Her Eyes

Chapter 66: IF I HAD BEEN THAT MAN RIGHT NOW

Alex headed into work a little early today. He had finally gotten a good night's sleep for the first time in months. Life was looking good for Alex. He was finally gaining control over it. His eyes narrowed in on Sheriff Arbogast as he passed by his office. Alex wanted his job back more than anything...well maybe not anything. But he still couldn't stand the thought of someone else sitting at his desk, running his town. Not to mention that Milton Arbogast was a little shit. Alex threw his jacket on his desk chair, taking a seat and sighing. He wasn't one for sabotage, which meant that Alex would have to wait for Arbogast to resign...or die. He cringed at the thought, hating himself for even thinking it up. So many people have died for the sake of the town; it was hard to distinguish between what was right and wrong.

Arbogast appeared in the doorway, stepping inside without a formal greeting. "Romero..."

Alex glanced up at him, fighting back a snarl. "What?" He could already tell where this conversation was going.

"I'm going over to the Bates' today to speak with Norman. I just wanted to clear something up." Alex watched as he took the seat across from him. They stared at each other for a moment. He was testing him. "I noticed that Norman Bates' information is in the system..."

Alex sighed, eyes falling to his desk. "My deputy," he began, stopping midsentence to correct himself. "Deputy Lynn added it in during the Jimmy Brennan case. She did it without my permission...she was fairly new at the time so I let it slide."

Milton leaned back in his chair. He was studying Alex, waiting for him to crack. "Norman Bates killed Jimmy Brennan."

Alex lifted his eyes off the desk to stare back at him. "It was an accident." Blair Watson, however.

"So Norman's killed before." He had what he wanted.

But Alex wouldn't budge, his expression emotionless though his thoughts drifted to Norma and her confession about her husband's death. "Norman's a good kid. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

Milton stood up, making his way over to the door. "We'll see about that."

Alex watched him leave, his fingertips twitching slightly from anticipation. He waited a few minutes before grabbing his jacket and heading out the door to his SUV. The radio played in the background as he followed carefully behind Milton. He parked a quarter mile down the street, jogging the rest of the way to the motel. It was crazy—the lengths he went to to ensure this family's safety. He was already at the door when Alex reached the motel, staring up at him from the gravel. Norma answered the door. Alex's heart jumped when he saw her. The gentle pounding filled his ears, preventing him from noticing the footsteps coming towards him.

"Looks like your girlfriend's got a visitor," her voice broke the pounding.

Alex jumped, turning to face her. Leave it to Sally to ruin his stakeout. He grabbed her by the arm, dragging her back to her room. "I gotta use your bathroom," he mumbled, once inside. She stared at him, a look of confusion grazing her face. He shut the door behind him, making his way over to the bathroom window to spy on Norma. They were still there. Norma was one to interrogate the officer that came to interrogate her and her son. Alex chuckled at the thought. It was nice to see someone else be pestered by her overprotectiveness. He'd have to thank her for that later. He watched as she moved aside to let the sheriff in, gazing down at the motel in search of Alex before shutting the door. He wasn't too worried about her. After all, she was the best liar he knew.

He opened the door to the bathroom and made his way back into the motel room. Sally stood exactly where he had left her, between the bed and the door. She crossed her arms in front of her, clearly pissed off. "What was that about?"

Alex sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He'd hide in here till the sheriff left; he couldn't risk someone seeing him. "Nothing. I just have some things I need to take care of."

She smiled a little, taking a seat next to him. "So did you come here to spy on her or did you come to talk to me?"

Alex turned to face her, the usual stoic expression returning to his face. Unbelievable. Twenty-six years of nothing and she thinks they can just pick up where they left off. He was done putting his life on hold for her. She wasn't worth it. But a part of him still felt bad for her. A part of him still held something in his heart. He chuckled nervously, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his thighs. He wasn't one to talk about his personal life. He didn't like sharing things about himself. It brought him closer to people, and he couldn't have that. He suddenly became very serious. He didn't want to her hurt. He couldn't stand to hurt anyone. He glanced up at her, ready to break the silence. "I lied to you," he muttered. "She is my—"

Sally stood up from the bed, walking over to the window. "Alex."

"I've only been seeing her for a little while now." He stood up and met her at the window, his gaze meeting her eyes. "But I've loved her for a good two years now."

Sally nodded softly, returning her gaze to the window. "I was hoping you'd still be waiting." He could feel his heart sink. She was too late. "Why didn't you tell me your house burned down?"

He gazed out the window at his old sheriff's SUV. He never expected his life to go like this. He thought he'd be married...with kids maybe. Not a lonely used-to-be sheriff too far past his prime to deserve the woman he has. "You were gone for twenty-six years. It's not like I knew where to call you at." It wasn't like he wanted to call her at all. He was done with her. Milton appeared suddenly, climbing into his SUV and driving off. Alex glanced at Sally, sending her a sad smile. "Bye, Sally."

Norma came around the corner as Alex exited the motel room. She stopped dead in her tracks, her lips slightly parted as if she was going to comment. "I needed somewhere to hide," Alex admitted before she could say anything remotely smart.

She raised an eyebrow. "What about your room?"

"I can't spy on you from there." He smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes, moving into the motel office. "The new sheriff's real nice."

He smiled at her sarcasm. "He didn't threaten you, did he?"

She opened her laptop, glancing up at him. "Why? What are you going to do? Kill him?" The playful look on her face warmed him.

He moved towards her, his hands resting on her waist. "I might."

She smiled, leaning in and kissing him. "You should come up for dinner tonight. Dylan'll be there. You'll be safe." He pulled away from her, not wanting her to see the fear growing within him. But she spotted his insecurity. "I want Norman to get used to the idea of having you around." She leaned in, softly kissing his cheek in hopes of soothing him...and perhaps swaying him.

"All right," he agreed, against his will. "I'll come up after work." He gave her one last kiss and headed out the door. He could feel his heart begin to race. He was already nervous. He felt like a teenager meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time.