Bechloe - Still In The Dark

Chapter XXXVII

Chloe arrived at Beca's within record time. Like always, the redhead let herself in and went straight up to Beca's room where she saw the brunette sitting on her bed cross-legged with an envelope in front of her. She looked at the blank expression on Beca's face and was more than curious.

"What's wrong, baby? I got your text and came straight over." Chloe dropped her bag on the floor and walked over to Beca.

"My father wrote me a letter." Beca pointed to it.

"Oh my God..." Chloe uttered, looking at the envelope. "He did?" Beca nodded. "Have you read it yet?"

"No," she shook her head. "That's why I needed your help - I don't know if I should."

"Why don't you know if you should, baby?" Chloe was gentle and kind with her girlfriend as she kicked off her shoes and sat next to the tiny brunette.

"Because he ruined my childhood. He stole every ounce of innocent of me and now he's written to me..." 

"Well, not every ounce of innocence," Chloe smirked, gently bumping into Beca but the brunette didn't react as the teacher hoped. Beca just forced a smile that only lasted half a second.

"I don't know what to do..." Beca uttered.

"Well, let's break it down a bit, hey?" Chloe scooched over and put her arm around her girlfriend. "How do you feel about reading it?"

"Nervous."

"What else?"

"Scared... Angry... Upset... Confused."

"Why do you feel that way?"

Beca thought for a bit.

"Because he hurt me and... I don't want to give him the opportunity to hurt me again by reading his letter. Mom read it and she said that it was moving and that he's a different man in the letter... I don't know."

"Do you want to read the letter?"

"I... I don't know. Part of me does and another part of me doesn't."

"You don't have to read it if you don't want to, Becs. After everything you've been through, you don't even have to acknowledge that it exists. You can throw it away and pretend like it never came to you. You don't have to give that man anything."

Beca nodded. "I know..." she sniffed, unable to hold her tears back.

"Oh, cutie..." Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca and the student began to sob softly.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"No, don't you dare be sorry, baby. This is huge and you have every right to be emotional. I'd feel the same way you do. It's okay what you're feeling - it's all okay."

Beca just nodded and continued to cry. She had so many emotions running through her it was almost unbearable. Beca hoped that her father would just remain in her past and that she could finally move on with her life, her new life with Chloe, but of course, life dishes out the strangest and most unwanted things.

Chloe kept hold of her girlfriend until Beca settled and pulled back so she could clean herself up with the aid of Chloe.

"Can you... can you read it to me?" Beca uttered and her requested tugged at Chloe's heartstrings since Beca was so emotional and vulnerable.

The redhead felt her heart soar at the offer. She and Beca had been through a lot together but this was on a whole new level. Beca was willing to let Chloe into the darkest part of her life that she tried to avoid at all costs. Yes, the couple had spoken about Beca's past a bit but it was nothing too in depth. When Beca told Chloe that night about what her song was about, she felt a piece of her chip away. It broke the redhead's heart and it made her sick to her stomach that someone could hurt a child like Beca's father did. Chloe wanted to know more about the brunette's past but she knew that more meant learning about how Beca was abused physically and emotionally, and if Chloe was honest with herself, she didn't know if she would be able to take it.