A/N: Honestly, you guys are the absolute best! The amount of love and reviews I got for the last chapter (one I didn't anticipate that kind of reaction to) blew me away. I can't thank you enough for sticking with me on this journey. You guys rock!

Beca was proud to have managed to maintain a calm, even tone – despite her fury and disappointment – while Jesse listened silently. He didn't ask questions. He didn't even make affirmative sounds to signal understanding. He just listened, eyes on hers the whole time. There was something soothing, to Beca, about their shared connection. His warm brown eyes were filled with patience and kindness. Everything she needed to hear she could see plainly within them, though they did flicker – presumably in shock – when Beca revealed (in as little detail as possible) what she had seen in Aubrey's hotel room last night.

The two sat contentedly on the bed that Beca and Chloe had shared just two nights ago. Jesse had one leg folded beneath him, while the other dangled carelessly over the edge. Beca's legs were crossed, elbows pressed against the sides of her knees, just a few inches from Jesse. She explained the conversations she had with both Chloe and Aubrey earlier in the day – the stark contrast in the way the two had acted in the wake of last night's incident. Then she gave a long sigh and an unintelligible gesture of her hands to indicate that her tale was finished.

"Wow," was all Jesse had to offer. His tone was indecipherable, his face completely blank. Beca had no idea what to make of the utterance.

"Thanks, dude. Real helpful," she joked sadly, staring down at the space between them.

"Sorry. That's just… a lot to take in," he exhaled, pausing for a moment before his face slowly twisted into a distinct – and almost comical – look of confusion. "So, Aubrey and Chloe… wow."

Beca pressed her lips together, eyes wide and brows raised, as she nodded.

"That's… that's just… a lot," he repeated. "I mean, they've always been close. Butthat… that I was not expecting."

"Yeah… me neither…"

Jesse took a breath and seemed to center himself. "Okay so, like, what's the deal here, then? You and Chloe aren't," he hesitated, "like, together, right?"

"No, no," Beca quickly answered. "I haven't even really told her how I've been feeling." Shit. She spoke too soon. She shouldn't have said that.

"And… how exactly have you been feeling?" Jesse pried.

Shit.

"I don't know," she groaned, hoping that would suffice, but of course she wasn't that lucky. Jesse blinked back at her. "Come on. You know I'm not good at this stuff."

Jesse barked a laugh. "If that isn't the understatement of the century…" Beca glared at him. "Alright! I guess the question is… do you want to be… togetherwith her?"

Beca took a moment to sincerely contemplate his inquiry. "I don't know," she finally said. "Maybe."

"So… then, this thing that happened. Seeing her with Aubrey. It hurt. Because it hurt seeing Chloe with someone else?" Beca didn't have to think long about Jesse's attempt at clarification to realize that what he said wasn't exactly accurate. It wasn't untrue, but as an explanation it just didn't feel quite right. It didn't fit. It wasn't the whole truth.

It was then that Beca recognized she had left something out of the story, a piece she had assumed was small, but perhaps had more significance.

"But Aubrey…" she said, under her breath, almost too quiet to hear.

"What?"

Beca took a deep breath and started again. She explained how close her and Aubrey had become, all the late night chats, all the advice the blonde had given her. And she sputtered through an attempt at explaining the sexually charged nature of those conversations.

"Wait, wait, wait," Jesse stopped her. "You've been having phone sex with Aubrey?!"

"NO!" she insisted, too loudly. "It's just… I don't know. It's weird… with her…" The look on Jesse's face begged her to continue. "Aubrey just… she's just… really… interested in the Chloe thing."

"Apparently," joked Jesse.

Beca glowered at him. "Stop."

"Sorry." He raised his hands in mock surrender before looking back at her attentively. "So Aubrey's sort of been, like, coaching you?"

"I guess?" Beca shrugged. She honestly wasn't any less confused by the Aubrey situation than he was.

Jesse continued his questions. "And it's been… heated?" He chose the word carefully and Beca appreciated his caution. She looked him directly in the eye as she nodded. Jesse released a breath, breaking their eye contact for a moment. "Okay," he said, returning her gaze. "Like Aubrey's been aroused by it?" He rushed to clarify his question. "By talking to you about it? About you, uh, being with Chloe?"

A sick feeling churned in Beca's stomach. She wasn't sure she should continue this conversation, but Jesse was being thoughtful and sensitive. There was no judgment in his eyes, nor fear, nor disgust. He knew her well enough to know he should be wary with this type of discussion. Beca was like a deer in the woods. Should Jesse move too quickly or too carelessly, she'd bolt. He knew that, and it was nice to be seen that way, to be understood. Beca couldn't deny that this out loud articulation was useful. Jesse was helping her break it down, demystify the circumstances a bit, helping her to make sense of what was happening and how she felt about it. So – perhaps despite her better judgment – she answered. "Yeah… I mean, I think so? Like… that's… what it seemed like…"

Jesse gave a nod of understanding. Relief rushed through Beca. This was going okay.

"And what about you?"

Beca froze as "okay" suddenly shattered. Her stomach dropped. Her body went numb. She stared back at him, unblinking, trying her best to appear as though his words hadn't just made the world suddenly collapse all around her. "Wh-what about me?"

Jesse shot her a knowing look. His mouth opened as if he were about to say something, but no sound came out. As he looked down in defeat, Beca thought – for a brief moment – that she was going to get away with this. She should not have started this conversation with him in the first place. There were things she was barely ready to admit to herself, let alone to another person – even if that person was Jesse. What was she even thinking?

"Come on, Becs…" His dispirited voice gently broke the silence of the room. He still wasn't looking at her, and he said nothing more.

Heaving a sigh, Beca shifted, curling her knees up to her chin, her legs now serving as a protective barrier for the ache in her chest. She didn't know what to say, but knew she had to offer something. Jesse already sounded so disappointed in her. This was a mistake. It was all a mistake. She was now quite painfully aware of that fact.

"What do you want me to say?" She sounded sad – broken even – and yet still somehow so very defensive.

Jesse's eyes were warm when he finally looked back up at her. "You can tell me the truth. It's okay."

The truth? Did he honestly expect her to disclose her innermost thoughts about Aubrey? Beca herself had been ignoring them as best she could this whole time. What made him think that she'd even consider confessing those things to him? That – yeah, Chloe had sparked her fire but Aubrey knew just how to fuel it – and alright, fine, as deceived and hurt as she had felt the moment she walked into that hotel room, she also – somehow – felt that fire swell and the burn of it – fuck, the burn of it was just, so wrong and so painful. She had been overwhelmed by it.

"I didn't leave right away," Beca offered hastily.

"You…what?" The expression on Jesse's face was enough to let Beca know that she had completely lost him.

"When I… walked in on…" she paused, searching his eyes for understanding. "I didn't leave right away," she repeated.

His silence was deafening. It tore at her heart. She wasn't sure what she wanted Jesse to say and simply couldn't imagine what she might say herself if the situation was reversed, but she desperately needed him to say something.

"Oh," he said.

Beca felt something in her chest clench. She felt it coming. But instead of crying, all of her swirling thoughts spilled out of her mouth faster than she could even attempt to stop them. "I'm sick. I know. It's so fucked up. I don't know why… I mean, oh my GOD, right? Like – what the fuck?! What is even HAPPENING to me?! Who fucking does that?! It's sick. It's so sick. Like this thing was fuckinghorrifying, right? And I just couldn't look away. It was like looking at a car wreck… except… except, like, there was something… like, it was… oh my GOD. Oh my God!" Her face fell into her hands, muffling her panic. Beca's rambling had only delayed the inevitable, though, as she felt the wetness of her own tears against her palms. She sniffled and released a shaky breath as she felt Jesse's warm hand against her shoulder. Sympathy always had a way of making Beca feel even worse, not better. This was pathetic; she was pathetic.

Beca looked up at him with a sigh. "What's wrong with me?" she asked through tears.

Jesse grabbed her by both shoulders and pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Nothing, Becs," he comforted, stroking her hair as she sobbed. "Absolutely nothing."

Beca was curled up, practically fetal, on the bed when she heard her phone buzz on the dresser across the room. Jesse had left about 20 minutes ago. The digital clock on the nightstand told her she still had over an hour before she had to be back at the venue for the final performance. She just wanted to be left alone and was considering ignoring whoever was messaging her when a second buzz came in.

With an audible groan, she got up from the bed and padded over to the dresser. It could have to do with Worlds. She knew she couldn't ignore it. But when she picked up her phone and saw two text messages from Aubrey, she froze. Something rose in her throat as she stared at the device. She watched the screen go dark. Should she open them? At the moment she couldn't will her thumb – or any of the rest of her body, for that matter – to move. Aubrey was being totally normal not a few hours before. What could she be texting Beca about now? If the blonde was going to keep pretending that nothing had even happened, then what would she possibly have to say?

There was only one way to find out, Beca knew. She clicked her phone to life as she crawled back onto the bed. Taking a deep breath, she swiped to reveal the messages.

I told Chloe to leave you alone. To give you some space.

Sorry…

For a brief, bitter moment, Beca wondered what exactly Aubrey was sorry for. Sorry for fucking Chloe? Sorry for lying to Beca? Sorry for pushing Beca toward Chloe so hard that Beca had finally developed actual feelings for the girl? Or just sorry that Chloe didn't listen to her? Knowing Aubrey as she did, Beca was certain it was the last one. That particular brand of Type A control freak had a nasty habit of apologizing only when she could squarely misplace the blame on someone else. Sorry that Chloe did this thing to you. I told her not to.

Beca thought that perhaps she should just ignore it, but she also knew that the only way to move past this, which was something Beca desperately wanted – she was tired of thinking about it and sick of feeling like this – then the three of them had to hash this all out, sooner or later. And yet, the Worlds performance was practically upon them. Beca needed to focus. This conversation would have to wait. Beca didn't exactly feel good about that. She'd learned over the past four years that running away was never the right answer, but at the same time she was happy to play the role of the old Beca for a while and refuse to face the problem in front of her for as long as she possibly could.

So Beca put the phone down without responding, closed her eyes and tried to grab onto some semblance of peace.

The Barden Bellas' performance at Worlds was simply incredible. It went exactly as planned and Legacy's song was a hit. The crowd's riotous applause had Beca on cloud nine. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good.

But the post-performance high came with a price. While the girls were still on stage – the crowd cheering – Chloe grabbed Beca's waist and pulled her close. She allowed it to happen, and in her delirious state, Beca even hugged back. This Beca had completely forgotten how she had been betrayed by the woman she was now holding. This Beca couldn't even remember ever being angry, or hurt. No, this Beca was simply ecstatic and happy to be hugging her best friend, a woman she loved and respected. Beca was proud to be sharing this moment with her co-captain.

Then Beca caught Aubrey's eye. The woman was grinning at her. The smile was sweet, the look thoughtful. Her face practically glowed with joy. There was so much hope there. And Beca couldn't help it, couldn't fight it even if she thought she had reason to – which, for the moment anyway, she truly didn't. Beca smiled back and she watched with a dizzy sort of delight as Aubrey walked toward them.

Chloe noted Aubrey's approach and removed her right arm from Beca, holding it out in gesture for Aubrey to join the embrace, which she did with a girlish giggle, wrapping both arms around Chloe. Aubrey's reach extended past the redhead and Beca nearly laughed as fingers tickled her left side, another hand brushing her lower back.

And for a moment everything was pure bliss. They were all friends. They were hugging. They were happy. It was beautiful, breathtaking perfection. They fit together so effortlessly. Everything felt right, and good. But then the applause began to die down, and Beca watched as Chloe nuzzled her forehead against Aubrey's throat, her eyes closed and a bright smile gracing her lips. Everything began to slow down as the world seemed to spiral. Beca saw Chloe's lips purse and looked on in shock as those lips connected with Aubrey's neck in one gentle kiss. Something jolted through Beca, a shockwave of reality. She was met with soft, loving blue eyes as Chloe turned her head to smile at her. It was in that instant that truth slammed into Beca like a Mack truck. She looked frantically toward Aubrey, but green eyes held the same tenderness. Beca's smile immediately disappeared as her brow furrowed. She stepped quickly away from the two women and watched as all the light Aubrey was radiating slowly dimmed, her face falling. Beca took another step back.

She became fully aware of where they were as the rest of the Bellas began to exit the stage, waving to the crowd. Beca seized her chance. She gave Chloe and Aubrey a few anxious shakes of her head, then rushed offstage with the group.

Beca let out a breath as she stepped down the final step and onto the grass. Her memory of the past 24 hours had returned and her brain was mortified by what she had just allowed to happen. But the strange thing about her current state was that her body hadn't quite caught up yet. Her face was flushed, her chest hot, her abs burning, and as she tried to catch her breath, she found herself once again thinking what she had said to Jesse earlier. What's wrong with me?