The Weekend

Chapter Seven

Silence filled the room and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of Brock's heart beating against his chest. Reba smiled and adjusted her head against him. They hadn't moved, hadn't spoken, they only held each other in silence. No words were needed, for the silence around them said it all. It didn't matter how many years they spent apart, their love had not died.

Brock slowly traced his fingers down the length of her arm, leaving her delicate skin tingling from his touch. He gently slid his fingers in between hers and lifted their intertwined hands into the air in front of his face. The two were finally where they needed to be for the first time in seven years: together. He smiled and brought her hand to his lips. He didn't want to live one more moment without her, not again.

Reba tried her hardest to stay in this moment, right here, but she found herself questioning what was to happen next. She tried to push the fear that was rising in her chest back down. She wanted to run away from it, to stay in this moment for the rest of her life. But she knew that was a foolish desire. He was married and she was no longer his wife.

"Oh, god." She said absentmindedly when it finally hit her. "Barbara Jean."

Brock felt her entire body stiffen against him. He knew this was bound to happen, he just wished it hadn't happened so soon. Of course he, too, felt the guilt settle in, but nowhere near the amount he knew Reba would feel. She had been in Barbara Jean's situation. She knew what it felt like to be in her position. Although, he wished with every fibre of his being, that she didn't know. She wasn't supposed to know.

"Reba, listen…"

"Oh, my god, Brock, what have we done? We have just done the most selfish thing… oh, god." She moved away from him before he could stop her and it wasn't long before she was hyperventilating. He'd only seen her this distressed a handful of times, but he knew well enough where it was headed.

All Reba could think about was Barbara Jean. She was her best friend, how could she do this to her? At least when Barbara Jean had done this to her, the two of them weren't friends. Reba felt betrayed then, but she could only imagine how Barbara Jean would feel now. She was on the verge of a panic attack; she could feel it deep in her chest. She stood quickly from the bed, a blanket wrapped tightly around her body, and she paced, trying desperately to calm herself down.

"Reba – "

"Do you even feel guilty? Of course you don't, you're the one who can't keep it in his pants. I've never done this before. Oh god, I'm no better than you. I am an awful person, Brock!" She rambled on and on as she paced, he could barely understand what she was saying.

"That's it!" He said harshly before jumping out of bed. Brock stood in her path so she was no longer able to pace. He quickly grabbed a hold of her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes, his heart breaking at the sight of the sadness, anger, and fear that fought harshly in her blue pools. "Honey, you have to calm down. C'mon, breathe with me." He began to take deep breaths, placing her hand on his chest so she could feel the air entering his lungs.

Reba's nerves began to calm as she breathed in deeply along with Brock. He was always the only person that could settle her down during attacks such as these. Her panic attacks had become more frequent and intense during her pregnancy with Cheyenne and continued on with Kyra and Jake. Needless to say, it was no wonder Brock knew how to handle her.

"That's good, keep going." He gently put his hands on her hips and pulled her into his lap as he sat on the edge of the bed. He held her close as they breathed together. He hadn't had to talk her down from a panic attack since she was pregnant with Jake and he couldn't help but wonder how many attacks she's had since then that he wasn't around to comfort her for; another vow he had broken. Brock smiled when she laid her head down on his chest; how could he have ever thought she didn't need him? Of course she needed him, she was just too stubborn to let him know that. What a fool he had been.

Once her body was completely calm, she stood from his arms and moved away from him. "Why did we do this?" Her voice was a whisper and he wished he hadn't heard the words that escaped her lips. She moved away from him as if he had the plague and it tore his heart into pieces. He could not let her forget why this happened, he would not allow it, not again.

Brock stood from the bed and walked towards her. He placed his hands on either side of her face and before Reba could protest, he pulled her lips to his, connecting them in a passionate lip-lock. He kissed her with every ounce of love he felt inside of his soul.

Reba's arms immediately turned to mush and rested limp against her sides. She hadn't expected the kiss and was taken aback by it. She wished she had it in her to push him away, tell him she never wanted to see him again, but she knew that would be a lie. Telling herself she no longer wanted him for the last six years was the biggest lie she'd ever told.

Brock pulled away with a pop and she had to take a moment to regain her composure. The kiss left her feeling light to the room.

"That. That's why this happened. I love you, Reba." Her heart soared at the look in his eyes; so honest and so real, he could've said nothing and she still would've known what he was thinking by that look in his eyes.

"I love you, too."

He pulled her into an embrace immediately, placing his hand on her head as she rested against his chest. He wanted to cry, out in joy and out in pain. He had never thought he'd hear those words again, but boy, was he ever glad he did.

Brock lifted his arm from the warmth of the water, water droplets falling from his fingertips, creating small ripples in the water around them as he lifted the damp red curls that stuck to her back. He knew, better than anyone, that a warm bath always brought relief to Reba in a stressful situation.

Reba closed her eyes and leaned her head back as Brock scooped the warm water into his hands and gently poured it against her scalp as he ran his fingers through her curls. Despite her outburst only minutes ago, she felt calm and happy. It had been so long since she had bathed with another; she remembered the countless occasions her and Brock would lay in a bubble bath after putting the kids to sleep. They'd be exhausted, but the intimacy of sharing a bath with the one you love was always enough to bring them back to life.

"Remember all the nights we spent in bubble baths after putting the kids to bed?" Brock asked as he brought his hands down to rest underneath the warm water once again. Reba laid her head back, resting it against his shoulder.

"I was just thinking about that." She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth around her. Brock wrapped his arms around her chest and kissed the side of her head, her back resting heavily against his chest. He was glad she had calmed down; he wasn't ready for their weekend to be over so soon and he wasn't entirely sure if he would ever be. They still had three more days left and he'd be damned if they didn't make the most of them.

"We were always so exhausted at that time of day. Those kids were sure hand-fulls back then. Still are. I don't know how we manage." He let out a low chuckle which gently shook Reba's body and she couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"We were always good together, hard to believe it ever went so wrong."

Brock's chest tightened and he could not form words good enough to respond to her. She was right, they were and if he had remembered that back then, maybe nothing would've ever gone wrong. He wished he had the words to say to let her know how truly sorry he was for all of the pain he brought upon their family, he wished she could feel what he was feeling in his heart at that very moment because maybe if she did, everything would be okay.

Once the water had cooled and Reba had begun to shiver, Brock knew that their reminiscent moment had come to an end. He stood from behind her and grabbed a towel from the ugly green cabinet and wrapped it around his waist. He heard the water slosh around Reba as she stood and he quickly grabbed another towel, holding it in front of him.

Reba smiled and walked over to him, allowing him to wrap her body in the fluffy white towel. He took his time, making sure to absorb every droplet of water on her skin. She smiled at the sweetness of his actions and despite the innocence of it all, she felt her entire body jolt as he continued his slow movements.

He ran the towel down her left leg and up her right leg before finally finishing and standing in front of her. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment as they realized how close their bodies were and their lips, mere centimeters away. Suddenly, their breathing became shallow with the anticipation of what was to come. It didn't matter how hard they fought it, the fire they felt for one another could never be put out.

Reba brought her lips to his and kissed him. She ran her tongue across his lower lip and felt him shiver against her palms that held his arms firmly. She slid her hands across his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Brock ran his hands roughly up her thighs and under the towel that was draped across her small frame. He swallowed the moan that had escaped her lips when his hands found her backside. He wasted no time and hoisted her into the air, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Reba could feel every care in the world flying out of the window as his hands worked her body and his lips worked her neck. She felt him backing towards the bed and let out a slight squeal when his body fell to the mattress. He held her firmly by the hips as he scooted them closer to the headboard. His lips quickly found her chest and showered her with kisses. Their towels had fallen away in the heat of the moment and Reba was bare to the room as she sat in his lap, legs draped on either side of him.

Brock moved his lips to her shoulder and placed a gentle kiss, one after the other, until he was below her ear. "You're even more beautiful now than you were then."

Her eyes were closed and his words sent a chill down her spine like a lightning rod. Reba pulled away so she could look into his eyes. She moved her hands to either side of his face and caressed his cheeks with her thumbs. If she spent the rest of her life looking into those eyes, well, she figured it wouldn't be so bad.

Reba kissed him hard on the lips, the love she felt in her chest becoming too much to bare. She lifted herself off of his lap enough so the two could become one once again. A gasp escaped her lips and she held him closely to her chest.

Brock guided her hips carefully, not wanting to lose the tenderness of the moment. He watched as she closed her eyes and loosened her grip around his neck. She rolled her neck and he found himself mesmerised as he watched her long red locks dance in slow motion with her movement. She wasn't even trying, but he was certain she was the most beautiful sight in the world. Brock moved his left hand up her side, watching his fingertips move with the perfect curves of her body. Her skin was soft, softer than he remembered.

Reba could feel the warmth in her belly burning stronger with every soft caress and kiss against her skin. She wanted to cry and scream out in pleasure all at once. The way his fingers moved against her skin, let her know that he wasn't just touching her, he was feeling her. And she could feel the love he felt pouring from those fingertips and it was driving her absolutely mad. They had made love on many occasions, but nothing quite like this.

Brock moved his hands over her breast and watched as her lips parted slightly and her eyes close once again. He moved his fingers to her neck and brushed her curls aside, grinning when he saw yet another shiver pass through her body. His right hand held onto her hip as she moved against him. The tension in his stomach was building and for the first time in six years, he realized he hadn't made love to anyone other than Reba. Sure, he'd slept with Barbara Jean, that much was clear, but they didn't make love. This, right here, was love-making. He could feel it all around him and most importantly, as he looked into the blue eyes that stared back at him, he could see it.

Reba arched her back and held him close to her, his name silently escaping her lips and he knew she didn't even realize she had said it, for the pleasure was clouding her mind.

Brock nestled his nose into the crook of her neck as an explosion took place in his stomach. The two held tightly onto each other as they let the waves of pleasure roll throughout their bodies. Reba had never felt as close to Brock as she did at that very moment. The walls had been stripped away and she could see who he truly was.

A tear slipped down Reba's cheek, why? She had no idea, but she was too late to stop it. Brock, however, quickly rid her face of it as he moved his thumb against her cheek. Reba smiled and moved into his touch. Their eyes remained locked and although no words were spoken, Reba nodded her head.

"I love you, too."

He'd heard those words more in the last two hours than he had in the last six years and he found his heart soaring once again. Brock kissed her lips softly before lifting her from his body and bringing her to a spooning position underneath the warm blankets.

"Maybe we were given this weekend for a reason."

His words echoed through her ears as his strong arms encircled her tiny waist. Reba felt safe for the first time in years and as she began to doze off into the night, the smile never left her lips.