Chapter Nine

Beca POV

I quickly followed Chloe up the stairs and towards the bathroom. The wet clothes clinging to my body were making me very uncomfortable.
Chloe was waiting for me at the top of the stairs, and as I got closer to her, I managed to accidentally catch a glimpse of the red lacy panties she was wearing underneath her large t-shirt. My breath caught and I quickly looked away - suddenly not feeling so cold anymore.

I looked up into her eyes a little nervously, she only smiled at me softly.

"C'mon B, you're freezing." Chloe's hand reached down towards me and latched onto my freezing cold one, as I walked up the remaining step.

We headed into the bathroom, where Chloe quickly turned around in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.
"I'll go and get you some fresh clothes okay. You just get in the shower and get warm."

Before Chloe left the bathroom, she stood motionless for a moment. Looking deep into my eyes, it looked like she was asking herself a question.
However, her mind was quickly distracted by the fact that my body was shivering slightly in the cold.

Chloe mumbled a brief 'sorry' and headed out the room; but not before planting a very brief and light kiss on my forehead.
I stood there, slightly stunned for a moment or two. My heart rapidly pounding.
For the briefest of moments I let my thoughts run wild. In that time, my feelings for Chloe completely overwhelmed me - all I wanted to do was chase after her, in her room she shared with no one but herself, and tell her how much I loved her.

It was the scariest thought I had ever had. It was scary because now that I had finally thought about it, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Was it possible to fall even more in love with this girl.

With all these thoughts running through my brain faster than the speed of light, I somehow managed to subconsciously get in the shower. I stood there and relished in the feeling of the warm water running over my icy cold skin, the sudden heat making it turn a slight pink colour.
I leant my face back and let the water hit my cheeks and my eyes. Why did I have to let my guard down like that? I can't keep having these sorts of thoughts.

She would reject me. Of that I was certain. But in saying all this, her reaction to my internship came completely left of center.
I was so afraid of telling her for so long - I still had my best friend - how amazing is that?
I couldn't really process much more other than crazy amounts of relief.

The door burst open.

"Alright missy! Just letting you know that our discussion isn't over. I still have a lot of things that I need to talk to you about!"

My heart! I swear it almost leapt from chest out of my mouth.

"Far out Chloe!" I grabbed hold of my ribs as I tried to control my breathing.

Chloe's head poked through the shower curtain, her eyes very quickly looked me up and down, before resting on my own with a sheepish look,
"Sorry..." She smiled shyly at me.

"Um Chloe! Personal space! Social cues! We've been over this!" I yanked the shower curtain out her hands and quickly closed her out of view.

"Urgh. Beca... It's not like I haven't seen it all before. What's the big deal. We're both girls anyway..." My heart was not handling all this action in such a short space of time!

"Well I like my privacy okay! Besides, it's different now..."
Shit. Why did I just say that.

"Why is it different now...?" Chloe's voice asked quietly.
Whomp there it is.

"I- I don't know! Look, can you just give me a minute to warm up... and then we can have your little discussion when I'm not completely vulnerable and naked."

Chloe's head poked through the curtains then. A very mischievous look playing across her eyes as she tried to gather the emotion on the rest of her face. Her blue eyes were glimmering and sparkling with excitement.
I felt a shiver run through my whole body.

"Well Beca... Perhaps I like you that way." She chuckled and ran out the bathroom.

"CHLOE!"

I wanted to be angry, or embarrassed - but the only thing I could think was whether or not she actually meant that... or was she just being her usual 'Chloe' self.

.

.

It was only a couple minutes later that I managed to bring myself out of the wonderful hot shower. I grabbed a towel and noticed that Chloe put some of her own sweat pants and shirt out for me. I walked over towards them and ever so carefully picked them up and brought them to my nose. inhaling deeply.
My mind instantly fell into a blissful state, as my chest tightened at the feeling her smell did to me.

After I had finished drying myself, I put Chloe's clothes on and brought the shirt up to my face once again.

I have to tell her how I feel... I just have to do it. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I have to do it.
I know it could mean the end of our friendship - but seriously, like I could keep living this way. Insanity would soon follow.

I walked out of the bathroom to a deathly quiet and dark house, with no sign of Chloe. How bizarre. By now it was about 2am, all the Bellas are still in bed and would be for many hours. However, after tonight's events thus far, I was in no way tired.

I went in to Chloe's room, thinking that perhaps she had fallen back to sleep by accident. I only found an empty bed, although I still walked in, a photo of the two of us on her bedside table catching my eye. There were photos of all of us Bellas everywhere, except this one was the only one to win the honor of sitting next to her while she slept.
I picked the photo up and looked at it. It wasn't from after any competition or during a night out, no, it was from when we went to get ice cream one time, just the two of us. It was one of the greatest moments - I felt so safe with her, like I could tell her anything that ever bothered me or had me worried and it would all just be okay.
I don't think I had ever laughed more than what I had in this moment as well.

Had I always been in love with Chloe?

Let's be honest here, I already know the answer to that question.

I have.

Just then, I felt a hand come and rest on my shoulder. It didn't scare me as much as it should.

"As weird as it probably sounds, when that photo was taken was probably one of the best afternoons of my life..." Chloe's gentle and elegant voice broke through the silence, as she looked down at the picture I was holding.

I turned around to face her, but I just felt completely speechless.
Standing before me was the only person that I ever have and probably ever will love.

Chloe taking my stunned silence to mean something else leant forward and brushed her thumb across my face.
"Sorry B, I didn't mean to scare you again. I heard the water turn off and figured you came here to find me."

"Umm- yeah, I just- sorry, I wasn't going through your things or anything, I just saw this photo- and yeah, I just... yep." Way to go Mitchell, just let the words fall from your mouth as they will.

Chloe smirked at my word vomit. Even in the dark, I could still see her perfect, intense blue eyes sparkling.

She was so beautiful. For the first time, that thought didn't scare me. I loved it, I love loving her. She is perfection wrapped up into one human being. If it turns out she doesn't love me back, then so be it - I don't want to wait around wasting any moment I have where she could be in my arms.
I want to wake up to her gorgeous red hair in my face and two sleepy blue eyes looking up at me.
I want to calm her down when she stresses about the Bellas.
I want to spend every night holding her before she sleeps.
I want to make her laugh as much as I possibly can.
I want to make her happy every day.
I want to love her from this day, for everyday.

Chloe's eyes began to lose that playful sparkle as she looked into mine more intensely. I don't really know how long we have both just been standing here staring at each other.

I can feel myself begin to get hot, but very cold at the same time. All this emotion is just sitting in the pit of my stomach, waiting to burst out.
Whoever thought that I would be the mushy loved up type?

"Beca, did you want to sit down? You don't look too well." Chloe's cool soft hand grabbed onto mine, just in case I needed steadying. The shock of her touch once again shot through my arm, I could feel Chloe's hand tighten slightly... Did she just feel that too?

"Chloe... There's something I need to tell you..."

Chloe picked up on the seriousness and the nervousness of my voice almost instantly, and grabbed my other hand to try and calm me down.

"Sure Beca, I'm right here okay... don't be nervous." A small smile ran across her lips as she reassured me.
"I'm not going anywhere." Chloe looked at me pointedly, as if she really wanted that to sink in.

"Chloe..." I looked deep into her eyes, before a wave of panic quickly washed over me and I looked down.
"I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this..." Chloe only squeezed my hands and smiled.
"You see, there's a thousand and one mushy ways that I could say this. But the thing is... the thing is..." The last words left my lips in a whisper. I lost myself in her eyes and felt so much love and support in return. Even if she did reject me, I know she will still be my best friend, she will always be my best friend.

"Chloe..."
"Chloe... I love you."
"I've always loved you. I don' t want to spend another day wondering about what would happen once I told you that... I don't want to spend another day without you."

It was like Chloe had completely frozen, she didn't even blink. Panic began to set it in - I've made a huge mistake haven't I?

Then out of nowhere, the largest smile I have ever seen spread across Chloe's face. It was incredible, it could easily light up the whole world.

"It's about time you figured that out Beca... Here I was thinking I was going to have to do all the work myself."

I was shocked - I guess I always planned for rejection... I never thought of the possibility of her loving me back...
Before my mind could race off into a thousand different directions, Chloe's soft lips leant in and pressed against my own. All I could do was wrap my arms tightly around her waist and bring her as close to me as possible as I kissed her back.

Chloe's hands cupped each side of my face so gently, as her delicate lips were on mine.

This was heaven.

Chloe was so warm and her skin felt so soft. I could feel her heartbeat on my own chest... It was racing as fast as my own.
Her lips tasted better than that first time we kissed. She kissed me with so much love and meaning - I started to cry, purely because I couldn't believe how happy I was in this very moment.

Chloe pulled away but didn't let me go, a soft smile, I knew was now reserved for me only, rested on her mouth. Her thumbs ran across my cheeks and brushed away the tears.

"I love you too Beca."

AN: WOO! Beca finally got the courage to tell Chloe how she feels! I really hope you guys liked this one. Just wanted to let you know that this isn't the end of the fic - I plan on continuing through the Bellas fight for World titles.