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Smoke, Lies, and Goodbyes 10

Laura's POV

I sit staring at my black phone screen, so absolutely bored out of my mind because Victor wasn't here. After they made me sell my house and everything in it, no memories at all, I had seen on the news about someone selling my tee shirt from Norman.
Victor wouldn't be back for another week and a half. We hadn't even left yet and Victor was already wanting to leave me in the hotel room by myself, only minutes away from memories I wanted back.
My phone goes off, showing a number I was quite familiar with. I answer it and sure enough, it's the bar, calling me again.
"Hello." I say, looking at the clock that read: 1:57.
"Hi, Laura?" Asks a rather deep voice.
"Yes?" I ask, wondering why in the fuck I would be getting a call from a bar down he street at two o'clock in the morning.
"Hi, we got your number on Norman's phone and he's kinda drunk." He informs, chuckling to himself for some reason.
"Kinda?" I ask, thoroughly impressed.
"Kinda passed out." He says in another laugh, sounding entertained.
"I could come get him if I need to." I say, crossing my fingers and hoping I got to see him.
"That would be nice. He's taking up valuable space on my bar." He says.
"I'll be right there." I feel myself get over excited. I literally spring from the seat to the door, running out and snagging a taxi.
"Ruble's Bar." Within five minutes we pull up to the bar. I hop out, tossing him a ten and running in.
"Norman?" I ask, placing a hand on the tense shoulder of a hunched over body on a faded and scratched bar. He lifts his head, his eyes squints of a pale blue and red.
His dark hair falls into his face leading to the dark stubble shading his chin. He turns around on his bar stool, his eyes widening as I pull him up into a standing hug.
"I love you, Laura." He mutters with a smile, burying his nose into the crook of my neck as he pulls me closer.
"Norman, come on, I can't carry you up the stairs." I laugh, hug him tightly, burying my nose into the crook of his neck, I was in love with his smell.
It was so... I don't know...so Norman. It was a mix of cigarette smoke and cologne, or it used to be.
Now he just reeked of booze and smoke, the smell not too appealing, but right here, even when he's drunk, I felt more alive and safe.
I pretty much drag him up the stairs again, pulling him down the hall. I could feel something wet on my arm and look to see tears falling down his face as he balls his hands into fists.
"Hey, hey, hey. Stop it. Norman, look, I'm right here." I hush, sitting him on his bed as he flops onto the sheeted mattress, rather neatly made for someone who was so depressed. I pull his face up to mine, my hands framing his teary, sad, broken face.
"No, you're just a dream. When I wake up, you'll be gone and I'll be back to where I started." He says, shaking his head as he pulls away from me.
"Norman, I'm right here. Look! I'm not leaving yet. The bar called me so I came to get you." I say, reaching for him only for him to back away further.
"Norman, stop!" I shout, my eyes tearing up as I realize he thinks I'm a figment of his imagination and that I'm not real, that I'm never coming back again.
"Prove that you're real! That I'm not just imagining you like I have everyday since you left!" He shouts, pointing an angry, stern finger at me.
"Fine!" I shout, smashing our lips together. His fingers find my hair, trying to pulling our faces closer than possible.
"Shit." He pulls back, the taste of whiskey staying on my tongue and lips. I could actually get drunk off his kiss. I grab his neck, hugging him as tight as I can.
"Norman. I never stopped loving you. I was looking at you at the wedding, I wanted you to object damn it!" I say into his throat as I pull him over to the edge if the bed. "Do you even like me?" I ask.
"No." He says.
"Would you be sad I died?" I ask.
"No." He says, shaking his head.
I get up, walking to the door as tears fall down my face. "Laura." He says, jumping up on wobbly legs and grabbing my arm.
"You just said that you hate me and that you wouldn't-."
"I don't like you. I love you. And I wouldn't be sad if you died, I'd be right next to you to make sure that freak didn't get you in the next life." He says, pulling me against him in a tight, warm, loving hug that made tears fall down my face.
"I don't love him, Norman. I can't keep living like this!" I cry, burying my face in his chest.
"I know babe. I know that. If I could change it, damn Laura, I would in a fucking heartbeat." He says, pulling me towards the bed. I follow, not wanting to fight him.
"I wish you could. I want it changed. I don't want to be married to someone that's never home!" I say, letting Norman pull me into his lap, placing his lips lightly on my neck.
"You know, if objecting is what you wanted you should've told me! I would've objected! I would have objected until I was blue in the face!" He says, kissing my nose.
"I love you. I want so many things changed, I hate this Norman!" I cry more as his arm slips under my knees pulling me up all the way, onto the bed, where he wraps his arms around my waist, snuggling me against his chest.
"I know that. I promise babe, in the end, we'll be together. We'll be the couple everyone wants to be." He assures, smoothing my hair.
"When? In the next life? I'm stuck to Victor! I just want to love you." I whisper, rolling over to face him.
"What's stopping you?" He asks, reaching up slowly to the zipper of my hoodie, unzipping it.
"I have a husband." I say more to myself than to him.
"I've had math tests." He shrugs. I laugh, covering my mouth.
"What are you talking about?" I ask, looking at him curiously.
"I thought we were talking about things we've cheated on." He shrugs, pressing his lips against mine.
"Wow." I say breathless as he laughs at me.
"I guess you and the terrorist don't kiss too often. Before this, we could've still been going but now you gotta stop every five seconds." He says, chuckling for a second.
"Well, in that case." I say, pressing our lips together with sheer desire. I didn't want just his soft, delicious lips, I wanted all of him. Like the first and only time we made love.
He pulls me over onto him, his hands fumbling with my shirt while he looks up at me. As our lips separate, both of us gasping for air, I nod, lifting my arms as he pulls my shirt over my head. I bunch the hem of his shirt up as I pull it over his head; my fingers run over his chest and abs as I throw his shirt off the bed.
He flips me over onto my back, so he can be on top, "Norman." I groan, as he runs his strong hands over my sides, sliding beneath my back to pull me closer.
Without any warning again, he slams himself into me. I scream his name. Good God I missed this.
"Laura...." He groans as he thrusts faster and faster.
"Fuck, Norman!" I shriek, digging my nails into his shoulder blades.
"Laura!" He gives a deep growl again as he collapses next to me, heaving a deep, content sign.
"You see? I'm fucking real." I say between heaves of trying to catch my breath.
"I see that." He hushes between breaths.
"I love you." I whisper.
"I love you too." He whispers back, kissing my forehead with his soft lips, leaving them attached for a second before he leans back to look at me.
"You know, I bet if you were mean enough to him. he'd want a divorce." He says with a chuckle as he wraps his arm around me to pull me into him.

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