CHAPTER 16 – Being Single

Another ordinary day.

Just another normal day when she takes her morning coffee in her usual coffe shop where she's now a regular. And as usual, she gets that bright smile from her coffee shop friends, because she was the one who started that, and then people just went with it – cause why the hell not? Chloe's a nice person who can smile at anyone at anytime.

She walks a good 20 minutes from the coffee shop on the way to her new work in the San Francisco Medical Center. She has been working there for the past 4 months, living in San Francisco for almost a year, and she's good.

Although if there's anything anyone would like to know, it's Chloe's past.

Everyone was met with a bright and smiley Chloe Beale – a 26-year old single lady with red hair, and seemed to be secretive about her past. Whenever Dor (in short for Dorthy), a nurse assigned in the front office, asks Chloe about where she lives before, or what was her job before – they get nothing. Chloe would only smile shyly, tuck a loose hair behind her ear and shake her head. If they did try to get a little more than that, Chloe would just say "Nothing interesting really."

And they thought that maybe Chloe had a traumatic past and she wanted to start over again in this town. It seemed fair enough, and they understand so they stopped asking from then on. But it didn't mean that they get this itch to just shake the answers out of the redhead.

Chloe, though, knew she was being suspicious because of her dismissive answers or glance whenever a question about her past comes to her way and she can't really blame them for that. So, as time goes on, she was one-by-one, slowly but surely, giving her new friends bits and pieces of her life before San Francisco. Like her obsession about painting, or her belt out sessions in the shower. Those kind of stuff.

But despite her sunny days with her new colleagues and friends in her fresh times in her new town, when she closes the door in her apartment and once again embrace the fact that she's alone in her apartment, her mind drifts off to the one that got away. Well, more like, she let go of.

Each step along the floor contributes to one question.

What is she doing? Has she been eating healthy? Is she taking care of herself?

Is she with someone?

Has she moved on?

And if her consciousness could be talking to her, she would hear a lot of it. Because she was being pathetic, and she has been for a couple of months. She was able to move to a new town, but wasn't able to move on completely. She was able to meet new people, but she's having a hard time letting go of that person.

In her defense, though, despite of her continuos mini reunions with Aubrey, Jesse, Stacie and of course, their new little comer, Gillian – there's this empty space between them all. A space for someone specific, someone special – Beca.

It has been a year since she has last seen the petite brunette, and it pains her that the last expression on Beca's face she has last seen was hurting and was crying. That's what haunted her up to this day that she just can't let go of.

Because the truth is: she's still in love with Beca.

Idiot. (The author thought so too.) Because at this point, Chloe's a living epitome of miserable. She was the first one who ruined that relationship, and she's still pining over the said ruined relationship for a year. What happened in Aubrey and Jesse's wedding isn't what she wanted. Ever. She only did it because it's what she deserves. Beca doesn't deserve her. Beca deserves someone better. Someone who doesn't cheat on her.

Okay Beale, this isn't about you having self-pity and inner monologues to make your life more dramatic than it is. Girl the hell up.

So, she walks in the hospital lounge, and was greeted immediately by Dor as she greeted back with a warm smile on her face. She headed for the locker room to put her stuff and to change into her uniform. As she opens her locker door, she felt her phone vibrate in her bag so she took the bag off her shoulder and put it inside the locker to start rummaging inside the bag. As she took hold of the phone, she smiled when she saw Aubrey's name as the sender of the message.

"Come over Friday at 6PM. Jesse and I have a surprise :) -A"

She smiled. She likes surprises, because it was the suspense that she lives for. And maybe there's a tinge of hope that Beca will be there. Or not.

Or maybe that's the surprise?

Meh, anything can happen right? Who knows, it can be just Gillian saying her first word or her first whatever.

A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for reading, as always, the gratitude I feel is beyond what words can explain. You guys are awesome. Thanks also for the faves and follows. I can appreciate a review too.

This is just a mere filler chapter, hence shortage of the whole. More infos about new characters on the following chapters, especially on baby Gillian. She's Aubrey and Jesse's 1 month daughter – just in case you guys missed that one. Anyway, I'll leave it here then. Thoughts and suggestions and very kind constructive criticism are welcome in the comment box. 'Til next time.

P.S. Pitch Perfect is not mine, nor will ever be.