The Hurt Locker

We found sanctuary in the hurt locker

Alex appeared in the hall as Dylan left. He looked at her sadly. He'd heard every word. It's kind of hard to keep things from people when you're shouting in a quiet house. He knew she was hiding something. He couldn't be mad at her—she hadn't yet lied to him. "Who's Sam?"

His voice echoed through her thoughts, shattering what was left. She turned to face him with sorrow painted across her face—disguising the lies. She wouldn't tell him. Lying was always the best resort. She moved past him into the kitchen. "Dinner's gonna get cold."

"Norma." He followed after her. He felt he was brave enough. She was harmless. At least he thought she was harmless.

"What?" The annoyance in her voice hid the choking sound coming from her throat. She could have fallen to pieces, but she was already in pieces—she had been for a while.

He stared at her gravely. He'd never seen her this way. "Who is Sam?"

She fought back an eye roll. She didn't like giving in to people. She'd fight till the day she died. But she knew she needed him. She couldn't lose him. Not over this. "He was Norman's father."

There was something else—something shoved so deep under the surface it was almost nonexistent. That was how she preferred it. But she did a terrible job keeping it that way. He took a few steps closer to her, absorbing in her gentle sea of blue. "Norma, you can tell me anything." She didn't say anything, but he could tell by the look on her face that she was making her decision. "Why are you hiding things from me?"

Her eyes matched his. There was nothing wrong with her. There was never anything wrong with her. "I'm not—"

"I just heard you." He could feel his body tightening with rage, but he'd never lay a hand on her. He loved her. She was all he needed to live a decent life. And the thought of her hiding something from him—the fact that she couldn't trust him—killed him.

She shook her head violently. She couldn't believe this was happening. She never could have one night with a man. Someone always screwed something up. She couldn't stand it. It was all Dylan's fault. He always made up lies about their family—about her. "Dylan's crazy. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

There was obviously something very wrong with her. He knew by the tone of her voice that this was something serious. He needed to protect her...even if it was from herself. "Norma."

She continued shuffling throughout the kitchen aimlessly. She was going a little mad. She couldn't control herself. She didn't even feel like herself anymore. She didn't know who she was. And she was slowly losing a sense of where she was. The thought of someone else knowing their secret drove her insane. She couldn't take it anymore. "He makes stuff up. He's just trying to drive you away. This is what he does. He doesn't want to see me happy. He can't stand it when I'm happy."

He was afraid to go near her. He'd never see anyone act this way—and he saw a lot of things in his life as sheriff. He wasn't quite sure what to do. There wasn't anything he could say to her to calm her. But he wasn't really thinking about that right now. All he wanted was answers. "Norma, what don't I know?" He reached out and pulled her into him.

She stared into his eyes. Her world was falling apart all over again. Lying was her only option. It was an instinct of survival. She didn't trust anyone. Not even Norman—and he was a part of her. The look in Alex's eyes pained her. She wanted to be with him, but she was slowly realizing that that wasn't going to be possible. Not in her condition. But she loved him. She couldn't let him go. "Nothing. You know everything."

There was nothing Alex hated more than lying. He'd been lied to his whole life. It broke his heart when she lied to him. He'd give up everything for her. He'd do anything—say anything just to fix her. "Why are you being like this?"

"I'm not being like anything." He couldn't know. If he knew...they wouldn't be able to see each other anymore. Norman would never allow her to see him. She wouldn't choose between them. She couldn't.

She was slowly causing him to fall apart with her. He tried his best to stay strong around her, but she dragged him down deep. He couldn't find a way out. He tried to push through the deceit in her eyes, desperately looking for something else—something that might save them both. "Are you keeping something from me?"

She swallowed hard. She loved Norman more than anyone, and that killed her. It killed her that she couldn't allow herself to love any other man because Norman always got in the way. She couldn't even love her own son because Norman got in the way. He was the black cloud that ruled her life. She had no choice. There was no choice. "No."

He'd never love another woman the way he loved her. She was everything to him. Nothing else mattered but her. He'd die for her. "Why are you lying to me?"

Her breath was becoming short. She was suffocating within herself. She couldn't stop herself. She couldn't save herself. "I'm not."

He could swear he felt his heart snap in half. The pain was unbearable. He couldn't look at her—the woman he loved. She lied to him. She couldn't trust him. He released her from his grasp and headed towards the door.

"Alex." She followed after him. She didn't think he'd actually leave, but his hand reached for the door anyway. He couldn't leave. She needed him. "I killed him." It came out a little more urgent than expected.

"What?" She was crazy. He turned around to face her, his hand still latched to the door—it was his only escape.

She felt her warm tears quickly race down her cheeks. "I killed my husband." Her heart plummeted as he turned and slammed the door. She'd lost him. She only ever had herself.