No Strings Attached

Chapter Six

Sorry for the wait, it's been a long, tough month and it's hard to find creativity/time to write when life feels overwhelming. I won't write too much about it, but if you're american, iykyk. Anyways, thank you to everyone who is enjoying so far! I'll try to update more often!
xx

It was grueling work for Alex, to keep his face impassive, his movements composed, anytime he was around Norma. Each word he spoke to her was calculated and professional, but inside, he was anything but steady. Every time he closed his eyes, fragments of that night crashed through his mind, plaguing his every thought. The feel of her writhing under him, the sound of her gasping his name, her fingers gripping his shoulders like a lifeline. He could feel it even now as he sat in his office, trying to focus on the job at hand.
Even in sleep, he couldn't escape her. And now, there she was, all over town with George, as though the night never happened at all.
He clenched his jaw each time he saw them together, the calm veneer barely holding back the storm brewing within him. The way she smiled at George, laughing at his jokes, made his blood run hot with a jealousy he hadn't wanted to feel.
She knew what she was doing too, catching his eye just long enough to drive him mad, like a challenge.
More than once, he'd had to fight the instinctive urge to grab her, to drag her somewhere far away from everyone else, somewhere she wouldn't be able to ignore him. He'd imagined it more than he'd admit. Pulling her close, slamming her against the wall, fucking her breathless until she could only remember him.
Just the thought made him grip the edge of his desk, the wood groaning slightly under his touch. But he wouldn't, he couldn't. He would never push her into something she didn't want. She had to be the one to make that call.
So, he kept his distance, falling back on professionalism with an iron-clad willpower he barely recognized as his own. She made the rules clear that night, one night only, and he couldn't be the one to step over the line. Still, every time she walked by, he could feel the tension between them building, his control slipping by a fraction.
To make matters worse, when he'd walked into the diner on his lunch break, there she was, sitting at a corner booth with George.
She caught his gaze just for a second, her expression unreadable, and then a smile ghosted at her lips. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. George turned to her, oblivious, and said something that made her laugh, a sound Alex couldn't ignore.
He forced himself to turn away, to find a seat at the counter. But even from there, he could feel her presence as acutely as if she'd been sitting right next to him. His mind drifted again, unbidden, back to that night. He could still feel her hands on him, her skin under his fingers.
He shut his eyes, grounding himself, taking a deep, shaky breath to steady the pounding in his chest.
His focus was slipping, and it was dangerous. He was no good to anyone, least of all her, if he lost control. But the longer she lingered in town with George, the harder it became to ignore.
With every stolen glance, every whispered laugh between them, the grip on his self control grew tighter. He knew she was baiting him, testing him, daring him to break first. But he wasn't going to give her that satisfaction. Not when this was the exact reason he'd tried to stop her in the first place.
So instead, he would play her game, follow her rules to the letter, and if she wanted him, she would have to come to him and say it. All he could do was wait, hold the line he'd drawn for himself, and try to focus on his job.
The only thing that kept him holding steadfast to his control was the fact that his house had just been finished being rebuilt. He had tried to pack his things into his car as quickly as possible, figuring a silent retreat would be the cleanest break for them. They could let the quiet end things for them.
But as he loaded the last of his things into his car, Norma stepped out of one of the rooms, pushing a cleaning cart. Now that he saw her, her figure backlit by the morning light, it didn't feel so simple. Before he could even process what he was doing, he found himself calling out to her.
"Norma."
She stopped in her tracks and turned to him, her steps hesitating when she saw the boxes filling his car. He watched as her expression shifted, a flash of surprise crossing her face, as if she hadn't anticipated this moment.
"You're leaving?" she asked, her voice soft but carrying the weight of realization.
He nodded, trying to keep it light. "Yeah, house is finally ready." But even he could hear the strain in his voice.
"Oh," she said, barely managing the word. She'd known, of course, that he couldn't stay forever, but somehow it hadn't seemed real until now.
"Yeah, uh, it's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in a motel room over three months," he says with a light laugh, trying to fight the tension that always settled over them as they stared at each other. She forced a breathless laugh of her own as he fumbled in his pocket for something.
"Here," he says, handing her his room key, the roughness of his hands against her soft fingers a small, painful reminder of the distance he was about to put between them.
"And this," he added, holding the check out to her. "For the time I stayed here."
Norma shook her head quickly, pushing it back towards him. "No, no, you're a family friend-"
"Norma, you're gonna take the money-" he tried to push it back to her but she continued to push it away.
"No, no, no, Alex-"
"Norma, the bypass is half paved, they're starting cars on the finished part tomorrow. You're gonna need it. I'm not taking no for an answer." His tone was gentle but firm as he finally forced the paper into her reluctant hands.
"Thank you," she says softly, managing a soft smile, though slightly strained.
Alex nodded, looking anywhere but at her, trying to think of a way to prolong their goodbye, but knowing he was just making it harder. "Well...goodbye. And thank you, for everything."
She offered a small smile, like she knew he was struggling, and it stirred something both comforting and painful in him.
"Sure, sure," she replies softly as she continues to look at him with that gaze that made him melt. "So, I don't know...I guess I'll see you around."
There was a strange tension in the air and he found himself reaching towards her, a movement that stopped halfway, breaking into an awkward laugh.
Norma goes to shake his outstretched hand before quickly realizing he was going in for a hug. They fumbled awkwardly for a moment before Norma made the move and wrapped her arms around him.
The hug was different, deeper and more lingering, than he'd anticipated. He felt her bury her face into the crook of his neck, her breath warm against his neck, and he felt his chest tighten. He could feel her heart beating against him, could smell the faint scent of her shampoo, and he fought the urge to pull her even closer. Their embrace somehow felt so much more intimate than the night they had shared together. This was in broad daylight, no prior rules set, just two people seeking comfort in each other.
His hand slid up her back, rubbing gently as if to soothe them both, and for a moment, he let himself be completely present, grounding himself in the warmth of her embrace.
When she pulled back, their faces were close, so close that he could feel her breath on his cheek. He froze, his heart pounding as his eyes dared a glance down to her lips that were mere inches from his. And then, her lips brushed against his cheek in a soft, fleeting touch that lingered long after she'd stepped away.
"Bye," he managed, his voice rough with everything he couldn't bring himself to say.
"Bye," she replied, watching him as he turned back to his car. Her chest felt hollow, a deep, unexpected ache settling in as she watched him walk away. She realized, with a sharp pang, how much she'd grown to depend on his presence, how safe she'd felt simply knowing he was nearby.
As the engine revved, she panicked, running after him, waving him down with a shy smile. He rolled his window down, looking at her with a mix of surprise and concern.
"I just...I just wanted to tell you..." she faltered, biting her lip gently as the words catch in her throat. "I always felt safe when you were here."
Alex's expression softened, and for a moment, she could see the same ache mirrored in his eyes. He nodded, unable to voice anything beyond a quiet,
"Thank you, Norma."
As he drove away, she felt the finality settle in, like the last thread of warmth pulling away, leaving her standing alone in the cold. And for the first time, the motel felt empty, the hollow quietness pressing down on her, filling her with a loneliness she hadn't anticipated. She hadn't realized until that moment just how much he'd meant to her, or how deeply his absence would leave a mark.