"No, let's stay here for a while, I don't want to go back home." The redhead said as she snuggled into Beca's chest.
"Chloe," She said again as she tightened her arms around Chloe. "I'm always going to be here for you." When she recieved no reply from the redhead, she sighed as she looked at the blue sky. She didn't deserve this pain, I need to talk to my aunts, they know exactly why Larry wasn't normal. She then turned her gaze to the sleeping redhead and placed a kiss on the top of her head. I will make your dream come to true Chloe, I'll do whatever it takes to see you happy and relaxed. She told herself as she sent a text to Liam telling him to call her soon. The lawyer called and spoke to Beca as she told him a plan she had in mind, the lawyer accepted the idea and told Beca that he'd do the task right away.
She sighed as she looked back again the redhead, she wished to take the pain away and erase the past eight years of Chloe's life, but she knew she can't do that, but she will help the redhead no matter what it takes.
About half an hour later of sitting there waiting for Chloe to wake up, the redhead opened her eyes slowly trying to focus on the scene around her, she lifted her head to see Beca looking at her with adorable eyes. "Mmm, hey." She said as she got off of Beca's lap.
Beca smiled. "Hey Chloe, had a good sleep?"
Chloe sighed, "Y-Yeah but I don't know what to do Beca."
The short brunette stood up and grabbed the financial bonds that were laying on the ground and tore them into small pieces. She then threw them up in the air. "Go, Chloe, you're debt-free," Beca said with a smile. "Go back to your family, but don't forget about me."
Chloe's eyes started to well up in tears, the papers she wished she'd burn since the moment she married Larry are now torn. "Those papers were once my future."
"And now they are your past. I tore them so you can go and live your life. Chloe, you need to forget what happened to you and start a new life." Beca said with a soft smile as she wrapped her arms around Chloe. "You need this, so go pack your bags and I'll drop you over to the Beale house, and we will continue with the plan to save your father from selling the house." She finished as she dropped a kiss on Chloe's forehead. "Just," She then sighed sadly. "Just don't forget about me okay?"
"A-Are you traveling back?" Chloe asked as her heart sank at the thought of not seeing Beca anymore.
Beca shook her head. "I'm staying here, I left New York for a reason, and now you are my reason I want to stay here." She said with a smile. "I'll work in the factory and maybe go back to drawing." She said with a shrug. "Are you ready to go and pack your stuff?"
Chloe exhaled a breath as she looked into Beca's eyes. No, I'm not ready. She thought to herself as she gave Beca a sad smile. "Yes, I'll go see what I have else and then we will leave."
"I'll wait for you here, do you need more than an hour?" Beca asked gently.
"Nope, I'll come and find you when I'm done," Chloe replied with a sad smile.
The redhead entered the mansion to find Stacie nowhere in sight, she sighed as she walked further into the room and saw Stacie stood in the middle of the room. "Where are you going?" The tall brunette asked with bitterness in her voice.
"I don't think it's any of your business," Chloe replied flatly.
Stacie scoffed. "No, it is my business. Where are you going?"
"I'm going to my room!" The redhead replied in anger.
"You don't have a room here," Stacie replied with a smirk. "It's funny how suddenly you don't have anything, everything is for Beca."
"I don't even know you anymore, what has gotten into you, Stacie? Where is the girl I grew up with!?" The redhead said in frustration and anger.
"She died the moment you decide to steal her dream! She died when her father and brother left her!"
Chloe's eyes went wide. "Why am I at fault for something I have no control over!? I was living a normal life before any of this happened! Your sick Stacie and you need to find a way to go back to the girl who was once my best friend." Chloe said with sadness in her voice.
"You ruined everything good in my life and including Beca," Stacie said as she got closer to the redhead. "You love her, right?" But when she saw Chloe lower her gaze, she got angry. "RIGHT?" She yelled suddenly causing the brunette to flinch. "I told you that I like her why would you pursue her!"
"I didn't pursue anyone!"
"What do you want from her? I have nothing left in this world but Beca! Why do you want to take her away from me? Why!?"
"I didn't want to take anyone!"
"But you love her," Stacie said as tears started to fall.
"I don't love her," Chloe replied with a heartache.
"No, you do!"
"I told you that I don't Stacie!"
"YOU ARE A LIAR! You love Beca Mitchell!"
"I love her!" Chloe said suddenly. "Yes I love Beca Mitchell, I love her and I am dying to tell her. I am in love with her and I don't think I can ever love anyone as much as I love her. And I am suffering just because of you! Because I know that you like her and I know I'll hurt you if I told her, what do you want more? What more do you want me to do so you can understand that I am not your enemy?" Chloe confessed in pain and anger.
"I want you to disappear, I want you to leave us alone. Leave Chloe, please leave."
"If that's what makes you happy, then I'm leaving," Chloe said in a flat voice.
"Yes, please do. This is the only thing that makes me happy. I want you to leave my life once and for all. All my life you have been that black spot I've been dying to clean and it's not going away."
Chloe nodded. "Get out." The tall brunette said nothing as she left the room, Chloe wiped her tears and looked around the room, she only took a few shirts that she brought a few months ago, she placed them in a backpack and made her way out of the room. She then passed by Elissa who was in her room, "Elissa, can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked gently.
"Y-Yes, of course, Ms. Chloe," The housemaid said as she stood in front of Chloe.
"I want you to send Alex to get some stuff for Beca and place them in her bedroom. Can you do that?" When she saw Elissa nod, she smiled. "Send Alex to a place that sells painting supplies and let him get a full set, and here's the credit card I had, let him pay for the stuff with it and place it along with Beca's other stuff."
"Of course Ms. Chloe," Elissa said with a nod.
She then left and opened the front door to find Beca standing there waiting for her beside the car with a sad smile on her face.
The short brunette noticed that Chloe wasn't okay, her smile fell as Chloe walked closer to her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, can we please go?" The redhead asked in a low voice.
Beca nodded, "let's go," She said as she opened the passenger seat for Chloe. The redhead thanked her as she hopped in the seat and the short brunette made her way to the driver's seat. She started the car and she couldn't help but feel her heartbreak at the sight of the redhead. "Chloe, your future begins now." She started as she cleared her throat. "Free yourself from the prison you put yourself in. The doors are open." She said as she started to drive. "You need to fly."
"But I'm scared," Chloe replied in a low voice as she stared out the window. "I don't know what's waiting for me out there."
"I'm sure it will be better than everything that has passed," Beca replied softly. She waited for a few minutes and then spoke again. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about." She said as she noticed that they were near the Beale house.
Chloe turned and faced the redhead. "What is it?"
"You are going back to your college," Beca said as she looked at the redhead with a wide smile.
Choe's eyes went wide. "No, I can't."
The short brunette shook her head. "Liam already talked with the Dean, starting from tomorrow you are a college student."
"Beca no I can't accept it," Chloe argued.
"The money has been already paid, so either you complete your studies or throw the money away. Besides, when you become a doctor and start healing people, don't take money from me." Beca said with a laugh.
Chloe's heart melted as she had tears started to fall from her face, "B-Beca..."
"Don't Chloe, I want you to be happy. And seeing you study and graduate is a dream I want you to accomplish." She said as she parked the car in front of a white house. "Is this it?" She said as she pointed out the window.
Chloe sighed and nodded. "Yeah," She said queitly.
"C-Can I ask you something, Chloe?" Beca asked hesitantly.
"Of course," Chloe replied nervously.
"Do you love me?" Beca asked in a low voice as she closed her eyes, hoping for the answer she wanted.
Yes.. Chloe thought to herself as she took a deep breath. "No..." She trailed off not daring to look into Beca's eyes.
"Look at me and tell me you don't love me," Beca replied with firmness in her voice.
"I-I d-d-don't love you Beca." The redhead said again in a low voice.
"Why did you leave crying? Did Stacie say something?" Beca asked knowingly. Chloe nodded wordlessly as she kept her gaze out the window. "What did she say?" The short brunette asked carefully.
"Nothing Beca, just please, take care of yourself and take care of her. She doesn't have anybody now but you." Chloe said as looked at the brunette with nothing but love.
Beca grabbed Chloe's hand and sighed. "Will I see you again?" She asked as her phone suddenly rang, "Excuse me for a moment." She said as she accepted the call from Aubrey. "Hey, Bree,"
"B-Beca, I left Jesse." The blond lawyer said as she was crying.
"What?" Beca exclaimed. "Where are you?"
"He's gone back to drinking and I can't live like that anymore. And I am going to find a hotel to spend the night at," Aubrey replied.
"No, continue driving to the mansion, I'll meet you there and I don't want to hear a 'No'. Okay?"
Aubrey sighed. "Okay, don't take long." She said as she hanged up the phone.
"Sorry about that, Aubrey left Jesse," Beca said with a sigh.
"Is she going to be okay?" The redhead asked worriedly.
Beca nodded, "Yeah, you didn't answer my question, will I ever see you again?"
Chloe shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe one day we will meet." She said as she turned her gaze to her parent's house, her eyes widened as she saw her father step out to the porch and started to work in the garden, his back was to the car so he didn't notice them. "T-That's him." She said nervously.
The short brunette smiled. "Go and be with your family, and don't forget that you need to start attending classes." She opened her car door and ran to Chloe's side. She opened the passenger door and spread her arms wide for Chloe to hug her. "Take care of yourself, Chloe, I'm only a call away okay?"
The redhead wrapped her arms around Beca's neck and buried her face into the crook of her neck. "Thank you,"
Beca smiled as her eyes started to water and kissed Chloe's forehead. "I'll miss you."
Chloe said nothing as she broke the hug and gave Beca a sad smile. She took a deep breath as she started to walk towards her house. Beca was watching the scene unfold with tears in her eyes.
The redhead kept walking till she opened the fence door that leads to the house, noticing there's a voice, Mr. Beale turned to see who came in and saw his baby girl, his eyes went wide as he took Chloe's appearance. He noticed how she looked different, older, and tired. On the other hand, Chloe was looking at her father with so much love and hurt in her eyes as she also looked at his appearance, through the eight years she hadn't seen him he had more gray hair and his face was tired. She dropped her bag and ran to her father. Meeting her halfway, Mr. Beale wrapped his daughter in a tight hug as tears started to fall from his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry baby girl. I missed you so much." He whispered as he tightened his arms around her.
All that Chloe could do was let out a sob, she missed her father, eight years she hadn't been in his arms, in the arms that she felt safe the most. "Daddy," She whispered softly. "I missed you so much."
Mr. Beale pulled out of the hug as he kissed Chloe's forehead repeatedly. "I'm so sorry I left you, please forgive me."
"I love you, dad, I love you so much. Of course, I forgive you." Chloe said with a smile. "W-Where's mom? I miss her,"
Charles Beale smiled as he put his arm his daughter as they walked towards the house. Chloe tilted her head one last time and saw Beca smile with a nod as she got into her car.
Beca wiped her tears as she started to drive, she knew she made the right decision. She sighed as she drove to her aunt's house because she had to speak with her aunts about exposing everything and she was also determined to know what her aunts knew about Larry and she also knew how she can get them to spill. It was about a half an hour drive when she pulled up at her aunts home. She prepared herself mentally to face her aunts after everything that has happened since her aunt decided to expose everything.
"Beca, what are you doing here?" Gina asked as she opened the door for the short brunette.
Beca sighed. "I came here to talk." She said as she walked further into the living room and found her aunt Liza sitting and watching TV.
"Came to apologize for the way you treated me the other day?" Liza said as she rolled her eyes.
The short brunette scoffed. "You had no right to interfere with what's happening, I knew what I was doing and you ruined everything."
"ME? Did I ruin everything? You were letting her live in your house! You were letting her think she owns everything!" Liza shot back.
"I'm asking you this once and for all," Beca said as she ran her hand through her hair. "What happened between Chloe and Larry?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." Liza faked confusion.
"There is! You knew he used to hit Chloe?"
"What? Of course not!" Liza said in shock, she had her doubts but she was never sure.
Beca turned to her aunt Gina and sighed. "You know that if you wanted to get married to John, I have to accept at first. Right? So for you to get married and you have to tell me everything." She said with a firm voice, "Everything." She added again, she knew her aunt Gina wouldn't resist an opportunity.
"I'll tell you everything," Gina rushed out, she knew if she wanted to get married, Beca was the only chance. When she saw Beca nod and take a seat she continued. "Look Beca, we weren't sure that he used to hit her, but we had a doubt that he would do it and maybe more than just hit her."
"GINA!" Liza interfered. "Shut up!" She said yelling.
"Beca has the right to know!" Gina shot back.
"Why are you so insisted on knowing Beca?" Liza said as she looked at Beca.
"Because I have to know."
Liza sighed, "Then I'll tell you,"
"Then sit and tell me everything."
"As you know, Larry wasn't living here for a while," When she saw Beca nod, she continued. "He was in rehab."
Beca whipped her head as her eyes widened, "What?"
"He was in a psychiatric and mental health clinic,"
"Why?"
"Your uncle wasn't normal, he didn't have a mental health but when he was a kid, something bad happened to him..." She trailed off as she took a deep breath. "And since that time he became abusive. And your grandfather didn't take him to a doctor, he just left him. And as the years passed and Larry got older he became more abusive, it started with animals, he used to shot animals but he never killed them, he wanted them to suffer. And when he became a man he calmed down a bit, till he married."
"Chloe?" Beca asked.
"No, Elena. He was twenty-two years old, he stayed for seven years married, and then she died."
"How did she die?"
"She died because he was... you know... abusing her too much." She said as she took a breath. "Your father helped him get into rehab, Larry refused at first, but your father knew how to convince him. And also your dad didn't allow him to Marry so that he can't hurt anyone else." She said with a sigh.
Beca rubbed her face with her hands as she tried to processes what she just heard. Everything now makes sense, "Why didn't you tell me that he was married?"
Liza shrugged, "Your father didn't tell you that Larry was sick, so I figured that I wouldn't too."
"I could have saved her life, she left everything!" Beca suddenly yelled as she slammed her hand on the table. "EIGHT YEARS OF HER LIFE ARE GONE TO WASTE WHEN I COULD HAVE SAVED HER FROM ALL THE PAIN!"
"What are you talking about!?" Liza asked in confusion.
"Larry planned this whole thing. He made Chloe's father sign on financial bonds so he can threaten him to put him in jail if he didn't let him marry Chloe,"
"Why would Chloe's father do such a thing?"
"Because he wanted Chloe to have the best education ever! That's why he did it."
"Beca? Why are you defending her?"
"Because I am in love with her! I'm in love with Chloe Beale and I let her leave." Beca said as she started to cry. "I love her Aunt Liza, and I just let her go."
Chloe was in her old bedroom, thinking of the exhausting day she had. She was happy to be in her room but she also couldn't help but feel sad about not seeing Beca anymore. Suddenly a knock on her door took her out of her thoughts, "Come in," She said as she sat up straight. She smiled when she saw her father. "Hey, dad,"
"Hey sweety, are you going to sleep?" He asked with a smile as he sat beside her on the bed.
Chloe shook her head. "Not yet, is something wrong?" She asked worriedly.
"No, not at all. But Are you okay Chloe?" He asked with such guilt and sadness.
"Yes dad, I'm okay." She said with a smile.
"You don't look like it. You changed."
"I cut my hair and ..."
"I meant from the inside Chloe, you were a girl full of life why are you broken? What happened?"
"A person gets older dad, and when he/she does, they get calmer."
Mr. Beale nodded, "Calms down yes, but that light inside you wouldn't burn. I don't want that fire inside you to die."
"It died dad," Chloe said quietly.
"It didn't," He replied with firmness, "It's still lit, life is still young for you, what's passed have passed, leave it behind. Stand up and go back to the girl I knew."
"I can't be the girl I was, there's something inside me that has been lost."
"then we'll find it together, maybe that thing is hidden and not lost."
"What about the people dad? The people we lost? How can we find them?" Chloe asked as she wiped her tears.
"They'll find their way back to you Chloe, go sleep and rest, tomorrow is a better day." He said with a smile.
Chloe hugged her dad tightly as she kissed his temple. "Thank you, daddy,"
"Goodnight baby girl." Papa B said with a smile.
"Goodnight dad," She said as she saw her father leave the room.
Beca entered the mansion to find Aubrey and Stacie nowhere in sight. She sighed as she made her way upstairs to check on Aubrey, she frowned when she saw Elissa standing outside the door. "What's going on? Why are you standing here? And where's Aubrey?"
"Nothing Ms. Mitchell," She said with a smile. "I'm just here to open the door for you. And Ms. Aubrey is in that room, she waited for you but she was too tired. And I have already moved your stuff to this room."
Beca smiled. "I'm pretty sure I can do it myself."
Elissa said nothing as she opened the door. Beca's eyes went wide as she entered the room, it was filled with painting supplies. She then looked at Elissa again. "What's this?"
The housemaid smiled. "Before leaving, Ms. Chloe told me to send Alex and get you this stuff, and told me to give you this," She said as she handed Beca the credit card.
"She did?" Beca asked with a smile.
Elissa nodded, "She did, and may I add something?" She asked politely.
"What is it?"
"She loves you." She said as she walked out of the room. Beca was in awe as her eyes continued to roam around the room. She couldn't believe that Chloe would do such a sweet thing. She smiled sadly at the thought of the redhead came to her mind. We'll find our way back. She thought to herself as she held the brush and the red paint and started to draw.
A/N: I need to thank you all for the reviews your leaving, it makes me so happy that you are invested in the story as I am. Again I apologize for the late update, please let me know what you think of this chapter and see you in a few days!