No Strings Attached

Chapter Thirty Two

Sorry for the long wait!! Hopefully I can start updating regularly again :)

The sky was overcast as Norma and Norman stood outside the motel, the air heavy with the bittersweet moment of saying goodbye. Emma's smile was warm, if a little nervous, as she hugged Norma tightly. "Thank you for everything, Norma," Emma said, her voice soft but filled with genuine gratitude. "I'll see you soon, right? You promised to visit as soon as I'm awake."
Norma returned the hug just as tightly, trying to blink away the tears threatening to spill. "I will," she assured her. "And I'm so proud of you, Emma. You're going to do great."
Emma smiled as she pulled back and turned to Norman. As the two exchanged their goodbyes, Dylan stepped closer to Norma. She stiffened slightly as he looked at her closely, his expression unreadable.
"I saw Romero the other day," he said, his voice low.
Norma's eyes snapped to his, her heart skipping a beat as her expression froze. She struggled to form a response, her mind racing, but Dylan continued before she could speak.
"He's pretty messed up," Dylan said softly. "He really cared about you."
Her brows furrowed, and she swallowed hard, the words slicing through her. She forced herself to remain composed, but her throat tightened, and her chest ached at the thought of Alex hurting.
"I can see you're pretty messed up too," Dylan added, his voice gentle but pointed. "I just...I hope you're thinking this through, Norma. Whatever happened...is it worth both of you hurting like this?"
Before she could answer, Emma reappeared at Dylan's side, asking, "You ready to go?"
Dylan glanced back at Norma, giving her a small, knowing look before he nodded. He and Emma got into the car, and as they drove away, Norma felt a deep sense of loneliness settle in her chest. Dylan's words lingered in her mind, gnawing at her. The thought of Alex suffering because of her decision was unbearable, but she couldn't see another way forward.
Later that afternoon, Norma found herself in town, buying a few items for the motel. She moved through the aisles in a fog, Dylan's words replaying over and over in her head. She hated the idea of Alex in pain, but what choice did she have?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a familiar voice call her name. "Norma Bates?"
She turned and found herself face to face with George. He smiled warmly, the kind of smile she hadn't seen in what felt like a lifetime.
"Hi, George," she said, her voice polite but lacking the energy to match his enthusiasm.
He didn't seem to notice. "Wow, it's been a while. How have you been?"
Norma forced a small smile, shifting her weight uncomfortably. "I've been fine. Just...busy with the motel."
George chuckled. "That place never slows down, does it? Well, I'm glad I ran into you. We should catch up sometime."
She nodded, though she didn't mean it, and tried to end the conversation. But George kept talking, seemingly eager to keep her there. She answered him absently, her mind elsewhere, but as he spoke, an idea began to form.
Maybe it would be easier for Alex to move on if he thought she already had. The thought settled heavily in her mind. She plastered a polite smile on her face as George rambled on, but her heart felt heavier than ever.
Before she knew it, he had asked her to dinner. She hesitated, part of her wanted to say no, to avoid the awkwardness and the guilt that always came with being around him. But then she thought of Alex, how this was for him, to help him move on. If he saw her moving forward, he'd feel less tethered to her, less hurt. So, she agreed.
It wasn't until the day of the date that the weight of her decision truly hit her. Norma stared at her reflection in the mirror, her mascara smeared from yet another wave of tears. She let out a shaky breath, picking up the tissue to blot her face. Her makeup had never been perfect, but tonight she couldn't even get through the basics without breaking down. Her mind refused to leave Alex, his voice echoing in her thoughts, his touch still imprinted on her skin.
She felt like a traitor, her hands trembling as she fixed her lipstick for the third time. It wasn't fair, to George, to herself, and especially not to Alex. But she reminded herself why she was doing this. He has to move on. He has to be happy. It's the only way she could live with herself and her decisions.
Norma forced herself into her dress and slipped on her heels, each step heavier than the last as she walked out the door. George greeted her warmly, as always, and she managed a small smile in return, even as guilt gnawed at her insides. Her heart still belonged to Alex, and it felt wrong trying to force it into someone else's hands. She'd rather spend her life alone than pretend her heart could ever beat for someone else, but she convinced herself this was for Alex's sake.
Dinner with George was polite and pleasant, but hollow. She laughed in the right places, nodded in agreement when she was supposed to, but it all felt rehearsed, like she was reading lines in a script. She couldn't help but compare the night to their first date months ago, back when she'd thought George might be her chance at something stable. Her chest tightened at the memory of returning home to find Alex waiting on her porch, his eyes so full of quiet longing.
By the time George pulled up to the motel that night, the ache in her chest had deepened. She glanced toward the office as she stepped out of the car, her heart foolishly hoping to see Alex sitting there, waiting for her. Of course, he wasn't. But for a fleeting moment, she saw him in her mind's eye. His steady gaze fixed on her as she hugged George goodnight, his presence grounding her even then.
George leaned in for a quick kiss, and she allowed it, though it felt more like a formality than anything real. As soon as she stepped inside her house and locked the door, the composure she'd managed all night crumbled. She slid down the door, her tears instant and uncontrollable as she pulled her knees to her chest.
The emptiness of her house was suffocating, and Alex's absence was sharper than ever. It took everything in her not to grab her phone and call him, just to hear his voice, to remind herself he was still there, somewhere. But she didn't. She had to let him go, he wasn't hers to keep anymore.
Eventually, after what felt like hours of crying on the floor, Norma forced herself to stand. Her limbs felt heavy as she dragged herself to her bedroom, the emptiness of the house pressing down on her like a suffocating weight. She slipped beneath the covers, curling into herself as the ache in her chest deepened.
Sleep didn't come easily, but when it did, it brought a cruel solace. In her dreams, he was always there, her Alex. Smiling at her, holding her, his presence warm and familiar. It was the only place she could find even a sliver of happiness, the only escape from the unbearable reality she'd created. And for a few fleeting moments, it felt real, like he was still hers. But it never lasted. Morning always came, and with it, the sharp, hollow pain of waking up without him.