What's Love Got To Do With It?

6.

The next few days Alice and FP had successfully ignored one another. Neither of them called, neither of them texted. She wasn't sure how to feel about that, but considering there was a still a serial killer on the loose, there wasn't anything else left to do. 

Their affair had just been a temporary thing that had to end one day. The sight of Hal typing away on his laptop made her remember that he was the one she was meant to be with. Or so she would like to tell herself. 

"What are you writing?" She laid her head on her husband's shoulder to see what this week's Register was all about. Sure, she could take a guess of what had had chosen to publish. And that was the exact reason why she didn't work there anymore.

"The usual." He mumbled, clearly deep in his concentration. She had seen the front page was about the Black Hood, once again. Not that she was surprised, since it was still the conversation of the day.

"Aren't you scared?" Alice asked him, curious to know what he thought about this whole situation. He had acted so casual about it that it made her wonder if he even took this danger seriously.

"For the Black Hood? No. And neither should you, honey." He shrugged, clearly not impressed. Instead of having a real conversation about the potential danger, he just pretended everything was fine. Everyone had their own copings mechanisms, but she didn't understand his.

"But you know, it will take ages before Sheriff Jones will find out who it is, so you better stay at home a bit more often, just in case." He squeezed her hand assuringly, but she she couldn't believe his concern.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She shrugged and took back her hand. If he thought there wasn't any danger, then there was no need for him to suddenly act like he cared about her safety.

"I knew you wouldn't be scared. That's my girl." Hal smiled proudly, but she couldn't return it. Though, if she wanted to save her marriage (and keep her secret of cheating on him) then she needed to try harder not to act any different than she normally did.

"Are you coming with me to the SoDale opening?" Hal suddenly remembered that the event was close, and that they hadn't really talked on whether they were going together or not, in case Alice needed to go to work.

"Sure, that's tomorrow, right?" Alice recalled Hal mentioning it last week, but she had said she wasn't sure if she wanted to go. Back then that was because she thought of it as an opportunity to secretly meet with FP if she wouldn't join her husband, but that didn't matter anymore.

"It is. Fred would love to see you there." He mentioned their neighbour with whom she truly could get along. Going out in public as a couple again could be the right choice, especially considering nobody could ever find out she stepped out on him or her life would literally be over. 

"Can't say no to Fred, Can I?" Alice grinned, looking forward to seeing her friend again. It was the first step of getting her old act up again. Everything would go back to normal, right?

**

FP had been tossing and turning for three nights now to try and decide if he was making the right call by going to the SoDale opening. He knew he owed Fred. But Alice would definitely be there with Hal, and he really didn't want to go alone and have their marriage rubbed in his face.

So, that afternoon he made a decision. There was one person he knew that would like to go with him, so he had to take his change. If Alice could play this game, then he was willing to go to war. No matter how childish it would be. He dialed the number of the woman he had sent away last week, hoping that the could still safe whatever there ever was between the. It wasn't long before she picked up the phone.