Her Eyes

Chapter 53: BREATHE

Alex woke up with his arms wrapped around her. She always slept so soundly next to him. It was comforting for him to see her sleeping peacefully beside him. He never wanted to let her go, but he had to go to work. "Norma." She mumbled incoherently, digging her face further into his neck. "I have to go to work."

She sighed, pulling away from him. "I know."

He stood up from the bed and moved over to the dresser to grab his uniform. "I don't really want to...I can only imagine the crap I'm gonna get for what happened last night."

She got up from the bed and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It'll be all right." The feeling of her resting against his back sent pangs to his heart.

"I'll drop you off at your house on my way to the station." He didn't want to leave her, but the romance of their date sort of vanished when he was taken down to the station for interrogation.

She let go of him sadly and moved to the door. "All right. I guess I'll wait for you in the car." He sighed, watching her leave. He felt bad. He didn't like the thought of her being alone in that house, but she had Dylan.

He got dressed and headed out to the car, climbing in and driving off. The silence soothed him, though he glanced at her every now and then just to check her mood. He never knew what he was going to get with her. She was unpredictable. He drove past highway 84 and headed into town.

The sound of her voice broke through the silence. "What are you doing? This isn't the way to the motel." She stared at him as the smile crept across his face.

He pulled into the local diner and parked, gazing at her softly. "I thought we could have breakfast...to make up for what happened last night."

She smiled sweetly, but rolled her eyes. "Don't you think I'm a little overdressed for breakfast?" She motioned down to her black dress.

"You look fine," he laughed.

She glared at him lovingly. "I haven't even brushed my teeth yet."

He shrugged. "I won't tell anyone."

Once their laughter subsided, silence took over. She stared at him with a serious look on her face. She knew the nature of their relationship. "Are you sure you wanna be seen with me?"

He nodded softly, reaching for the door handle. "Yeah...yeah I'm sure." They stepped inside the diner and took the booth near the window. After ordering, they stared at each other, smiling. "What?" he muttered gruffly.

She laughed lightly, gazing about the room. "Everyone's staring at us."

He looked around with her. "That's probably because they've never seen me with someone before." It was the sad truth. He never went anywhere with anyone except for work.

She gave him a sad look. "Why haven't you found someone?"

He smiled widely. "I did find someone. This really nutty blonde woman—she owns the motel on highway 84," he teased. She rolled her eyes and his smile faded. "No, I never really had time to go out and meet women. And even if I did...I never could get them to stay."

"That's really...pathetic," she laughed.

"Like your track record's any better," he shot back.

Her eyes dropped to the table. "Well at least I get out there." It stung. He knew it was true. He lived a very guarded life. No one was ever strong enough to break in.

He raised an eyebrow. "Did you ever think that maybe I was too busy waiting for you?" He almost wished he hadn't said it. He was risking too much with this woman. She broke in and took over. He couldn't ever think straight around her. He was utterly in love with her.

She bit her lip nervously, her eyes still glued to the table. "Then how come you accused me of murder?"

He couldn't believe her sometimes. She drove him mad. He glared at her. "That was before I knew you."

She stared up at him, her eyes holding offense. "Then what about Norman?"

He furrowed his brow. "What about Norman?"

She scoffed, taking her eyes off him. "The polygraph test?"

He sighed, calming himself. "Norma, I needed to know." He waited for her eyes to meet his. "It killed me too. It killed me a whole lot more than I care to admit. I didn't want to put you through that. But you deserved to know the truth...we all did." He knew she didn't fully believe him. She'd never really trust him. She was just as guarded as he was. It was why they were so drawn to each other. They understood each other better than anyone. They just couldn't admit it to each other. "Norma, I've lived in this town my whole life, and you're the only person who's ever really taken an interest in me. I am nothing to these people. I'm just the shady sheriff who can never seem to do his job right." He wanted her to trust him more than anything. He wished they hadn't met the way they had...or that her son wasn't a murderer. But they couldn't deny those things. Everything happens for a reason. "Look I don't know what happened to you before we met, but I can promise you that I will never treat you that way...ever. I just don't know what you want from me."

She stared at him sadly. "I could say the same to you."

They waiter brought their food and they ate in silence. Silence was a sense of comfort to them. They didn't ever really have to say anything to each other. They each knew what the other was thinking just by looking into their eyes. Their eyes held every pain—every heartache they'd ever experienced. It was all there for the world to see, but they were the only ones who ever noticed.