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Chloe has always been told right from wrong. She’s always been told when to help people and when a situation is possibly unsafe. She’s always been warned about the potential of people in this world who could hurt or take advantage of her. Trust me she is well aware of the fact that there are bad people in this world and she damn well knows that picking up hitchhikers is a no go. And yet...she’s picking up a hitchhiker. A really really attractive and small hitchhiker (this is how Chloe justifies going against all of her rules in picking this girl up).
“So, you’re going to LA?” Chloe asks chancing a glance towards the small girl she picked up just moments before.
“Yep,” the girl replied shortly.
“Beca, right?”
“Yep,” she answered again.
“Well, Beca, we’ve got a bit of a journey ahead of us so maybe a little more than a ‘yep’ would be good. That or you get to listen to me sing Christmas carols the rest of the way,” Chloe decided.
“You sing?” Beca asks after a moment’s pause.
“Yes, I sing,” Chloe smiles obviously happy to have actually gotten a question out of the girl.
“Interesting.”
“Do you?” Chloe questions. She glances over at the other girl to see her mulling over the answer.
“A little,” Beca mumbles in response. “Definitely not to Christmas carols.”
“Alright. I can deal with that,” Chloe replies with a smile. She changes the radio station a few times before she settles on a David Guetta song that she loves. “So, why LA?”
“DJ gigs. Eventually producing music for a label but for now DJing,” Beca grumbles while her forehead is pressed against the glass.
“And why hitchhiking?” Chloe asks before she can think better of it.
“I figured it was a cheap and safe route,” Beca replies.
“Safe? Are you kidding?” Chloe scoffs.
“Well not really safe,” Beca mumbles again. “Just cheap then.”
“Clearly. It is definitely not safe and your little butt is lucky I was the one to pick you up.”
“Really now?” Beca questions instantly perking up.
“For sure. There are some awful people in this world, Beca. You could have easily gotten picked up by some psychotic guy and been murdered. But luckily for you...an overly generous redhead decided to break all of her rules to help you,” Chloe announces cheerily.
“Thank you, I guess,” Beca whispers as she stares off down the highway. Chloe easily let the silence fill the car aside from the radio playing some familiar song and it wouldn’t be long until she started to sing along. If there was anything Chloe is good at it’s filling awkward silences with singing.
“So you’re just up and left wherever you came from?” Chloe asked breaking the long silence that had fallen between them.
“Yeah,” Beca mumbles in response.
“Do you even have anywhere to stay once you get to LA?”
“I, uh,” Beca whispers. Chloe looks over at her only to see that her gaze is fixed on where she’s tugging at the lining of her jeans. “I’ll figure that out when I get there.”
“You seriously don’t have a plan?” Chloe questions in complete disbelief at how unprepared the other girl seemed. She instantly knows that she’s happy to have broken all of her rules and picked the girl up because honestly who knows what could have happened to her if she hadn’t.
“Not really,” Beca responds shyly. “I needed to leave so I’ll figure the rest out.
Chloe looks between the road and the girl several times. She takes in the girl’s appearance and the way she’s biting her cheek in contemplation. It’s then that Chloe notices the bruises. And the second she takes that in is the second her mind is made up.
“You can stay with me,” Chloe announces happily. “I know I’m a stranger and all but you can trust me. You can stay with me until you get on your feet in LA.”
“I really don’t want to be a bother. I’m already thankful enough for the ride,” Beca says sullenly. Chloe knows that tone of voice and she knows it well. Beca doesn’t want to be a burden but Chloe doesn’t want her to wind up on the streets.
“You won’t be a bother. I’m offering to provide you a place to stay until you get on your feet and all I ask in return is help around the apartment and maybe some singing,” Chloe laughs. She can feel Beca boring a hole into the side of her head but she maintains her focus on the road with a smile on her face.
“If you insist,” Beca grumbles before leaning against the window again. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Becs,” Chloe replies. And there’s something about the nickname that makes her heart swell. Just like that the atmosphere in the car had changed. For a moment she thought that maybe it was just her until she looked over to see Beca biting back a smile. Maybe it was worth breaking all of her rules after all.