A week has passed since Beca had left Jesse. A week since she had moved in(temporarily)with Chloe. A week since this fresh hell had been unleashed upon Beca's life. Don't be mistaken; life with Chloe was great - a major improvement over life with Jesse. Chloe was thoughtful and generous and loving. Beca felt valued for the first time in years. The two women would go to work together. Even though it was earlier than Beca desired, she soon discovered just how much she could accomplish when the office was quiet. They would head home together, cook dinner together, eat together, watch shows together, get ready for bed together. It was all very domestic and … like a couple. Except they weren't a couple. Technically, Beca was still dating Jesse - despite the fact that she had barely heard from him in a week. But that didn't stop all sorts of thoughts from racing around in Beca's head. This was where the torment began. Jesse wasn't wrong when he guessed that Chloe had been the source of Beca's bisexual awakening. Beca was deeply attracted to her assistant. It wasn't just lust, although there was DEFINITELY a major physical component at play. Beca also had noticed just how well she seemed to mesh with Chloe, how comfortable she was in the redhead's presence. Now, being around her basically 24 hours a day? It made everything worse.

Chloe's affectionate nature had multiplied several times over since Beca had taken up residence in the apartment. She was touching Beca all the time - squeezing her shoulder as she walked by, brushing up against her in the bathroom, placing her hand on the small of Beca's back when going by her in the kitchen, cuddling up against her on the sofa while watching Netflix, hugging her several times a day. On one hand, Beca loved the attention and the physical contact. On the other, it stirred up thoughts and feelings that were … inconvenient. The issue was not just the tactile component of things. There also was a very large visual element at play. Beca had a hard enough time not ogling Chloe at work, when the redhead was wearing professional outfits.(Althoughthe woman wore the hell out of those outfits.) Now, Beca was confronted with Chloe in much less restrained apparel. It started the very first day that Beca was in the apartment when she emerged from the guest bedroom and walked into the living room to the sight of Chloe doing yoga in her very very very tight pants and very very very tiny sports bra. She had already seen Chloe completely naked twice - both times accidents, both times brushed aside by Chloe("I'mpretty confident about all this."), and both times now seared into Beca's brain. And in the evening, Chloe usually preferred to wander around the apartment in tiny shorts and loose tanks. Without a bra. Which presented way too much skin when Chloe traipsed around the place. Or cuddled up against Beca on the couch - their legs and arms pressed together, the tank top falling open where Beca had a view straight down the neck hole. Basically, Beca was in hell, but it was the most enjoyable hell she could imagine.

The past week had been great, even with all nudity and cuddling and touching. Okay, maybe all of that contributed to why it had been a great week. But despite all of the positive elements, Beca still couldn't shake her malaise. She found herself staring off into space at her desk or on the couch. She was happy that she had Chloe to make her get up because she wasn't sure she would get out of bed otherwise. There would be moments where she could poke her head over the dark clouds, but they were few and far between. She knew that she was depressed, and she wasn't surprised. She had read some stuff on the internet about how people wrestling with their sexuality are far more likely to face depression. Beca was terrified to admit what she had realized. She grew up in a very conservative home. Her parents had a horrible marriage, leading to their divorce when Beca was 13. So she already dealt with abandonment and trust issues. Now she also had to deal with the crushing shame and guilt that came with embracing something about herself that had always been characterized as deviant. She couldn't even begin to think about telling her parents. At this point, the only person who knew she was bisexual was Jesse - and he had reacted horribly. So she still felt stuck, like she couldn't even begin to figure out what being bi actually meant. She needed to talk to Jesse, as much as she dreaded it. It was a necessary evil for her to move forward and try to get into a better mental place.

Beca cleared her throat and said,"Um… I think I need to talk to Jesse again."

Chloe paused the show, closed her phone, and pushed herself off from Beca's shoulder, so she could look at her face." you want to do that now?"

"No," Beca chuckled."Ithink tomorrow would work. It's Friday, so he gets home a little earlier, and I get done at three."

"Sounds like a plan," Chloe agreed.

"I think … I need to talk to him and … figure out what is going on," Beca explained."Orget some more clothes, at least. I'm tired of wearing the same stuff."

"How would anyone even notice," Chloe joked."Flannel,tank, jeans, Jordans. When I first started, for the first month, I thought you wore the same outfit every day."

Beca dropped her mouth open in mock offense."How… what … that was mean, Beale. I'll have you know I have multiple Jordans AND several pairs of Chucks." Both women started laughing. Chloe thought about how amazing Beca's laugh sounded and wished it happened more often. She sobered after a minute and asked,"Doyou want me to come with you?"

Laughing internally at the thought of Jesse's head exploding if Beca brought Chloe, the brunette shook her head."No,it's fine."

Chloe chewed on her lip as she thought."Ifthat's what you want to do, that's great." She paused to collect her words."Just,what happens … if … something bad happens."

Beca looked surprised."Whatcould happen?"

"I don't know," Chloe answered. She anxiously began listing things."Jessecould get really angry or … he could hurt you … or he could be super mean … and … and … you could get really upset and feel trapped there …"

"Chlo, Chlo," Beca said as she patted her friend's arm. She tried to reassure the redhead."Hey,he isn't a bad guy. He isn't going to hurt me. He may be a jerk sometimes, but I'm not going to be unsafe."

Chloe blushed and looked at the floor as she dug her toe into the carpet."Iknow. I just worry about you. I keep thinking of you so upset you had to sleep in your office. I don't want you driving feeling like that."

Beca swooned at how caring Chloe was being. She couldn't start comparing Jesse to Chloe - that wasn't fair to either of them. But even tonight in this short conversation, Chloe showed Beca was important more than Jesse had in a year: pausing the show, shutting off her phone, making eye contact, trying to protect Beca, worrying about her feelings. She got a little choked up."Thanks… um … thanks for caring so much."

"Of course, Becs," Chloe said with a soft smile."Ilove you." Beca had gotten used to Chloe saying this, even though it still brought a flutter to her stomach and a blush to her cheeks every time.

"Love you too," Beca mumbled - still feeling weird about saying that to anyone other than Jesse.

"Here's an idea," Chloe suggested."Whatif I were to drive you, and I'll stay down in the parking lot. And you can go up and do what you need to do. You can text me every so often to let me know things are fine. If I don't hear anything for … like … 20 minutes I'll text you. If you don't text back, I'll come up to check on you."

Beca thought about the idea. The thought of Chloe being there made Beca feel so much less anxious. Before she could say anything, Chloe continued."Andif you … decide to stay there … you know … I can head home." Beca thought she picked up on something less upbeat in Chloe's delivery of that suggestion, but she probably had been reading into things. She did now that that suggestion made something unpleasant coil in her own stomach. She realized that she had not even thought about if the conversation with Jesse went WELL. She just figured it would be a shit show, and that she would end up back at Chloe's place. If she was REALLY being honest, she kind of hoped for that. Which made her feel like a terrible person.

"So, we would be going this for … YOUR benefit," Beca asked with a smirk.

"Yes, completely," Chloe answered with wide innocent eyes."Itwould help me not to worry as much."

"Well, if it's for you," Beca said,"Wecan do that."