Broken

*12*

He was not saying anything and Mo started becoming worried. Of course they had broken up but still...when he looked at her like that-with that venomous accusatory stare that other people could never see, she knew that it was about to hit the fan.

Tebatso quickly turned to look at him and smiled widely as he brought his hand forward to shake Rea's. "The man!" he said as Rea shook his hand with a stiff smile. He patted him on the back in a congratulatory pat then excused himself.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Rea calmly sat down without being invited. "Lunch with your best friend's boyfriend? I'm sorry I interrupted."

Mo sat down in her chair and stared at him, her heart hammering in her chest. She remembered the last time when he slapped her and her nostrils flared. "Get out of my office," she said through clenched teeth. She was already looking around for something to protect herself with just in case he attacked her but the only thing she could see was the pen on her desk. She eyed it.

"Don't worry," Rea said when he saw her. "I won't hurt you. In fact, I came here to apologise but it looks like you've already moved on."

"Then why did you take a seat in my chair or barge into my office without knocking? You're not welcome here or at my house-"

"It was a mistake what happened," he interjected. "I'm sorry for slapping you. I just saw red when you said those words and I lost it. I'm sorry."

Mo started laughing until she couldn't stop anymore. It was only when she started coughing that she stopped while Rea glared at her. "Remember our first anniversary?"
She had never told anybody but now it was time to confront the past.
"We were at Kaycees and the party was just getting lit. It was my birthday and you decided to leave me alone to go and drink with some fellow fourth year girls. Then some guy came over and bought me drinks and you found us dancing. You gripped my arm and pulled me away then dragged me all the way to your place at Mafikeng. My arm was bruised the following morning but I decided that you were drunk and I could let you off the hook."

Rea sat stiffly in his chair. He knew where this was going and he had made Mo promise never to speak of it again but she went on.

"Schools were closed and most people had gone home and it was us and another couple left at your place of residence. In the evening, you asked me about the guy I was dancing with and I told you that I didn't know him. Do you remember what you said after that?"

"I don't see where you're going with this. That was all in the past-"

"Rea, you called me a cheap whore and pushed me into the wall. I hit my head and started bleeding through my nose. Then you punched me in my jaw and I begged you to stop. You pushed me out of your way before leaving for a couple of days while I nursed my bruises and cuts. Then you came back apologising and I accepted your apology. We were the perfect couple then, weren't we?"

"I promised I'd never lay a hand on you again," Rea whispered as he looked remorsefully at his hands then looked up. "And I laid my hand on you again. I'm so sorry."

"I've heard too many of your sorrys. Please leave my office. I don't want to hear what you have to say to me-you can keep it. Get out."

Rea stood up in a rage and kicked back the client chair which up-ended. Mo grabbed the pen on the desk, prepared to use it if necessary. "Are you sleeping with him? Are you sleeping with Tebatso Makoa, you whore?" Rea said through his teeth.

"Do I need to call security on you?" Mo said calmly even though she was screaming internally for help. "You are banned from ever coming here or my house. If you ever violate those terms, I will file for a restraining order against you and should you violate that, your ass will be thrown in jail."

"You wouldn't dare!" Rea's eyes were becoming red as his veins stood out in his neck. "What is going on with you and Tebatso Makoa? Are you sleeping with him to gain favours? I know you love money and is he paying for it? Is he paying for your-"

Outraged, Mo grabbed the nearest heavy thing she could get her hands on and threw it at Rea who ducked just in time as it whizzed past above his head and dented the wall behind him. He jumped over the table to Mo's side and pinned her arms to the sides but not in a way that could hurt her. She tried to scream but he covered her mouth, muffling her screams with his hand.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," he whispered soothingly as Mo struggled in his arms. She was shaking and crying with anger. "Calm down, please Amo. Look, I apologise for what I said and everything. I have tried to change-for me, for you, for us but I keep failing everytime. I know that I have failed you so many times and my apologies mean nothing at this point but I am sorry. Ok? I'm sorry."

Mo stopped struggling and Rea let go of her as she turned to look at him. "You have done me so much wrong and I kept letting you get away with it because I loved you, Rea. I loved you through all the pain that you caused me," she sobbed. "I have decided to let go now because I was trying to hold on to something that had long left my grasp. I love you but I can't do this anymore."

Rea gazed into her eyes and without a word, he placed his lips softly upon hers. She tried to resist but he knew that that wall of hers wasn't going to stand long and it was true because she relented and kissed him back. Mo responded to his touch and he lifted her into his arms and pushed her against the wall. Then as his hand reached for the hem of her shirt, he felt her belly and stopped to stare at her. Her belly felt a little round.

"Amo, are you...are you pregnant?" he was as surprised as he could possibly be.

Mo pushed him away from her, looking offended and agitated. "You could be nicer, you know? I know that my belly has become big because I have gained weight but you could be subtle about it. Pregnant? Is that another way of saying I have become fat?"

Rea was apologetic. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I thought... I didn't mean...I'm an ass. I'm sorry for thinking you're pregnant. I'm really sorry."

Mo smiled a little but her heart was racing fast. She had almost been caught out by her baby daddy whom she didn't want knowing about the baby until she truly showed. "Fine. I forgive you."

"Anyway, how about we continue our little session at my place or your place? I wasn't done with your love handles."

"I don't have love handles!" Mo giggled. "And you are no longer banned from my house but my place of work is now off limits to you."
Trust Rea to anger her one second and love her and make her smile the next.
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Mo was fumbling with her keys as Rea kissed the back of her neck. She was trying to open the door of her house manually instead of putting in the password like usual because honestly, she did not trust Rea anymore.

"Just put in your password," he whispered as he nibbled her ear. "You seem to have forgotten which key is the right one and we can't be out here forever."

"Shh! I remember!" The key locked in and she turned it and the door opened. "Told you."

Rea didn't waste any time. He was already kicking off his shoes while Mo fumbled in the dark for the switch. Rea was already touching her all over just as the light came on before she found the switch and she screamed.

"It's just me!" Thabile yelled over Mo's screams. "Calm down!"

"Thabi! What the heck!"

Rea stared at Thabile who was dressed only in her undergarments and Thabile noticed but she tried to ignore him. Mo was too busy trying to calm herself down to see the tension between the two. She excused herself on some excuse to pee and left.

Thabile turned to Rea who couldn't take his eyes off of her. "Have you feasted your eyes enough?" she said with irritation.

Rea pulled her close and trapped her between his legs. Then he bent towards her as she was a head shorter than him. She was not even struggling to get out of his arms. His mouth found hers and they kissed so deeply it looked like they were glued together for a couple of seconds before Thabile pushed away from him with a, "Mo is my friend. I can't do this to her."

"That's not what you said the last time," he said with a grin then left to go find Mo who was seated on the toilet with her head in her hands.