Her Eyes

Chapter 70: LIGHTS WILL GUIDE YOU HOME

They ate dinner in silence. The end was near. There was no way to disguise the feeling of eminent doom rising within them. Alex hadn't looked at her since they sat down to eat; he was afraid to look at her. His grave was already too deep. The sound of sobbing caught his attention, but he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge it. There was only so much comfort he could offer her. He wasn't going to say everything would be all right. He was done lying.

He got up from the table and brought his dish to the sink, the rush of water masking her cries. There wasn't anything he could do. They were at a dead end. Alex really only had two choices: leave or go down fighting. He watched her with a pained expression. He loved her so much that it was hard to let her go. And even though she had certain death painted across her face...he stayed with her.

She glanced up at him, a little calmer than before. "So what happens now?"

Alex sighed, moving from the counter to the doorway. "We keep looking for Norman."

"I meant with the sheriff." He stopped dead. Her voice was like a bullet piercing through him, pulling him back to her.

He didn't turn around to look at her. He didn't have to. "I took care of it." It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it.

But Norma never could take a hint. "Alex."

He turned to face her, his mouth falling open in search of the right words. This is what reality felt like...it was killing them both. He shook his head lightly, allowing his eyes to fall to the floor. She had every right to be concerned. Norman was all she ever had. Even Alex could understand that. He caught sight of her eyes. He'd never let her go. "No one will ever know."

She stood up from the table, wrapping her arms around him. The gentle sound of her sobs had returned so he held tighter. She let herself fall into him, finding safety in his arms. "This isn't going to end well, is it?"

Alex sighed, his eyes searching the ceiling. "No," he muttered. "Probably not."

They headed into town, driving up and down the streets in search of Norman. This was becoming a routine, and he hated it. Alex was done covering for Norman. He cursed himself for helping him in the first place. But now he was in too deep. His fate had been sealed. He glanced over at the woman sitting in the passenger seat. It was amazing...the hold she had over him. He was sinking into the abyss, and he couldn't claw his way out. He was doomed. "I'm gonna need you to tell me exactly what happened."

She scoffed at him, her eyes still searching the street. She was as difficult as ever. "I don't know what happened. I just came home and there he was."

Alex held his breath. He could feel them retreating back to their old ways, but he couldn't stop his irritation for seeping out. "You didn't see anything? You didn't talk to Norman?" His blood was starting to rush as he watched her. Emotionless. He wondered if she even heard him. "You seemed pretty shook up when I got there." Nothing. "This isn't the time to be keeping things from me."

She glared at him. "I'm sorry I didn't know this was an interrogation." The hint of irritation in his voice had caught her attention. He almost smiled, but decided against it. Her adrenaline was on a high. She could kill a man if she wanted to. She had killed a man...a long time ago.

Alex shook his head, returning his eyes to the road ahead. "Don't do this right now. I'm trying to help you."

"Hell of a good job you're doing there, sheriff." And there it was. The reason he kept a bottle of scotch beside the bed at night.