Baron sighed as he watched through his kitchen window. His neighbor Reba exited her house on the other side of the street. The caramel brunette with the bright green eyes was hiding away under a cap and a pair of big sunglasses.
"I'm gonna kill him!" He growled.
He was referring to her boyfriend Konnor. The bass player in a grunge metal band called The Ascension. They were pretty bad sounding to Baron but they made enough to make a living. And Baron hated everything about Konnor so it might not be quite fair of him to hate on the band because of his hate of one band member.
He walked out of the kitchen and towards the front door. He needed to catch Reba before she disappeared. He hurried out of his house and she immediately looked down. He knew she had noticed him but she was pretending not to. They had been in this situation more times than he could remember. He never let her get away though and today wasn't gonna be any different. He crossed the street and gently grabbed her arm. She turned around but kept her head bowed down.
"God damn it, Reba, not again," he said.
"He didn't mean to," she said.
"He never does," he said sarcastically.
Konnor needed a good old fashioned beatdown to learn not to put his hands on a woman. Baron would be more than happy to hand that beatdown out if he thought it would make it any better for Reba. He was just afraid he was gonna make it worse for her.
"Come inside for a cup of coffee," he said.
"I need to go to work," she said.
"How long does it take you to walk there?" He asked.
"30 minutes," she answered. "Probably 45 today with how I feel. That's why I'm leaving a bit earlier."
"You have time for a cup of coffee then. I'll drive you to work afterwards," he said.
She didn't put up a fight. He gently escorted her to his house and inside the kitchen where he had left his own half full cup of coffee on the counter.
"Let me see you," he said.
She kept her head down as always. It never stopped him though. He took off her cap and sunglasses and gently tipped her head up with a hand under her chin. A black eye. As horrible as she looked, she had gotten off easy this time.
"This can't go on," he said.
"He didn't mean to. He's just under a lot of stress with the new album. It isn't coming together the way he wants it to," she said.
"Hey!" He cut her off. "He meant it. He always means it and you already know that. He's never gonna change."
He saw the tears in her eyes before she looked down again. She quickly dried her eyes with her hands, trying to look brave in front of him.
"Reba," he sighed.
He pulled her into a hug like many times before. He often comforted her like this, behind Konnor's back but because of Konnor. Baron didn't use the word hate a lot but he truly hated Konnor. He didn't tell her though because he knew it wouldn't make a difference right now. Instead he aimed to make her smile again with a question he had asked many times before.
"When are you gonna leave him for me?" He asked.
"The day you ask me to marry you," she answered.
There was a small giggle hidden in her answer. He broke the hug and looked at her. Sure enough she was smiling at him.
"If you're up for leaving with me, I'll ask you," he said.
"You're leaving?" She asked.
"Yeah, I got a new job as a commentator on CBS Sports," he said. "Oh wait, you gotta see the house I bought."
He turned around to find his phone on the table.
"CBS Sports? That's in New York, isn't it?" She asked.
"Yes," he answered.
He turned around to see her smile was gone. He hadn't thought about what would happen to her once he left. He had been there so many times for her. Who was gonna be there once he left? He never saw anyone but Konnor's friends come to their house. Konnor had done a fantastic job at isolating her completely. If it hadn't been for Baron being so damn stubborn and not accepting a no for an answer, he wouldn't even be in her life. He had kept pushing everytime he saw her with bruises and eventually she had let him in. He was her only friend, and Konnor didn't have a clue.
"Let me see it," she said.
She put on a smile again but this time it was fake. He chose to play along though as he pulled up pictures of the house he had bought in New York.
"It looks great," she said. "Big though for just one man."
"I'm planning on filling it with a lot of pets. I want at least one great Dane. I love that breed," he said.
"It's a wonderful breed," she agreed.
"I'm getting the bathroom redone but I can't settle on the tiles. I got these picked out so far," he said.
He pulled up the pictures of the ones he couldn't choose between.
"I think these blue-grey ones are mostly you," she said.
"I was leaning towards them myself. Guess I just needed someone to tell me I was right. Thanks," he said. "Oh wait, where are my manners? I forgot the coffee."
After a quick cup of coffee, he drove her to work. She worked in a warehouse for a beauty chain. She would pack people's online orders so they were ready to be shifted. A job where she could hide and no one would see her bruises except for the few coworkers running around there too. No one ever asked questions as far as Baron knew. He drove into the parking lot and stopped the car. She sat there in silence for ten long seconds before she looked at him.
"When are you leaving?" She asked.
"About three weeks from now. I'm gonna give them a call about the tiles today so they can get the bathroom done before I arrive," he answered.
"Sports commentator. You're gonna do great at that. I'm happy for you," she said. "I'm gonna miss you though."
"Reba, I..." He started.
"I gotta get to work," she said.
She was out of the car before he could say anything else. He didn't even know what he was trying to say when she cut him off. He could say everything that he had kept on his mind for so long. That he wanted her. That he was in love with her. That he wanted her to move to New York with him. Things he doubted she wanted or needed to hear. She had enough problems already.