Reba struggled out of Brock's arms and straightened herself out, smoothing her blouse over her stomach. "I'm fine, I'm fine."
Brock leaned against the door frame and watched her. "You still wanna..." He trailed off.
"No, you mor-on! I just got fired."
"Woah," He held his hands up in defeat. "Thought you might want a pick me up."
Reba rolled her eyes. "I'm goin' home."
Brock watched her disappear from sight, how had that all gone so wrong? He waited for her to be out of sight before heading back into his office, figuring it was about time for his next appointment. He would deal with Reba later.
Reba sat in her car, in her driveway for the longest time. She knew none of the kids would be home for a couple hours but she didn't make a move to go inside. She was furious. Furious she'd let her temper get the best of her like that, furious Eugene was such an idiot and furious at Brock for suggesting they still go have a quickie in his office.
Admittedly he was probably just trying to lighten the mood but she was still furious. After another fifteen minutes of solitude in her silent car, she climbed out, grabbing her bag and walked inside.
The house was quiet, so quiet Reba could feel her temples starting to pulsate, she had one of two option at this point, go straight up to bed and try sleep off this headache she knew would engulf her, get woken up by her kids or, wait until the kids came home, make dinner, clean, get headache then go to bed.
She sighed looking around the kitchen, so thankful it was clean. One less thing on the to do list. Reba hung her bag and grabbed her purse out. Deciding she would leave a note and money for them to get pizza and not to disturb her.
"Mom?" Cheyenne called as she walked into the house.
"Kitchen," She mumbled half paying attention to who was in her house.
"Gamma!" Elizabeth ran into the kitchen and hugged Reba's legs. That little girl could fix anything.
"Hi, sweetie." Reba knelt down to hug her granddaughter before looking to Cheyenne. "Van get off okay?"
"Yeah," She sighed sadly, knowing he'd only been gone a few days this week.
"You're home early."
"Class finished early, thought I'd get in some time with Elizabeth. Why are you home so early?"
"Don't wanna talk about it." She said, standing and finishing the note.
"Mom,"
"No, Cheyenne, I don't want to talk about it. I have a headache and your brother will be home shortly so just drop it."
"Okay, but you've been acting weird all week."
"Cheyenne, can I just get one minutes peace without someone talkin' 'bout how I am? I am fine. I have a headache." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "There's money on the counter, enough for all of you to get pizza if Kyra comes over. I'm going to take a nap, please don't bother me." Reba said as she walked through the living room and up the stairs.
She had been short with her eldest daughter but she was so tired and so frustrated from the day that she didn't even care.
Reba climbed the stairs and slowly made her way into her bedroom, leaning against the door she locked it behind her. She was exhausted, mentally, physically. Why did she have to have such a temper? Why did Eugene have to be such a monkey's butt?
Sighing, she pushed herself off the door, kicked off her heels and pressed her sore feet into the carpet, scrunching her toes a few times to get the circulation back. Reba tossed her back on the bed, not caring where it landed, she heard the faint ping of her phone but she really didn't want to know who it was. The house could be burning down around her and she wouldn't care.
Brock had tried calling and texting Reba throughout the day with no luck. The woman was as stubborn as a mule. He drove directly to her house after work but instead of going to see her, he took himself to Barbra Jeans, deciding a visit with his son was definitely in order.
They spent the rest of the afternoon and better part of the evening hanging out and when Kyra came home she surprisingly joined them for a short while before heading up to her room after dinner which gave Brock and Barbra Jean time to have a good conversation about finalizing their divorce. It was best to get this done quickly and cleanly.
He put Henry to bed, something he hadn't done in a while then he said his farewells to Kyra, who had simply called out goodbye and goodnight down the stairs. He let Barbra Jean know he'd be around tomorrow to pick up more of his things and she gave him a smile as she waved him off.
As he left the house he checked his phone, still no word from Reba, he sighed and headed down the street, needing to make sure she was okay. She always responded to his texts, even if she was mad at him.
Reba tested the bath water after she added the bubbles, making it extra hot. She lit a couple candles, placing them around her bathroom, she threw her hair up into a messy bun before pouring herself a glass of red, she set the bottle down beside the bath and slowly descended into the water she sighed contently and laid her head back against the towel she'd set there.
She swished the bubbles around the bath with her free hand, her eyes closed and the soothing voice of Imelda May filling her ears. Content with her plan to leave the kids to fend for themselves she sighed and took a sip of her wine, licking her lips as the smooth liquid slid down her throat.
Reba heard her phone ping again but she was not leaving the comfort of her sanctuary for anything. She had locked her bedroom door and told the kids in her note that unless someone was dying she was not to be disturbed for the rest of the evening.
She knew she'd been in the water a while when the first song on the album started again, Reba sat up and contemplated getting out, noting her almost empty glass of wine she set it down and let out some of the bath water so she could refill with hot. Not wanting to leave the oasis of quiet she had created just yet.
Through the distraction of filling the bath and her glass she didn't hear the quiet click of her bedroom door as it slid open and closed again, she was laid back in complete peace when he opened the bathroom door sliding in quitely.
"I've been worried about you." Brock whispered from the door so as not to startle her.
Reba sighed and looked over at him before closing her eyes once again, she really wasn't in the mood.
"Please don't be mad at me."
She was quiet for a moment before she sat up a bit, the bubbles dancing around her breasts. "I'm not mad at you."
Brock relaxed and closed the bathroom door behind him, feeling as though it was safe to enter.
"How did you break into my room?" She said taking another sip of her wine.
"Still have my key."
"Remind me to take it off you." She said, laying her head back. "I assume none of the kids saw you."
Brock shook his head even though her eyes were closed. "I'm assuming they used the cash you left them and went to the movies as you suggested." He repeated the words of her note back to her.
Nodding she sunk lower into the water. "The idea was to be left alone."
"I can go, if you'd like."
"No, you're already here. You can stay."
"You don't seem to really want any company."
Reba looked up at him. "Now you realize I wanted to be alone?" She scoffed. "Just go get yourself a glass and bring up another bottle of wine."
"Forget it. I'll just go home."
"Don't be such a baby." She sat up again and his eyes were immediately drawn to her chest, God he wanted her but she was being so moody. "If you're just going to stare.." She trailed off noting his eyes.
"Just cause you're in a bad mood doesn't mean I don't want you." He shrugged and walked out of the bathroom closing the door before she could respond.
He wasn't sure whether or not to obey her or to just leave, she seemed snappy and he didn't much care for snappy Reba, he did however care for that milky white skin covered in scented bubbles, teasing him with the way they played upon her skin as she laid in the bath.
Brock ran his hand over his face and made his way down the stairs, walking to where Reba kept her wine. He grabbed a bottle and a glass before heading back up the stairs. She had some kind of control over him, even if he wanted to leave he wouldn't. He not only wanted her, but he was worried about how she was dealing with losing her job. He knew she'd never admit to needing him, but she did. In her way.
Reba added just a bit more hot to her bath, she had easily been in there for an hour, if not longer. Her fingers and toes had long since wrinkled from the water, but she didn't much care. It was nice to not have to worry about getting up to deal with the kids.
She shut off the tap and sipped her wine, wondering what was taking Brock so long, unless he had gone home? Trying to convince herself that she didn't care if he stayed or not was foolish but she tried all the same.
Closing her eyes and listening to the lyrics of the song as they echoed in her bathroom, she soon became impatient when he didn't show up after the second song finished.
Reba sat up in the bath and pulled herself into a standing position, just as she reached for her towel Brock walked in, leaning himself against the door frame he looked her up and down before holding up the bottle and glass in his hand.
"Getting out so soon?" he licked his lips.
She was stunning, he watched the droplets of water trace down over her curves as she stood there in all her beauty for him to see. His eyes dragging their way up her tiny frame until they met her own.
"I thought you left." She didn't move to cover herself, he loved how confident she was, he remembered a time after she had each of their children where she wouldn't let him see her naked, even when they made love she'd keep a shirt of or insist the light be off.
"I told you today, you're stuck with me."
Reba cocked her eyebrow and sat back down in the water. "You just gonna watch me lay in the bath then?"
Brock cracked open the bottle, topping up her glass before he poured himself one. He took a seat against the wall so he could see her. "Yep."
Chuckling Reba clinked her glass with his and took a sip, she closed her eyes and laid her head back.
"Are you in a better mood now?"
"A little."
"Anything I can do to help?"
She could hear the suggestiveness in his voice, she didn't need to see the look on his face. "Maybe later."
Brock watched her, sipping her wine occasionally, rocking her head to the music, playing with the water, her eyes closed all the while until she finally opened them.
"I am a total prune now."
Brock laughed and handed her a towel when she stood, standing himself. "A very sexy prune."
"Don't push it." She warned, wrapping it around her body.
"I can't compliment you?"
"You're just trying to get in my pants."
"You're not wearing pants."
Reba shot him a glare and climbed out of the water, pulling the plug as she did so. "Don't be a smartass."
Brock leaned against the wall. "So, after today, you at lunch, the teasing and everything you did to make me a horny teenager you're gonna deny me?"
Reba walked straight passed him to her vanity and he followed behind her. "You don't just get it cause you come over Brock."
He scoffed. "That's not why I came over."
"Then why does it matter if I deny you?"
"Because it's always on your terms. You asked me to lunch, you asked me over for the family night."
"And yet, here you are." She said as she rubbed moisturizer into her legs. "Uninvited and still in my room."
"Y'know what fine. If you're just gonna act like this then I'll just leave and you can call me when you decide to not be pissed at me for whatever it is I seem to have done."
"Fine, leave."
"I will."
"Just like you always do." She looked up and he stopped dead in his tracks halfway to her door.
Slowly the words registered in his head, had she just pulled that card? After fours years and countless conversations. After all that had happened over the weekend between them?
"Seriously?"
"Go on, just like you always do."
He turned to face her, anger rising from the pit of his stomach. "That's not true at all and you know it."
"Your track record speaks for itself."
Was she trying to make him mad? It was damn well working, he felt his fists clench together and he took a deep breath. "You want me to leave? Just like last time, when you told me the door wouldn't be open again? Is that what you're trying to do here, Reba?"
"I'm stating a fact."
"No. You're scared."
"I am not scared." What? Where did that come from?
"You wanna try push me away 'cause you lost your job? Go ahead. You wanna act like we're not together 'cause of the kids and Barbra Jean? You go right ahead. And if I leave, which I will be doing after I finish what I'm about to say, I will be back tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day. Wanna know why?"
Reba sat frozen to her seat, she'd never expected him to confront her like this.
"Because, I love you. I'll get over not getting sex, not bending you over my desk, not getting road head or telling our family or whatever else. But I will never get over losing you again. So, yes, I'm gonna go home and I'm gonna let you sleep on it and you decide if you want us. You take as much time as you need but I'll be here tomorrow to take our son to school. I ain't goin' anywhere. Not this time."
Brock walked to Reba's side, dropping the little gold key to her room on the vanity beside her. He walks to the door took one last look at her before checking the coast was clear and walking out of her room, closing the door with a small click. Leaving her seated at her vanity in pure shock.