Like You Mean It

Chapter 9

Beca glanced up at the front door for what must have been close to the fiftieth time since she settled on the couch with her latest book, almost immediately returning her eyes to the page. It was ridiculous really, but she was having trouble toning down her anxiety at the thought of all their family and friends being gone, leaving the two of them alone in the apartment. Beca sat down on the couch with her book about a half hour ago and had yet to read a single sentence, let alone a full page. Her mind was too consumed with how things were different now, how she and Chloe were dating, and how she had a girlfriend.

The sound of a key rattling in a lock had her tossing the book onto the coffee table and jumping up from the couch, eyes trained on the door as it opened at Chloe stepped inside. Beca waited patiently for her to go through her standard routine of closing the door, dropping her keys in the bowl on the corner of the counter top, and placing her purse on top of her shoes under the first stool at the bar. It made her smile, that Chloe was such a creature of habit and could be so organized and so messy at the same time. Beca glanced into the redhead's room enough times before Aubrey's arrival prompted her to basically sandblast it to know that the majority of Chloe's wardrobe never made it into the closet.

Chloe finally met her eyes and the smile she sent Beca's way pushed her to break the silence. "Aubrey get to the airport okay?"

"Yeah, I'm glad she flew out here even if it was a short visit," Chloe answered, moving farther into the apartment towards her.

Beca shoved her hands into her pockets awkwardly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I guess it wasn't so bad having her here."

Chloe stopped, her eyes studying Beca for a minute. "What's up?"

"Uh... nothing? What do you mean?"

"You're being weird," Chloe answered, looking like she was fighting back a smile. "Is it 'cause we're alone now?"

Beca's eyebrows rose at that, not having prepared for Chloe to hit the nail on the head so soon. "What? No, of course not," she denied, knowing how weak it sounded.

Chloe stopping holding back, letting out a chuckle. "God, you're such a terrible liar. It'd be frustrating if you weren't so cute."

"I am not cute," Beca retorted, pulling her hands from her pockets only to cross them over her chest.

"Oh right... sorry," Chloe murmured moving closer, making Beca shudder at the way her voice dropped. "You're totes fine that we're alone right now... with nothing or no one stopping us or interrupting or..."

Beca swallowed hard at the way Chloe purposefully let that statement hang out in the open, as if the redhead knew exactly where her mind would take it. She knew that they were both well aware of the attraction between them, and Beca also knew that Chloe loved to poke and push and prod at her until she got a reaction, which made her more than a little bit defiant when she recognized it was happening.

"Stop it," she muttered, placing her hands on Chloe's hips to stop her from moving any closer.

Chloe met her eyes, asking, "Do you really want me to?"

Beca sighed, "No, of course not. But... I don't think it's a good idea for us to... to just..."

"Have sex?" Chloe supplied, her grin back in place as she completed the sentence.

Beca shrugged, taking a step back from the redhead. "I mean... it sounds bad, but it's not like I don't want to. I mean... look at you."

Chloe winked at her. "Thanks babe."

Beca knew her eyes widened at the pet name, pushing down the wave of desire that accompanied it. "I just... I really like you. And I also have no idea what I'm doing. But you're different Chlo... and I want this, whatever it is, to be different." She paused for a minute as Chloe's expression turned a little serious, adding, "Also it'll suck if we have to go back to hating each other and having to fake it for our families."