearing an eye mask. He's so extra sometimes.
I take a seat beside him. "You're PMSing now?"
"Badly." He groans, looking miserable. "How do you guys even deal?"
I chuckle at him, but immediately regret it. I massage my temples., adopting his position. "Usually, I embrace the mood swings and throw up."
"Ew." He murmurs, disgusted.
"What's that awesome smell?" It smells like chicken broth and lemon. It's delightful. My stomach growls; I'm starving.
"Aubrey is making soup." He says, a smirk forming in his face. He lifts one side of his eye mask to look at me with one eye.
"Oh!" I glance at him wide-eyed. "Wow." Okay, I'm impressed that she's even cooking, but for Jesse's sake?! That's a whole new level.
"I know, right?" He takes off his mask, and wiggles his eyebrows at me. "So weird…"
I look at the kitchen entrance and then back at him. "Did something happen last night?" I whisper.
He gets closer to me, his eyes surveying the common areas. "I really don't remember?" He says, ashamed.
A laugh escapes my lips, and I cover my mouth. "Dude!" I say softly.
He lets his head back again, running a hand down his face. "I just can't believe I have no recollection whatsoever, Becs." He says softly, somehow regretful of his state last night. "I don't know if I had a shot or not."
"What are you talking about?" I encourage him. "I need you to, like, enlighten me 'cause I'm pretty lost. What kind of shot?! Like kiss-kiss-shot or sexual-shot?"
He looks at me with a saddened smile, and he is about to speak, when Chloe interrupts our heartedly, whispered conversation. We both glance at her, a bit stunned by her appearance.
"How are you guys feeling?" Her big blue eyes are on us, as we exchange glances.
"Fine." I lie. I feel awful in all honesty. My head is throbbing, my throat is irritated and I want to puke my insides out.
"Hung over." Jesse admits, and I nod.
"Yeah, um," I point at Jesse, feeling kind of awkward after the admission. "What he said." I press my lips together to prevent any further cring-y moments. I see Chloe crossing her arms at her chest, observing me.
"Soup's ready!" Aubrey calls from the kitchen, and Jesse is the first one to stand, unplugging the heating pad from the electrical outlet.
"Finally!" I hear Nathan say as he runs down the stairs, passing through the living room with just two strides, diving right into the kitchen.
"Coming, Becs?" Jesse nods towards the kitchen, pulling my attention back to him.
I look up to him and shake my head. "Give me a minute. Yeah?"
Jesse nods and glances back at Chloe, as he walks to the kitchen. I identify a glint of curiosity in his puppy eyes, and I feel self-conscious for a brief moment. Are we being too obvious? My eyes follow him until he's out of sight and then I'm under the gaze of bright blue eyes. Chloe remains in place, just watching me. She hides a strand of hair behind her ear, rocking over her feet, as she stares down at her toe separators I guess.
"Are you okay?" I ask the redhead, her eyes back on mine.
She nods. "Oh, yeah. Totes!"
Chloe is lying. That I know.
…
So, apparently the girls hired a cleaning company, and they are the ones responsible to make the house look presentable before Andrew and Kathleen arrive from their night out, sponsored by Aubrey.
Today, a BBQ will take place today at the Swanson-Beale's household as a welcome for their collegiate children. We've been told Mike and Tom will arrive later in the afternoon and will join us for the rest of the weekend.
The parents are finally home. Chloe and Aubrey wouldn't shut up talking to Kathleen about potential celebrations and dinners to make the most of their quality time as family for the next few days. A pool party is miraculously achieved, but alcohol has been banned since Jesse wasn't able to recover upon the arrival of his parents. (He puked into the kitchen's trash can, right in front of them).
He is so grounded. For three weeks. Poor, poor boy.
Me on the other hand, I recovered with the help of Aubrey's miracle soup. It was delicious, and brought me back to life in no time. Nathan, Emily, Benji and Anna didn't have any problem whatsoever. None of them were stupid enough to waste themselves to death like we did the prior night.
…
The afternoon goes uneventfully.
While Benji and I chill at Jesse's room, the poor guy spends most of his day doing chores, and raking leaves in the backyard. I feel sorry for him. He still looks pale, yet he manages to survive his hangover underneath the blazing sun.
"I think I'm going to go help him." Benji says out of the blue. "Even if Andrew doesn't agree."
I glance at him over the screen of my laptop, noticing he is looking out the window. I shuffle on the beanbag, to place my laptop on the red coffee table to walk up to the window.
"He looks miserable." Benji mutters when I approach.
"So, that's what a bad hangover looks like…" I sigh and touch his deltoid with the back of my hand. "Come on, let's help him out."
We are walking down the hallway when I hear Chloe call me from her room. "Hey, Beca?"
I stop and glance over my shoulder, to see her poking her head out of her room's door. "Yeah?" I bet she perceives the confusion per her request.
"Can you help me with something?" She asks all innocently, and I glance back at Benji and he just smiles.
"Go, I got him." He says kindly and heads downstairs.
I turn on my feet, and walk to Chloe. She heads back into her room, before I get near the door and I watch her as she sits on bed.
"How can I help?" I stand by the room's entrance
She glances at me, from bed, expecting something I can't pinpoint. "Close the door, please?"
I just do as she asks although her request unsettles me. After the door is closed, I turn around and observe her with curiosity.
"So!" She smiles widely, crossing her legs. "I need your help. Well, it's more like we." She nods. "The Bellas."
"Um," I stand awkwardly before her, lost. "Why?"
Chloe snatches her lower lip between her teeth, her eyes fill with worry. "I don't know. I guess," She sighs looking around. "Aubrey and the girls really liked the Dua Lipa mix you made me, and," She glances at me. "Maybe you could help us arrange this year's set…?"
Oh! Not in a million years I would have thought The Barden Bellas needed my help. Not that I've spent most of the afternoon watching their a cappella performances on YouTube, stalking them down, and witnessing how amazing they are. Surely, I infer they don't need me at all. They are good already; fact supported by Jesse's vast a cappella knowledge…
...Or perhaps they need a little more swag (which I could totally contribute with) and less of the tight flight-attendant-barbie-vibes they've got going.
"Really?" I ask completely taken aback with her request. "Aubrey hates me, dude."
"She doesn't hate you." Chloe shakes her head. "She's just a little-"
"Far up her ass?" The words just escape my mouth.
Chloe glares at me, but just brings her hands up in surrender. "Alright, she's not fond of you, but she will be." The redhead says.
"I doubt it." I shrug and cross my arms at my chest. Something about this exchange intrigues me. Maybe it's the possibility of doing what I love for the girl I'm seriously crushing on or just the mere thought of strangers listening to my arrangements. Or both. I'm thrilled. "Is there something you guys have already in mind?"
Chloe observes me and her smile widens. "I have listed a few songs, yeah."
I nod with a slight smile. "Cool. You can text me the list and I'll see what I can do. It's not like I'm busy or anything."
"Awes!" She gets on her feet, striding in my direction. She embraces me, resting her head on my left shoulder, looking away from me. "Thanks, Becs."
I return the embrace, holding her by the hips. "Yeah, no problem." I exhale softly.
Chloe pulls back, and we both stare into each other. My breathing is caught up, as soon as I meet her sky blue eyes, feeling like something is wrapping around my torso. It's a new kind of pressure, uncomfortable but endearing. She remains close, smiling at me, her eyes battling whether to focus on my eyes or lips. My fingers flex at the hips, which, FYI, was completely not on purpose, and her hands fist at my shoulders. Something about this excites me. Just how a simple gesture can ignite a spark, and be able to stir us. Chloe does that. She pulls strings that disarm whatever defenses I come up with and is also able to entail desire.
The tension feels heavy and thick around us.
I observe how her breaths start to uneven, and how her chest recoils and expands at a quick pace. All it takes is another purposeful tug to her hips, and she's kissing me, trapping my lower lip between both of hers. Her hands now hold my face as she changes the angle to pepper me with open mouth kisses, which I gladly reciprocate.
I know it may sound cheesy, but the floor feels like it's spinning or maybe it's just us. Because our hands fumble with each other's clothes, our feet move without a heading as we kiss the hell out of each other. Our momentum abruptly comes to a stop, and Chloe moans into my mouth. I break the kiss, our lips making a pop sound as they detach.
"Sorry." I look behind her and realize I have her pinned against the room's chest of drawers.
"Hmm. It's fine. Shh." She shakes her head and grabs my face again, resuming our sesh.
We're making out in her room, just a little past 3PM, only a door separating us from reality. My hands slid from her hips to the back of her thighs and with a pull, I'm able to lift her, and settle her on the chest. Her legs wrap around me, her tongue brushes against mine. I pull myself from her, leaving her hanging, to undo the top three buttons of the green and blue flannel shirt she's wearing. Her chest heaves unbridled, as my lips travel down her sternum, over the crest of her breasts and then up to her neck, where I suck and nip for a brief moment.
Her phone starts ringing, and I stop to look at its direction. "Such timing." I am fazed when I see Aubrey's picture and name on the screen. We stare at it until the first call is missed, in order to continue our activities, but the girl is insistent.
"I hope it's important." I say.
My attention is back on Chloe, who lets out a long exhale, pushing her hair behind her ears, pressing her lips together. She frees me and I'm able to step away. She pushes herself off of the chest and makes her way to the phone which starts ringing again.
"Yes, Aubrey?!" Chloe answers the phone exasperated, and I'm impressed. I raise an eyebrow at her, and snort shortly.
If glances could kill…
"Yes, I have spoken to her. Yes, she agreed. No. NO!" She paces around the room, frustrated, holding her shirt together where the buttons were undone. "Look, leave this to me, okay?" Chloe demands and I find that hot. "I'll call you later." She hangs up, and tosses the phone on bed.
I observe her and before I can speak, she brings her hand up.
"Don't even start." She warns.
With a motion of lock and key at the corner of my mouth, she knows I'll keep the thoughts to myself.
Emily barges into the room, startling me and Chloe, who stares at her wide-eyed. "Hey, Chloe? Ann-"
"Don't you know how to knock?!" Chloe shouts exasperated, which is highly unlikely of hers. She's usually a sweetheart; now, she's just sexually frustrated, probably since last night or God knows since when, hence the redhead-fury will ignite in a brisk.
Emily starts rambling; the poor thing is a nervous wreck.
"I-I am so-sorry." She starts shaking and moving her hands all around.
"Hey, hey..." I take Emily's side, holding her hands still. "No need to yell." I glare at Chloe, and then face Emily wearing an assuring smile. "Hey, now it's not the right time… she's, well," I shrug, smiling sheepishly at Emily. "She had a fight with Aubrey. An aca-fight." Still can't believe how easily I lie to her.
"Oh!" Emily takes a step back, letting go of my hands, with a nervous giggle. "Yeah," She points over her shoulder with her thumb. "I'll come back later. Sorry." She grimaces with guilt.
Emily walks away and I shut the door behind her.
"Dude, what the hell?!" I whisper.
Chloe pushes her hair back, exhaling in frustration.
"I'm going crazy here, Beca." She places her hands on her hips. "I need sex!" She whispers hostilely. "And I can't have it!"
She's so bothered, I don't even dare to utter one syllable just to not worsen the moment. Until there's a knock on the door, and I close one eye, embracing what's next to come.
"WHAT!?" Chloe shouts with her hands fisted in her sides. "Jesus Christ! I swear to God…" She starts to button her shirt reluctantly.
"Calm down", I mouth at her, gesturing with my hands to take it down a notch. I open the door to find Jesse with his eyes bulging out of his sockets.
"What. The. Fuck?" He mouths.
I shrug. "This is really not a good time…"
"Who is it?" Chloe asks impatiently.
Jesse takes a step forward and before I can stop him, he pokes his head inside the room. "Hey, sis." He greets her carefully. "Tom is downstairs..?"
I stare at him, then my eyes find Chloe. Whose face is not red as a tomato anymore. She turns pale.
"What?" Chloe croaks, and she seems as surprised as I am.
"Tom? Not our Tom, but the one from Barden?" Jesse states. "He's downstairs."
I forgot how to breathe. My hand is over the pit of my stomach, just there, holding it as if its stability depended on it. I really wasn't expecting that at all. Such a game changer. I just look up to the ceiling and inhale as discreetly as I could, to not display my level of mortification in front of my best friend.
"Tell him, I'll be down in a minute." Chloe tells Jesse, who just stands in place frozen, instead of delivering the message. "Go!"
"Oh!" He takes his queue, and disappears.
"Beca…" Chloe says tentatively, taking a hesitant step forward.
I raise my other hand up to stop her. "I don't wanna hear about it." I close my eyes and exhale. "Great." It doesn't take me much to get out of her bedroom, slamming the door behind me.
"Becs!" I hear her call from behind, but I don't stop. I had no intention whatsoever of listening to any of her crap.
I'm furious.
And jealous.
...
The BBQ goes according to Andrew's plan. The boys arrived about 5 pm in the afternoon. We had dinner at the backyard, falling in small talk, just catching up with their lives. Kathleen looks as radiant as ever, spoiling the older siblings with the favorite sides, and of course, peppers them with embarrassing kisses. I think it's cute; Tom looks abashed but Mike is taking it all in proudly; he's the sweetest young man I've ever met.
"Mom," Mike calls Kathleen. Okay, it's adorable how the guys refer to their stepparents as if they were their own. "I have some big news." He says with his mouth full already, stuffing it up with french fries.
"Yeah?" She smiles warmly at him, her hand on Andrew's forearm.
"I submitted the NASA summer internship application yesterday." He wipes his mouth.
"That's lovely news, Mike!" She reaches for his hand across the table.
"You're such a nerd." Tom Beale punches his arm playfully with a smile.
"Yeah, well. I'm smart." He shrugs. "Also, very excited." He gives a wide smile.
"That is so cool!" Emily says with a big smile, her eyes shining.
"I'm pretty sure you'll get it." Chloe grins at him, grabbing his cheek between her thumb and index finger.
"We're proud of you, buddy." Andrew smiles at him, raising his cup before drinking from it. "Sky's the limit." He winks.
"Not if you're an astronaut." Nathan says nonchalantly, before taking a big bite off of his chicken.
"Boy's got a point." Barden Tom chuckles softly, wiping off the sauce remnants from his lips.
Idiot.
Yes, Tom has joined us for dinner. He shows to be very talkative the whole time, participating in almost every small talk, clicking more with Mike Swanson than with Tom Beale. I guess, somewhere along the lines, everyone falls in different conversations, all buzzing in my ears and I can't quite catch up with any of them. So, I choose to focus on Jesse's and Benji's convo.
I hear how they are planning a sleepover at his man-cave, which is just the basement; I glance at them, feigning offense.
"Am I invited, you a-holes?" I ask Jesse.
He smiles at me. "Of course, Becky."
Benji turns to Emily and Anna. "You guys are also invited. We are watching Star Wars."
"Again?" Anna complains.
Jesse glares at Benji. "Dude, we agreed on A Quiet Place!"
"Oh, right." Benji's cheeks are rosy.
"Cool." Emily says. "Count me in."
I call Jesse's attention, by touching his arm with the back of my palm. "Can you drive me home?" I ask him, and I feel two pairs of eyes on me. Brown and blue.
"Why?" Jesse asks. "You are not ditching our movie night."
I roll my eyes at him. "Who said anything about-" I sigh. "I just wanna go get my memory foam sleeping mat and the MIDI keyboard."
"Oh!" He nods. "Of course, yes. I'll ask mom or dad." Jesse points at himself. "'Cuz you know, I'm grounded af."
"Okay, cool." I nod, and take my phone out, scrolling through Instagram.
"Tom." Chloe says and both Toms glance at her. "Not you, brother." She smiles at Beale and then turns to Barden Tom. "Can we talk?"
I hear her say, and I put my headphones back on, taking a big bite of my hamburger before I let it sit on the plate. I'm not that hungry anymore.
...
When the night falls, we all help Mrs. Beale in the kitchen. I'm drying the dishes as Anna washes them and Emily organizes them in their respective shelves. The tall brunette starts humming Nick Jonas' Jealous.
Such a coincidence.
Emily starts singing, her voice mellow and beautiful and Anna harmonizes. I join them at the chorus along with Benji who is sweeping the kitchen area. Jesse appears by the sliding doors near the kitchen, thrusting his hips for sensual purposes, belting the falsetto. I laugh at his moves and Kathleen walks into the kitchen.
"Young boy!" She chastises him with a playful smile.
"He's got my moves."Andrew says as he walks in with a stainless steel tray.
"Ew!" Jesse and Anna say in unison.
"Dad," Mike makes a disgusted face as he follows him, carrying the salad bowls. "Information not required."
"Revolting." Tom Beale fakes a gag.
Nathan seems clueless. "What's going on?"
With moments like these, where everyone is crammed up at the common areas of the house, happening every other 10 minutes at the Swanson-Beale's, makes everything easier, and definitely way better than staying at home on my own when my father is halfway across the country.
They are fun. And I like hanging out with them.
Chloe joins the gathering, looking in distress. Kathleen notices and offers her a hug. They have a hushed exchange and they walk out of the kitchen. We keep on doing our tasks, randomly singing songs before we are able to go pick my stuff at home. Once everyone is done with their chores, my best friend tries to help my cause.
"Dad," Jesse stands beside Andrew. "Beca needs to get some of her stuff from her house. I know I'm grounded, but can I drive her? It'll be quick. I promise."
"You're right." Andrew shuts the faucet, and dries his hands with a kitchen towel. "You're grounded."
Jesse groans. "Dad, come on!"
"No." He shrugs. "Your mother was very thorough."
"It was my idea, sir." I intervene.
"Andrew." The brunette corrects.
"Andrew. It's fine, Jess." I try to dismiss the subject. "Thank you anyw-" Chloe pops into the conversation.
"I can drive her." She offers herself, and the three of us turn to her while she stands by the kitchen's entrance.
"Problem solved!" Andrew smiles, placing the towel on the stove's handgrip.
No, no! Problem not solved! I'm taken by the sudden twist of the situation. One of the boys could take me. But neither of them volunteer to my request. Just Chloe fucking Beale.
"Great." Chloe nods. "Coming, Becs?" Her tone is wary, soft.
"What about Tom?" I ask.
"He's gone." She replies.
To be honest, I don't have other choice. So, I comply to avoid any drama. I just fold and place the towel on the counter, before making my way out of the kitchen, Chloe following my trail. By the front door, I search for my house keys and Jesse's car keys in the empty fishbowl. When both are found, I give Chloe the car keys as she holds the door open for me.
The ride home is quiet, apart from the music playing softly through the speakers. I opt to look out the window and embrace the cloudy night, to see how the lightning illuminates the sky, enhancing the odd shapes of clouds. Thunder strikes, and tiny droplets start to hit the windshield.
We make it home in a matter of minutes. Chloe parks in the driveway and as soon as she shifts to parking, I head out. It doesn't take long for her to catch me at the house's front door, which I unlock and let us in. It starts to rain.
The lights turn on automatically, motion sensors.
"I won't be long." I say as I take the stairs, and see her studying the living room.
"Okay." She replies, a bit taken.
I enter my room and hit the switch to turn on the lamps. I walk into the closet to retrieve the MIDI hard case. I placed it on the bed before I turn towards my baby. With all the delicacy of the world, I let it into its case, along with the lines and cables, and zip it up. Gently, I place it by the door and walk to my desk to retrieve my Audio headset.
"Your house is beautiful." Chloe says without notice. I jump in place, startled, my hand flew to my chest.
"Dude!" I place my other hand on my hip trying to tame my heart rate. "You scared the crap out of me."
"Sorry." She whispers innocently.
"You should like," I waved my index finger at her. "Wear a bell or something." I let the air escape.
Chloe hums and lets herself into the room, her eyes roaming my things, my bookshelf, her fingertips sliding over the room's chest of drawers. I watch her as she leisurely studies my every possession. My hands promptly fold my headset into its case, my eyes gawking at Chloe's legs, her muscles perfectly flexing with each step taken.
She looks so fine in summer dresses. Dark blue has always suited her. Chloe picks up my perfume, takes the cap off and smells it. She closes her eyes and sighs.
"I love the way you smell." She muses.
I swallow the lump in my throat, watching how she sprays it on her wrist. She puts the flask down and rubs her wrists together, taking a whiff.
"Thanks?" I croak, in a futile intent I clear my throat.
Chloe walks in my direction, slow and paced, her eyes holding mine. She takes the headset case from my hands, and leaves it on the desk.
"I'm mad at you." I say.
"I know." She whispers, looking down at our feet. "I had nothing to do with Tom's unexpected visit, Beca." Her fingers fidget with the edge of her dress. "I swear."
Right.
"What was that about?" I demand.
Chloe sighs, looking away, her eyes anywhere except on me. "He wanted to get back together."
"Get back together. Seriously?" I scoff.
She bites her lips, looking down to her hands.
"Gosh, Chloe!" I take a step back from her, and she follows but I distance her with my arm. "You were with him?!"
"I broke up with him." Chloe says apologetically.
"When?!" I counter, hurt.
"About two months ago." She admits.
I bring my hands up. "I'm so, so stupid." I try to walk around her, to reach for my headphones but she pulls me back to face her by my left forearm.
"Don't touch me." I yank my arm from her grip.
"Beca, wait. Please," She says, her voice caught up. "It's not what you think..."
"Cut the crap, Chloe!" I snap. I am so mad right now. I feel betrayed. Hurt. And I acknowledge I have zero right to start a drama because we are not together. We never were. Still, I'm shaken by the news.
Her eyes start to build up tears, as she brings a hand to her mouth, to stifle a soft sob.
"Beca… It's not l-... I don't wanna be with him or anyone else." She whispers.
"Like I care." I say bitterly.
Chloe stares at me, indignant. She rubs her forehead with two fingers, and I see her struggling. It seems like she wants to say something more.
"I'm in love with you, okay?!" She says desperately, covering her face with her hands. Chloe pushes her hair back exhaling profusely, defeated.
Okay.
I'm frozen.
My eyes and heart are the only parts of my body functioning right now. I stare at her blankly, lips slightly parted, unable to drag air into my lungs. She's what?!
"I need you to say something..." Chloe says just above a whisper. "'Cause if you don't, I-"
Finally, I'm breathing again. Still stunned by Chloe's sudden declaration. "Why?" My synapses aren't working like they're supposed to.
"Because you're amazing, Becs." She's trembling, her entire body is, pressing her lips into a thin line. "You are so good at everything you do."
Melted. Into a puddle.
Thing is, no one has ever approached me the way she has. No one has spent the time getting to know me like Chloe has. No one has ever been patient enough to flank my defensive walls and push me out of the comfort zone like she has. Multiple times. She is the one person that has taught me to believe in myself, to pursue my dreams, to try new things, even when my insecurities get the best of me.
Chloe Beale is fearless and bold, kind and determined.
I love music because of Chloe Beale. And I love Chloe Beale because she's music.
My favorite kind of music.
Automatically, I reach for her hand, and that's all it takes for her to surge forward and press her lips against mine. We stumble but regain balance in a matter of milliseconds. Her hands fist the jacket by its neck as I pull her hips into mine. She exhales through her nose when I guide her toward my full size bed. She breaks our kiss to pull off my leather jacket; when the deed is done, she grabs my face, and I push her down to bed until she's sitting.
Her hands reach my belt and unbuckles it quickly. Once she pulls it off, I tilt her head back to kiss her, pushing her down until we are laying horizontally. It's lovely to feel our bodies flushed against each other. How Chloe's legs graze my sides, the way her hands secure my face to hers and how my hand explores every inch, feels every taut muscle as it learns its way from her calves up to the edge of her ribcage.
Chloe Beale makes me feel goosebumps and chills all over my body with just a simple touch, such as dragging her nails over my scalp. Her caresses make the hairs in the back of my neck rise. Her broken breaths make me want to make her wishes my command.
I pull back, and Chloe follows me, holding herself up on her elbows, as I get away to settle between her legs. Her pupils are blown. I take her leg by the ankle, to take her white, low tops Converse off, our eyes never breaking contact, and once both shoes hit the ground, my hands disappear under her dress, up to her hips. I tug at her underwear and she lifts her hips off the bed.
I discard the panties on the floor, as I watch her having trouble breathing.
"Beca…" Her voice is husky.
I start a journey on her skin, giving open mouth kisses from her left calf up to her inner thigh. And evidently, the same amount of attention is given to her other leg.
Several sounds are coming out of her mouth, as she squirms underneath my lightfeather kisses. I feel every trembling fiber with my lips, as I disappear under the skirt of her dress. I kneel on the floor, snaking my arms under her thighs. A wild tug it's all it takes to pull her towards the edge of the bed.
Chloe gasps at my action. "Bec-" My lips break her voice, making her moan. I feel her heels digging into my scapulae, and one hand on my head. And I lose no time to indulge myself in her.
Chloe loses herself in pleasure, and I'm fortunate enough to draw profanities from her mouth with each purposeful stroke or when I enclose my lips around her bundle of nerves. I lost count of how many times I had to push her erratic hips down, when she tried to take over the encounter. I'm pretty sure the battle for dominance helped her get off.
"Oh God! A little to the- yes!" She grips my forearms as her body starts trembling, her hips come up to me. "Finally!" A satisfied, breathless moan escaped Chloe's lips. Then, she taps my arm, and I slow down my task, kissing her inner thigh, before peeping my head from under her skirt.
Not that anyone cares, but I'm enjoying the view. The result of my actions. Watching Chloe sprawled on my bed, her dress skirt wrinkled, her hair wild, coming down from her high, breathing irregularly, eyes closed and with the back of her hand resting on her forehead. She suffers a few aftershocks, and I wait patiently.
"Come here." She murmurs, her other hand seeks for me, and I crawl back on bed, spotting myself beside her, observing with a pleased smirk.
"Hey." I look down at her, feeling smug.
She opens her eyes to find me, her hand gently wipes my chin. "Dammit, Becs..." She whines and proceeds to hide in between my neck and shoulder.
I chuckle. "What?"
"I think I'm broken." Chloe utters, her fingers rhythmically tapping on my clavicle.
"I think you look just fine." I whisper. "Have you seen yourself?"
Her lips form a smile, I feel it on my neck. She pulls back to look at me. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes bright blue. She looks stunning.
"Yes." Chloe is still smiling.
"Well, you're hot." I shrug. "Like molten hot. It's on the volcano scale." I nod matter of factly.
She bursts into laughter. "Is that even a thing?"
"Of course it is." I roll my eyes playfully and scoff.
"You're such a liar." Chloe laughs again.
"Alright, alright. The truth is…" I roll my lips together. "The scale? Measures eruptions. You know," I wink. "The peaks."
Her eyes narrow at my smart-y-pants remark/innuendo. "I'll ask Nathan."
"Be my guest." I smirk.
A dreadful thunder breaks our spell, both of us jumping at the sound. The electricity flickers, and my eyes surveys my room. Chloe remains still beside me, securing her hand on my shoulder.
"We should head back." I wince, as another lighting strike predicts the arrival of another thunder.
"Yeah." She agrees with her eyes closed after the thunderclap.
We get out of bed, and fix ourselves up as best we could. I slip my jacket back on and pick the headset's case from the desk. I walk to the door to grab the MIDI.
"Ready to go?" I glance at Chloe with my hand on the light switch.
"Yes." She is fixing her hair in the mirror and glances at me, nodding. She walks towards me, and I see her toss something over my desk.
"What was that?" I ask, as my eyes try to look over the desk, but she places her hand on my cheek and stops my movement.
"Nothing." Chloe smiles innocently. "Don't forget the sleeping mat."
"Oh!" My eyes widened. "Thanks for reminding me. It's downstairs. Come on." I turn off the light.
…
Chloe takes her time on the way back home. The downpour is making me nervous. The road is barely visible, but Beale seems to be a heck of a driver. We are constantly communicating with Swanson-Beales via text message, assuring we are alive and well.
When we finally arrive, safe and sound, before I could turn to unbuckle my seatbealt, Chloe's hand grabs my jacket by the chest and pulls me to her, stealing a kiss. She remains close and observes me.
"You were incredible tonight." She whispers and bites her lower lip. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure." I say softly.
Another thunderclap shake us, and I grimace, looking out the windshield.
"Let's get inside, Beale." I get the seatbelt off. "This storm is creeping me out." I admit.
She nods and just follows my lead. We get out of the car, and made it to the front door where Kathleen is holding open for us. I let the case by the coat room and Mrs. Beale wraps me up in a towel.
"Thank you." I say gratefully.
"I was worried sick." She cups my cheek and then Chloe's. "I'm so glad you guys are back."
"Me too. It was pretty intense." Chloe admits as we walk to the kitchen. There, Kathleen already has two cups ready to be filled with warm tea. We sat on the kitchen stools, as the woman served the much needed elixir.
I wrap my hand around the cup, and inhale the vapor. It's chamomile, lemon and ginger tea.
"Thank you." I appreciate Mrs. Beale's warm detail.
"Thanks, mom." Chloe smiles warmly at her mother. "This is great." She drinks from her tea carefully.
"You're welcome, girls." She smiles at us. "Now, as soon as you're done. Change to dry clothes. I don't want you to catch a cold." She removes her apron, placing it over the counter.
"Will do, mother." Chloe assures.
"I will retire now, girls." She yawns. "Good night." She walks around the kitchen's island to place kisses on top of our heads.
"Nite." I say softly.
"Sleep well." Chloe wishes.
I stare at the tea's steam, my thoughts back to the room where it happened, remembering Chloe saying my name as a result of my touches. I've earned the same satisfaction over and over, and can't seem to get enough. The way her hands tried to hold on to whatever was nearby. How I had to control her impulses during intercouse, to not lose the leading part. The way Chloe makes me feel when she's in control and how I feel when she lets me guide her during our rendezvous.
It is different.
Us not being a normal couple or normal friends with benefits. And that's fine. I'm into all of it, if you know what I mean.
Chloe has told me she's in love with me. And I am with her. It's about damn time I gather up valor and tell Chloe the way she makes me feel and how much she has helped me grow. She deserves to know.
Chloe sighs, and I glance at her. She's resting her elbows on the kitchen's island, her chin over the palm of her hands. She hums some happy song I can't pinpoint.
"I got it bad." I say softly, and she looks at me.
"What?" She asks, confused.
I glance back at my cup of tea, letting my finger circle its rim. "The love bug." I smile to myself and I feel blue eyes on me. "Thing is, I can't help it." I say softly, looking straight ahead because if I look at her, I may lose my train of thought. "I'm also in love with you, Beale."
