Chapter 30
Beca's POV
I groan as I stand in the kitchen, waiting for Chloe. Is there a way I can get out of here without her noticing? No, she knows me too well. Maybe I could talk her out of it.
"Beca, you better not be planning an escape," Chloe scolds, coming down the stairs.
"Why would I do that?" I feign an innocent expression. "I just love going to school, especially after being gone for so long. People staring at me and whispering behind my back is the best, don't you think?"
"Oh hush up. It won't be that bad." Chloe grabs my hand and pulls me out the door. She shoves my backpack in my hands and off we go to school. After I was released from the hospital, Chloe went back to school which left me alone at the house while I healed. When the last week of school came around, Chloe begged for me to join her. I guess it's my fault since I told her I was perfectly fine now which isn't the complete truth. My stomach still hurts if I twist or move the wrong way.
Dying has messed with my mind though. Nightmares plague me as I remember being there one second and then nothing. There are gaps of emptiness that scare me. I died and not just once. My heart literally stopped and it messes with my head. I also still have moments where my mind races. Where I'm sure that the insanity is back.
It hasn't returned though and I think that dying set my mind on reset, like it never lost Chloe in the first place. The only insanity that I have is just my mind playing tricks on me. My uncertainty taking over. Chloe helps me though, just like I help her through the nightmares. She has them less and less now but after I got out of the hospital, she had several each night. I stayed up with her which left both of us exhausted the next day, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
"We're here," Chloe cheers which makes me groan again.
"Yay." She glares at my sarcasm, making me laugh. Shaking her head, Chloe gets out of the car and I follow. Nervousness flutters in my belly as we get closer and I wouldn't admit it, but I'm afraid.
How are you doing? Chloe asks and I jump, still not used to her being able to do it. It amazes me that she can but at the same time, I'm confused. For some reason, we're both different from any others of our species. Why? What does it mean?
I'm nervous. What if the elders come after me?
Oh shut up Beca. You know that they had to accept you. You defeated their alpha. That makes you royalty, even if you gave up the spot. Chloe chides but I know that she was relieved when I didn't accept the alpha position. The rule is if a wolf defeats an alpha, they then own the pack. So when I killed Julian, that instantly made me their alpha. When they sent a messenger to come inform me of that, I told them no and gave the position to Mr. Swanson. It hasn't been done much in the past, but is perfectly okay to give it up to a more responsible figure. He refused at first but then took it and made it clear to everyone that he was now in charge.
I know. It still makes me nervous.
"And that's understandable, baby. Just know that I'm right here. I'll be by your side the whole time. I nod, comforted at her words and we just go silent until we reach the doors. All of our friends wait there for us and cheer when they see me. For several minutes, I get hugged and clapped on the back.
"Welcome back, shortstack," Fat Amy cheers, giving me a big, crushing hug. I laugh and thank her.
"Becaw!" Jesse screams into my ear and I wince.
"Well, that's a new one."
"Sorry. I just got excited. Now, come here." Smiling, I hug him and when we pull back, he points to Chloe. "I see that she is officially yours."
I follow his finger and blush when I spot the mark that only werewolves can see. My cheeks heat up as I think of that night not long after I got out of the hospital. I took Chloe out to dinner and a nice hotel afterwards. She let me mark her that night so now all werewolves will know to back off and it connected us on an even deeper level, if that's even possible. Now, we don't have to work to tell what the other is feeling, we just know. That night...it's like we got to know more about each other and fell in love all over again.
"Yeah." I wave him away and he laughs.
"Next step, put a ring on that finger, huh?"
"Trust me, I already have that plan in the making." Jesse's eyebrows shoot up.
"How do you know she'll say yes?" Memories of me dying and her saying that she'll marry me flash through my mind.
"She'll say yes." I hope.
"Well if it helps, I'm rooting for you." Jesse nudges me with his shoulder and walks away, leaving me to watch Chloe as she laughs at something Stacie said. Her blue eyes sparkle and all my nervousness for today goes away replaced with the butterflies I get everytime I see her. She throws her head back, laughing which floats into my ears like magic. It's great to see her so happy. To see her so free.
She sees me alone and comes over, linking her arms through mine.
"You ready?" She gestures toward the building.
"With you, I'm ready for anything." We smile lovingly at each other, before entering the building together, just like we're meant to.
…..
My legs shake as I get ready to walk up to the stage and grab my diploma. I'm actually going to graduate. This is actually happening. When Joyce told me I was going to die, I had lost all hope of a future with Chloe much less one of me going to college. Chloe gave me that hope back and this time, I'll keep it.
"Beca Mitchell." The principle announces and I stand up, loving the cheers of support that I get. Who knew that when I started out this year, I would end up with so many people who care for me. I thought I would always be alone and would never amount to anything. But now I'm going to college to specialize in music with the girl that I love more than anything in the world.
I reach the stage and grab my diploma, shaking hands with the principle. He nods his head a bit and I nod back, signaling that it's still on. I exit the stage and go back to my seat, impatiently waiting for it to finish. When we throw our caps in the air, signaling the end of our old lives and the beginning of a new one, I make my way back toward the stage. My eyes meet Chloe's and she stares at me in confusion when I don't make my way towards her.
"Can I have your attention please?" The principle taps the microphone. "I know you guys want to go home and celebrate, but one of the graduates has asked me if she could speak for a few minutes at the end of all this. A lot of people ask me that and I usually turn them down, but this is a very special young lady who practically begged me to let her do this. Once I heard her out, I knew I had to do it so I apologize for taking up your time, but once you see why, hopefully you'll understand. I welcome Beca Mitchell to the stage." There are some slow claps but people mainly look around, confused as to what's going on.
"Thank you," I say to the principle and he smiles, patting me on the back.
"Good luck, miss Mitchell." He walks off and I turn to the crowd, drawing in a shaky breath.
"Most of you probably know me as the mean girl with the bad reputation. It's been that way for years and I fought to keep it like that because of some personal reasons. This past year though, I'm sure many of you have noticed that has changed. I've changed." Several people nod their heads and I smile.
"I have to say that it wasn't because I woke up one day and decided to be different. It's because of a girl who came into my life unexpectedly and even though a lot of bad stuff has happened, I wouldn't change a thing." I meet Chloe's eyes as she slowly makes her way through the crowd to me. "She showed me that I wasn't what everybody thought of me. That I was special and not a nobody. She showed me that love and hope was real and very important. Chloe Beale, you said to me a long time ago that I should sing for you. Never in my right mind would I have thought to do that, especially in front of a bunch of people. But I never did sing to you and I almost died with the regret of not doing that. So, I'm going to sing to you while you make your way up here."
I look behind me at Jesse who grins and presses play. Turning back around, I start to sing titanium, looking Chloe in the eyes the whole time. She watches me with amazement glittering her face and people cheer when she finally makes it to the stage. She reaches me and I grab her hands, still singing. It finally ends a few minutes later and by then, both Chloe and I have tears running down our faces.
"Chloe Beale," I start, not caring if I'm speaking into the microphone anymore. "I love you more than anything. You are my whole world, my heart, my life. When I lay there dying, you said that you would marry me if I didn't die. That I had to stay alive and ask you properly so I fought and won. Now, I'm asking you, Chloe Beale, if you will do me the great honor of being my wife?" I get down on one knee and pull out the ring that Joyce gave me a few days ago. She watches us with a smile from the crowd and when I meet her eyes, she winks. I grin and look back up at Chloe who cups my cheeks and kisses me.
"Is that a yes?" Cynthia Rose calls from the audience and Chloe laughs against my mouth. She pulls back and I stand up, never losing eye contact with her.
"It's the biggest fucking yes ever," Chloe laughs and we kiss again as the crowd cheers, once again throwing their caps up. It's time to start a new life, one with Chloe as my wife and one where I can look forward to the future. I'm not alone anymore. I never actually was because even if I didn't know it at the time, Chloe was out there. Everything that's happened, it's happened for a reason. Some of those are still unknown but others are perfectly clear. It brought us together and changed us for the better.
….
A month later, I stand in front of my fiance as we say our I do's and officially make her my wife. We didn't want anything big so we threw a quick wedding together with just some family and friends. The one thing I really insisted on though was that Chloe wear a wedding dress. When I pictured her walking down the aisle with a wedding dress on as I was dying, it just seemed right for her to actually wear one. Her mom had hers and when I saw it, I instantly knew that she had to wear it. Boy was I right. Chloe is gorgeous and radiant in it making it hard for me not to melt into a puddle at her feet. When I saw her walking down the aisle with Carter next to her, there was no way to stop the flood of tears.
Jesse had to hand me a handkerchief so that I wouldn't mess up my make up. When I told Chloe that when she got up to me, she laughed and said it wouldn't matter. She would still take me as her wife. Damn, gotta love that girl.
We finish our vows and say our I do's. After we kiss, I smirk and wink at her.
Told you that you couldn't resist this.
Trust me, I know. Chloe laughs and I join in. My ring gleams as I reach for her hand and we walk past our family and friends for the first time as a married couple.
"Have fun," Stacie calls, wrapping her arms around Aubrey's waist.
"But not too much fun," Fat Amy yells back and I turn to look at her.
"Can't promise that. I mean, have you seen my wife?" I wiggle my eyebrows and everybody laughs as Chloe slaps me playfully, her face red.
"Why do you do that to me?"
"What?" I ask innocently and she just rolls her eyes. "Hey, you're the one who married this."
"Yes, I did." Chloe smiles warmly at me and glances at her ring, like she can't really believe it either.
"To our honeymoon?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at Chloe.
"Hell yes." Laughing, we get into the car and head toward our new life together.
To be continued…...
A/N- So this is the end of Bella and the Beast- part 1. I never planned to split this story up at first, just to continue right to the end. It seemed better this way. The first chapter of part two will be coming soon. I hope y'all are enjoying this and thanks for sticking with me! Part Two will still be on this story, just as a continuation.