Chapter Text
Finally
Chloe had never felt prouder in her life than she did in this moment.
With the lights of Nice glittering across the coastline, casting the stage in a glow that felt almost otherworldly, she watched as Beca stepped forward, alone, for the first time. Every note she sang carried her whole heart, raw and unguarded, unapologetically herself.
Chloe’s chest had swelled so much she thought it might actually burst. It was as if she was getting to watch the prophecy she knew in her heart would come true the moment she heard her favorite voice in the world echo in those Baker Hall showers.
For years, Beca had lived behind walls, convinced that letting anyone too close would cost her everything. And yet, tonight, in front of thousands, she hadn’t just let people in, she’d pulled them in. She’d dragged the Bellas onto that stage with her, refusing to let success be something she enjoyed alone.
At the very heart of it, Chloe thought as she sang and danced with her favorite people in the world, that was who Beca truly was. Someone who loved harder than she ever admitted, who gave more than she thought she had, who carried everyone she cared for in her music.
And Chloe loved her for it. Only now she wasn’t alone.
Every single soldier, musician, stage crew member, even those two aca-obsessed commentators … they all finally got to see what Chloe had known for ages. Beca Mitchell was always meant to be a star.
The roar of the crowd was deafening when Beca finally stepped forward, finishing the last notes of her Freedom! 90 rendition as if it was always meant to be hers (sorry, George Michael). As the cheers erupted and the thunder of thousands of voices rose in unison, Chloe couldn’t help but wonder when Beca had started working on this particular performance. And when had she decided to sing this song?
There was a part of her that wanted to hear more between the lyrics, to derive meaning from the very specific message that Beca might be admitting in her first real solo performance, but as the standing ovation grew louder, Chloe was brought back onto the stage where her eyes were left stinging. She and the rest of the Bellas stood faithfully behind Beca, awestruck, hearts hammering in collective pride for the one who first helped them find their sound, all those years ago.
When Beca finally turned, breathless, glowing in gold, she didn’t hesitate.
She ran straight to Chloe, arms open, and crashed into her, like she couldn’t wait another second to be in her embrace. Chloe could hear the sniffle, the heat of Beca’s tears on her shoulder. Beca must have felt hers too.
Chloe held her tight, let herself breathe in her warmth, her heartbeat, the dizzying closeness she knew she’d ache for when it was truly gone. Just for a moment, she let herself believe this was everything.
That Beca chose this song in the first place, out of all the ones swimming in her beautiful, talented mind. That her cobalt blue eyes locked onto matching ocean ones the moment she looked up from the loop pedal. That it meant something that she was the first pair of arms Beca sought while everyone else wanted to celebrate her.
But then the rest of the Bellas surged in around them, folding them into a group hug, laughter and tears mixing with the roar of the crowd.
The harsh reality hit her like a train: tonight really was an ending.
Beca had been chosen. DJ Khaled wanted her to open for him on tour, with a record deal waiting. Chloe knew her path would take her west, likely to LA, just like Beca originally wanted …maybe even further. Amy was moving on too, inheriting millions and chasing her own wild adventure, free from her insane father.
And Chloe, well, she finally had her acceptance letter. Vet school. The next chapter.
And the way Beca beamed at her when she delivered the news…you would think that she hadn’t just been offered a life-changing offer from one of the biggest musical acts in the world. You would think, by the way Beca looked at Chloe, that Chloe was the one who was about to take the world by storm.
Which is why Chloe thought maybe being apart really was a good thing. Despite the fact that her heart seems to tear a little at the seams at the thought of being pulled apart from her favorite person in the world.
Moving on from Beca always became more difficult when they were shoulder to shoulder, when Chloe could breathe her in, hear her laugh, feel her warmth radiating beside her. She could only imagine how impossible it would be to ignore her feelings, if she got to see Beca’s star rise gradually, achieving everything Chloe knew she would, and for Beca to look at her in turn, with such pride and adoration, as she follows the dreams she didn’t know she had. Being a witness to that, and having to find a way to dampen her affections— it would be akin to torture.
But now, with distance on the horizon, Chloe thought perhaps it would finally get easier. Maybe she could finally let her go. Let them go.
Her eyes sought out Chicago in the crowd, clapping loudly and dutifully. Steady, smiling, loyal Chicago. Chloe knew from the moment they met in Rota, Spain, that he was the kind of man who said all the right things at all the right times. Solid in a way Chloe knew she could lean on.
Plus, he wasn’t hard on the eyes. Even Cynthia Rose paid him a compliment on the looks department.
He wasn’t Beca, but maybe that was the point. Maybe that was exactly what she needed if she was ever going to move on.
With that thought in her mind, and while her chest still hummed with the remnants of Beca’s warmth, Chloe backed away and forced her legs to move off the stage as the rest of the Bellas followed suit to give Beca her moment with DJ Khaled’s team.
She needed to take this step. She needed to believe there was something past the years of chasing possibility and potential. As she walked, she saw Lilly (or, Esther, apparently) take the arm of DJ Dragon Nutz while General Posen walked quietly just behind Aubrey, apparently as a form of surprise.
Chloe smiled at her friends. If tonight was an ending, she was happy that everyone was getting something they deserved. She only hoped that she was walking towards the right one.
When Chloe finally reached him, Chicago’s small smile was open and sure, offering her something uncomplicated, something safe. And just as he had been this entire tour, Chicago let Chloe make the first move, let himself be pulled down to meet her lips.
There were no sparks, not that Chloe expected them, but there was relief. When Chicago dipped her down, she felt a dizzying sense of escape, of finally giving herself permission to let go. But beneath it, a tremor of hesitation lingered.
Because Chloe knew, deep down, that she was only here, in this moment, because Chicago had said all the right things to help her forget the brunette whose tears still stained the shoulder of the leather jacket she borrowed from her.
When they finally pulled back, breaths catching, Chicago’s hands rested steady at her waist. Relief flickered in his smile, but before she could match it, she caught a flicker of brown hair and dark blue eyes in her periphery.
Beca was walking off, just a few feet away, arms crossed, Theo close at her side.
Her mind wandered before she could stop it. Theo. She’d caught the way he looked at Beca from the beginning—like she was the only person in the room. Chloe supposed she couldn’t blame him. Chloe looked at her that way too.
Still, Chloe couldn’t ignore the hollow feeling in her chest when she thought about the two of them. About him. About how little she and Beca had really spoken on this trip outside of chaos and music, outside of adrenaline and the safety of the group. No late-night talks alone, no quiet moments like they used to carve out in the cover of darkness. The distance had crept in silently before they left for this tour, and now it felt permanent.
She told herself she hoped Theo would treat Beca right, should Beca let him. But deep down, Chloe knew that he wouldn’t. Not because he was incapable. He was clearly a decent guy and had an ear for talent, and in many ways, he reminded Chloe of Jesse. But somewhere buried deep in her heart, Chloe knew that he wasn’t the right one for her. In the same way that Jesse wasn’t. Because while, yes, Beca was insanely talented and Chloe could never blame anyone for falling in love with her talent — that wasn’t all Beca Mitchell was. Chloe was drawn in by her voice and music, sure, but she fell in love with Beca for everything else that came after.
She fell in love with the way Beca rolled her eyes with affection, not derision. With the way she showed up silently, never asking for attention. With the way she had no trouble saying no to silly requests from her friends, but would always show up for the messy bits of their life. She fell in love with Beca for the way she loved unapologetically, like it was her favorite thing in the world to do.
Maybe that knowledge should have been a comfort. Instead, it ached. Because why couldn’t she let Chloe do the same for her?
It made her want to follow them, to listen to the hushed words they were exchanging. Chloe’s pulse stuttered, her body instinctively leaning to their direction, but the feeling of big hands at her waist stopped her. She forced her eyes to drift back to the gorgeous man in front of her.
Kind, gentle, steady Chicago Walp. Who now looked like he had just gained valuable intel.
When he opened his mouth to speak, his voice was quiet, careful. “Are you sure about this, Chloe?”
Chloe blinked, startled. “What do you mean?”
He tilted his head, not unkind. “I just…I’ve always wondered. These past few weeks…you and Beca. The way you look at her, the way she looks at you. It’s why I didn’t push, you know? I wanted to respect that because it seemed like there maybe was something there. So when you kissed me— I was surprised. Happy, of course, but surprised.”
She swallowed hard. Chicago had seen it. All of it. Things she and Beca had spent years tiptoeing around, he’d read in a glance. Chloe forced a smile, voice light, too light.
“Oh, we’re just best friends. It’s nothing like that. There never was anything.”
Chicago studied her, like he knew better, but he let her have it. She leaned up, brushing his cheek with her lips, and murmured, “Meet me at my hotel room later?”
His answering smile was warm, uncomplicated. “Sure. I’ll be there.”
Chloe slipped away, seeking steadier ground, and found Aubrey in the wings. Her friend’s face was lit with a glow Chloe hadn’t seen in years, joy bursting from her as she clung to her father. When General Posen finally turned away, Aubrey turned and saw Chloe.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Aubrey asked, brows immediately furrowing.
“Nothing at all.” Chloe shook her head, too quick, words rushing out. “I’m so glad you got to see your dad, Bree.”
“Stop that. What happened, Chloe? Why are you upset?”
“I’m not! I’m…happy. Really.” Chloe forced out a smile. Her words held truth, but the thing she was holding back was weighing it down. “I mean, we just performed with Beca. Those snooty Evermoist girls didn’t win. I got into vet school. Amy’s a millionaire apparently so she said she’ll pay for rent to make up for the months she didn’t. Chicago and I kissed. We’re all moving on.”
Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Wait, back up. You and—Chicago?”
Chloe nodded, trying to sound surer than she felt. “Yeah. It’s… good. He’s good for me.”
Aubrey’s look lingered, sharper now. “What about Beca?”
Chloe’s throat tightened, but she kept her smile, brittle at the edges. “She’s Beca. She was amazing tonight, wasn’t she?”
Aubrey looked at her sadly. And Chloe knew that despite her posturing, Aubrey understood. And perhaps that was why Chloe sought her out in the first place.
She touched Chloe’s arm, eyes soft with concern, and steered her away from the noise of the Bellas celebrating.
They ended up in a quiet corridor, where the distant hum of the performance faded into muffled echoes.
“Alright,” Aubrey said gently. “It’s just us now, Chloe. Talk to me. What’s really going on with Chicago?”
“I told you…I kissed him.” Chloe said. “I mean, I don’t know why it’s so surprising, I’ve been flirting with him this whole trip.”
“Yeah, that’s not the news you think it is. You flirt with everyone, Chloe! And kiss them. And sometimes more.” Aubrey replied, her tone coaxing, like she was trying to guide Chloe to a conclusion that they both were already aware of. “It’s never mattered before.”
“Well, maybe this time it matters,” Chloe answered, “He’s a great guy, Bree!”
Aubrey just looked at her for a minute. Then, after a while, she asked, “Then why do you look like the world’s just ended?”
Chloe tried to laugh it off, but the sound broke in her throat. She leaned back against the wall, fingers twisting in the cuff of Beca’s leather jacket. Her voice came out in a whisper. “Because…because I wanted it to be her.”
It was the first time she’d said it out loud. And once it was out, the truth spread through her chest like fire.
“Her.” From Aubrey’s tone, it was clear that it wasn’t a question. And it was clear they both knew who the pronoun was referring to.
“I don’t want Chicago, not really.” Chloe could feel the familiar sting in her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night. “I want Beca. And with her, I want it to matter. And I want it to matter forever.”
Aubrey blinked, then exhaled like she’d been holding the secret herself. “Chloe…”
“I kept waiting for the right time,” Chloe went on, staring at the floor as the lump in her throat grew. “But it never came. And then at some point…I guess we just got used to it. To pretending like it was nothing. We share a bed, for gods’ sake! Even before Amy got there. And then…then it just suddenly felt like our moment’s already passed.” Her throat tightened, but the words wouldn’t stop. “Maybe I let it drag on too long or something. Maybe I gave her enough time to realize we just weren’t worth the risk. Instead of letting her take the leap with me.”
“Chloe, Beca…she—” Aubrey’s expression softened, grief and sympathy mingling in her eyes. “She loves you. Beca loves you. Anyone can see that.”
“I know she loves me, I know. It’s just that…” Chloe trailed off, her voice cracking, “She never loved me like I loved her.”
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint sounds of laughter and music from the ballroom. Aubrey reached out, steadying Chloe with a hand on her arm.
And then Chloe heard it. A sharp inhale. A shift of weight punctuated by heeled boots.
She looked up, and her stomach dropped.
Beca stood just a few feet away, behind a pillar, frozen, as if she’d been rooted there the whole time. Her face was pale, eyes wide and shining. The realization hit her slowly, then all at once.
Beca heard her. Heard everything.
Her voice cut through Chloe like a blade. “Chloe…”
Chloe froze, every muscle in her body taut. Her pulse roared in her ears.
Aubrey’s hand lingered on her arm, then gently fell away. Chloe could feel her oldest friend hesitate, torn between staying and retreating. At last, Aubrey gave Chloe a fleeting, almost apologetic squeeze of the shoulder before slipping down the hall, leaving them alone.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Chloe forced herself to look up. Beca was still standing where she’d been, sleeves of her shimmering gold jacket pushed up, fists clenched so tightly against her sides that it looked painful. She wasn’t glaring, wasn’t scowling the way she usually did, just staring at Chloe like she was seeing her for the first time.
“You…you heard all of that,” Chloe said finally, her voice low, brittle.
Beca gave the smallest nod, her throat working as she swallowed.
Chloe’s chest ached. “I didn’t mean for you to—” She stopped, shaking her head. “No. That’s not true. I wanted to tell you…before, but, just—I didn’t mean for you to hear it this way now. Not when we’ve already settled it.”
Beca’s lips parted like she wanted to speak, but no words came. Her gaze darted briefly to the floor, then back to Chloe.
The weight of it all pressed down on her. Chloe’s instinct was to fill the silence, to soften it, to reassure—but she couldn’t. This was too raw, too big to dance around. And she couldn’t unring that bell.
“So,” Chloe said, folding her arms to stop them from trembling, “Are you going to say something? Or are you just going to stand there and…pretend you didn’t hear me?”
The air between them felt sharp, electric.
“When did we…settle this?” Beca asked, confused.
Chloe blinked, thrown off by the question. Her throat went dry.
“Before we went on tour, you said…you didn’t want to name it,” she said finally, her voice unsteady. “When you told me what we have was enough. I figured that was you saying it was off the table. That we weren’t worth the risk. That I wasn’t worth the risk.”
Beca flinched, like Chloe had struck her. “That’s not—Chloe, that’s not what I meant!”
“Well, then what did you mean?” Chloe’s voice cracked despite her best effort to sound steady. “Because you can’t just tell me you love me and then slam the door shut before I even know what you’re offering me.”
Beca shook her head, almost frantic. “I wasn’t slamming a door, okay? I was—” Her words faltered, but she forced them out anyway. “I thought I was doing what you wanted.”
Chloe’s breath caught. “By making me think I was imagining it?”
“That’s not fair,” Beca shot back, her voice sharper now, but not angry. Desperate. “I thought I was keeping us safe. I thought… fuck, Chloe! I thought keeping things the same was what mattered most to you. I didn’t think you’d ever actually want…” She trailed off, staring at her, raw and unguarded.
Chloe’s heart thundered. The floor seemed to tilt beneath her. “How could you think I wouldn’t?” she whispered. “After everything? After all of it?”
Beca’s eyes flickered, pain and longing written all over her face. She looked like she wanted to step forward, but her feet stayed rooted. “Because you never said it out loud. Not once. And I… I couldn’t risk being wrong if I said something.”
Chloe’s lips parted, words trembling on the tip of her tongue. There were too many thoughts in her head. Too many things she wanted to say in response to Beca’s admission. Before she could formulate anything, Beca was speaking again.
“You…you’ve always been fearless, Chloe. Always. From the first day we met, you invaded my space, went after what you wanted without a care in the world. You shoved your bug tattoo in my face. You barged in my shower. You followed me into my job. You stayed at Barden longer than anyone expected, just to be a Bella. You didn’t give a flying fuck about what it looked like, what people thought. And me? I’m bad at pretty much everything having to do with emotions. And I just thought…if you really wanted me, you would have said something, done something. Because when you want something, you always go after it.”
“You said it yourself, Beca,” Chloe responded quietly. “I invaded your space, I chased after you, hell, I even brought up experimenting with you! All of it. Over and over again. With or without Jesse. Everyone could see it. Why couldn’t you?”
“Because you do that with everyone!”
Chloe had the sudden urge to pull all of her hair out as she scoffed at Beca’s words. “You can’t possibly think that after everything we’ve been through, all of that was just flirting.”
“Of course not, Chloe.” Beca’s hand went up to her forehead, rubbing the skin there as if she was trying to suppress a headache. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what is it?” Chloe shot back. “Because either you knew or you didn’t!”
“I knew…” The hand that was rubbing her head fell away and Beca looked straight at her with a sadness in her eyes. “I knew you felt something for me, but I thought that maybe it just wasn’t enough of a something. Maybe you calculated it in your head and you decided that it wasn’t worth it.”
The years of near-confessions, of brushing hands, of choosing to sleep closer instead of apart, of watching each other like they were the only constant in the world…all of it hung there, teetering.
Chloe swallowed hard, words catching in her throat. “You were so afraid of losing what we had, but here we are anyway.”
“I’m not afraid of losing you,” Beca said softly, but with an unshakable certainty that made Chloe’s chest hurt.
Chloe blinked, shock and disbelief warring across her features. “What?”
“Obviously, I don’t want to lose you, Chlo.” Beca shifted, voice low, earnest. “But what I was afraid of was hurting you. And because I’m so emotionally constipated, I was afraid I would…ruin you, somehow. I know how to be a good friend. But what if that’s all I’m good at? You are my favorite person and I truly believe the world is lucky to have you. All I want is for you to be happy. So, no, Chloe, I’m not afraid of losing you.”
The words hung between them as Beca took a breath. And when she continued, the air felt heavier than the world itself.
“I’m afraid of not being able to love you the way that you deserve.”
Chloe felt the weight of it settle in her chest, the raw vulnerability in Beca’s words cutting through years of longing and withheld confessions. She could see, finally, that all the restraint, all the careful distance, had been a shield not for Beca, but for Chloe. A desperate attempt to keep her happy. Keep her safe.
And how could something so selfless be so, so wrong?
The space around them felt impossibly quiet, as if the world had shrunk, and for the first time tonight, Chloe allowed herself to truly meet Beca’s gaze.
Then everything snapped into sharp, brilliant clarity.
She stepped closer, her voice low but steady, trembling only slightly at the edges.
“I—” Chloe started, but the words faltered. Her voice cracked. “I don’t know where to start.”
Beca’s hands twitched, patient yet tense. “It’s okay…you don’t—”
Those four words were enough to break something open inside her. All the years of waiting, of brushing past the edges of what could have been, came crashing forward.
“Did you know I could have still been a Bella if I graduated?”
“I—what?” Beca stammered, caught off guard by the trajectory of the conversation.
“There’s a bylaw that you could technically still be part of it if you’re in the grad program. But I just wouldn’t be on the main campus and I wouldn’t be allowed to lead. Wouldn’t be able to live at the Bella house. When some grad students did it in the past, they usually did it on an advisory role. I could have still performed with you guys, but I’d mostly be away. But still…a Bella.”
“Oh, um... okay?” Beca replied. “Chloe, what—”
“I failed Russian Lit,” Chloe interrupted, voice low but steady, “Three years in a row. On purpose. Not because I wanted to be a Bella. If all I wanted was to be a Bella, I could have still been one. No, I wanted to be a Bella with you. When you told me you weren’t leaving Barden after all, I shredded my final paper. I wanted any part of you I could get before you finally decided to leave, because I knew this…” Chloe waved in the general vicinity of their surroundings before she continued. “...would happen eventually. I knew you were meant to be heard around the world in some form or another. And I just wanted more time with you. I wanted to be in the same place, almost all the time. I couldn’t stand the idea of being away from you while I still had the chance.”
“You stayed…for me?” Beca asked, her expression pained.
“No, Becs,” Chloe said quickly, shaking her head. “I stayed for me. It’s always been hard for me, you know, to figure out who I really am. But when I’m with you… I feel like you always remind me. When I feel lost, you guide me back somehow. And you remind me to be a better version without making me feel like I’m not enough.”
“Chloe, I—”
“I’m in love with you,” Chloe finally said, voice raw and trembling, spilling everything she’d held back for years. “I’ve loved you for…forever. I’ve loved the way you see me, the way you let me in even when you’re scared. I’ve loved how you make me laugh when I’m at my worst, how you listen without judgment, how you’ve been my friend when I needed you most. I stayed at Barden because one year with you was just not enough. Three years wasn’t enough. Five years… still not enough. Music was my safe space. And you are music. Safe only felt safe when you were around.”
Beca just stared at her, tears beginning to pool around the corners of her eyes. But she kept her eyes trained on Chloe’s, her face etched with something that she couldn’t quite name. When she didn’t say anything, Chloe continued:
“Look, I know it’s scary, the thought of us…if we don’t work out, if we hurt each other. But, Beca, the absolute joy I get just from being the one you come to when you have a bad day, of being the one who gets to love you, and be loved by you… I think that’s worth any risk. Worth every fear, every bit of waiting. Because you make me more. You make me want to be more. And if you meant what you said about…about wanting me to feel safe, then you don’t have to worry. Because this…this love—you said you don’t know if you can love me the way I deserve? Beca, you already do. You asked me before what was wrong with what we already have. And the answer’s nothing. Because if we do this… I promise it will be the same as what we already have, Becs. But more. So much more.”
Chloe’s words hung in the air, raw and trembling. And when Beca still didn’t respond, she felt herself deflate. Now that they had finally admitted it, they still found themselves stuck.
The only way this would work was if they took the leap together. And she would never push Beca.
“I would never force you into anything you’re scared of, Becs. Anything with you at all is worth it. But I need to know now if I’m still waiting for something, or if this is really it, so I can move on…” Chloe trailed off, her eyes shining. “Because all of this … uncertainty. This hope. It’s cruel. So, just say the word. And we’ll leave it.”
Beca’s eyes softened, unwavering, and she leaned forward, her hand brushing against Chloe’s. “Chloe…”
“Don’t feel bad, okay? It’ll be hard at first, but I’ll never stop being here for you. And I know you won’t stop, either. But, obviously, it might—”
Before Chloe could continue, before her rambling fears could tumble into more words, Beca closed the distance between.
And just like that, Chloe Beale finally felt what it was like to press her lips against Beca Mitchell’s.
The world narrowed, the warmth of breath, the undeniable certainty that had been there all along. Firm, gentle, grounding.
Chloe froze for a fraction, startled by the directness, by the calm certainty of it. But then she melted into it, all the fears, all the what-ifs, washing away under the weight of what they already had, and what they were finally letting themselves have.
When they finally pulled back, Beca whispered, “I didn’t really know what to say, except… I’m in love with you, too.”
Chloe exhaled, heart racing, relief and longing tangled together. “You are?”
“I am.”
Chloe rested her forehead against Beca’s, letting herself savor the warmth, the closeness, the simplicity and quiet excitement of the moment. It was so different from the kiss she shared with Chicago. It was predictable, steady. But with Beca… it was electric, precarious, terrifyingly real. Every breath between them felt charged, every heartbeat syncing in a way that made the rest of the world disappear. With Beca, it wasn’t about distraction, nor comfort. It was just about the truth.
And the truth of that memory suddenly rushed forward. Guilt.
“By the way,” Chloe admitted quietly, eyes cast downward. “I know you saw me with Chicago earlier.”
Beca tensed in her arms slightly, but her voice was gentle. “It’s okay, Chlo.”
“I…” Chloe began, words faltering. “Just know that I’ve never felt this with anyone else. And that whole Chicago thing was just—”
Beca brushed a thumb over her cheek, steadying, grounding. When she met her gaze, Chloe was surprised to see them shining with tears. Only this time they weren’t tinged with sadness, or confusion. Just pure, unbridled joy.
“Chloe, you don’t have to explain anything to me.” Beca took a breath. “It sucked seeing you guys, but I know why you did it. And if you want this, then I’m in. I don’t care about being scared. I don’t care about anything before. I just care about us. Our future. And I’m not running anymore.”
Chloe’s chest tightened with relief, awe, and longing all at once. “Is this real?” she whispered, voice trembling. “I didn’t die on the Fat Dingo Bitch and hallucinate all this?”
“It’s real,” Beca said, a grin tugging at her lips. “And if it’s not, then I’m staying in this hallucination with you. I want everything with you. The good shit, the bad shit, the really bad shit, and everything in between. I want all of it. As long as it’s with you, Chloe.”
Chloe let herself lean fully into Beca, feeling the weight of years of restraint and the thrill of finally being seen, truly seen, by the person who meant the most to her. All the missed chances, they were finally behind them.
“You’re really real,” Chloe said softly, her own smile forming, mirroring Beca’s. “This is really real. We’re really...”
“...real?” Beca laughed softly, a sound full of warmth and relief, and kissed her again, slower this time, as if they knew that they had all the time in the world. Chloe felt herself melt into it, letting every fear, every hesitation, every fragment of doubt fall away.
And there, in the quiet ruins of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the warm evening breeze tangled around them, the soft crash of waves below carrying off their past. The years of waiting and restraint fell away, leaving only the two of them.
Finally, together.