The timeline is a bit different here and Rebecca doesn't know about Norma yet.

"Hello, Sheriff."

"Rebecca," he responds dryly.

She stands on his porch admiring how good he looks in a suit. And she thought that a man in uniform was sexy.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" she spits sourly, seeing as he's still standing there, not stepping aside to let her in.

"Rebecca, I'm about to head out. What do you want?"

"I'm going to the Winter Festival. We always go together, remember?"

"We do not," he tells her. "We just run into each other there. That doesn't mean that we go together."

"Still. We spend most of our night talking and drinking hot toddies."

He already feels exasperated by her audacity. One time he dared to drink one while standing next to her. He's always attended the Lights of Winter Festival alone, so he doesn't see how drinking a hot toddy with her made him her date.

"I have to go," he tells her, walking back towards his coffee table to grab his keys. He didn't invite her in, but his lack of words granted her a completely different objective.

"You look nice," she uses that same flirty tone and Alex hated it.

"Who said you could come in?" he turns around and gives her a harsh glare.

She laughs, a mirthless, ignorant laugh. "Oh, come on. I have a spare key, Alex. I think it's a little too late to kick me out of your house, don't you think?"

He wished more than anything that Norma would come knocking on his door instead of Rebecca. Alex really aspired Norma to be standing on the other side of the door instead of his banker and occasional fuck buddy.

'It might be a good idea if we showed up together to the winter thing tonight,' of course he wanted her to go with him. To simply be there. For him to show her off to the rest of the town. He's always attended that festival alone and for the very first time in years, he was looking forward to it.

"Yeah, about that, I'm going to need it back."

"I'm not giving it back to you. I might need it in the near future," she adds with a grin.

"You're not going to be needing it, Rebecca. I want my key back."

She thought he was kidding at first but his serious demeanor wiped her satisfied smirk off her face.

"What?" she sounds offended. "You don't want to fool around anymore?"

"Yeah, no."

"Why not?"

"Because I got—"

There is a knock on the front door, startling both at the same time.

Alex simply stares at the door as if he had powers to open it with his mind or something of that source. There could only be one person on the other side. Only one. And as much as he wished earlier that it was a specific blonde on the other side instead of the redhead, he feels a cold rush run through his body as he walks to the front door, swinging it open.

"Alex!" Norma exalts joyfully and with a grand smile on her face.

But he's not able to speak. His throat suddenly dries at the sight of her. And what a sight for sore eyes.

She looks extremely beautiful. The gray, furry coat keeping her body warm; enclosing her thin waist with delicacy.

"I made it back on time," she explains. He had the worst of luck. "Are you ready to go? I thought that maybe we could ride together."

He could see how her own blue eyes scanned effortlessly his appearance. She looks at him up and down, totally forgetting that he was watching her.

"You-you look beautiful," he says with a slight stutter. Was he nervous? Yes. Yes, he was.

She gives him a shy smile, so beautiful and innocent. Norma has him wrapped in her spell that he forgets about the intruder inside his house.

"Alex? You're not going to introduce me?" Rebecca makes her presence known by walking up to them with a huge smile on her face, showing full teeth.

Norma's eyes travel from the redhead to Alex, and he could see something inside of her twinging the second she laid eyes on Rebecca. Alex steps away from her while he keeps his eyes on Norma. She's still staring at Rebecca, trying her hardest to keep a straight face.

"Hi, I'm Rebecca," she extends her hand for Norma to grab, and when the blonde doesn't shake her hand, leaving her hanging, the redhead looks back at Alex.

"Rude," she says under her breath but they're all able to hear her.

"Who is this?" Norma directs her words to Alex. 'She's Rebecca,' he wanted to say. But he knows that Norma couldn't care less about her name. She wants to know who is this woman that she's never seen before and what is she doing inside his home.

"Norm—"

"Who are you?" Rebecca asks instead and Alex wishes he could physically throw her out.

Norma raises her eyebrows in mocking surprise, the anger within her increasing at this hideous trespasser's impertinence.

But before Norma has a chance to fully react, Alex interferes.

"You need to leave," he tells Rebecca.

"We're leaving together," she tells him and directs her next words to Norma. "You can go now."

"Leave. Right now," Alex turns to Rebecca.

"No. She should leave. I got here first."

"Did you now?" Norma laughs.

"I did."

Alex runs his hands through his hair, giving himself some time to catch his breath.

"Who are you?" Norma asks again.

"Who are you?" Rebecca asks instead.

"His wife."

There was so much authority, so much possessiveness in her tone that his heart did backflips inside his ribcage. His mind travels back to the way she was acting this morning. He told her he didn't regret what happened between them and she told him she didn't either; even though he was starting to feel like she had.

She had said it was too much. All the affection perhaps, the way he was invading her personal space so early in the morning. He felt like an ass for making her feel uneasy even if it was for a couple of seconds. He stepped away from her because he would never do anything against her will.

Then he asked her if she wanted to go with him to the Festival and she had politely declined. His heart wrenched in the way she pulled away from him when he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her closer. He was so happy, so serene after consummating their marriage and she seemed distant and troubled.

But now, she's standing here, looking as beautiful as ever telling him she was able to make it back on time. Why would she change her mind all of a sudden? He wasn't complaining, on the contrary, he was ecstatic that she made it back on time and got ready and this beautiful just for him.

His wife. He wants to smile at how perfect that sounds. She's marking her territory, perhaps sensing the vibe or what he and Rebecca used to be before she came around.

Her attitude is completely different from this morning; the tenacity in her eyes making him fall for her all over again. He almost wanted to step back and see what she's going to do; see her in full wife mode and scratch Rebecca's eyes out of the socket.

Is he getting a jealous vibe from her? Is that what this is? Or is she pretending to care because it has to look real to everybody else?

Rebecca laughs, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she continues to find what Norma just said amusingly.

"You've got to be kidding me," she says after a while. Norma couldn't look away from her, she couldn't possibly imagine Alex having sex with this mess of a needy, vulgar cheap version of Mary Jane.

'So this is who he's been sleeping with,' Norma thinks. 'What a joke.'

"We're married," Alex chips in, looking at Rebecca now. Norma bit the inside of her cheek to stop from smiling.

'In your face, MJ.'

"You? Married to her?"

"That's right," he assures her. "So, leave. Now, please."

But Rebecca looked staggered, her face pale and hurt.

"Seriously?"

"Why is it so hard to believe?" Norma asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

But Rebecca is speechless and Norma loves the perplexed look on her face.

Alex sees the look on her face, he notices the moment it went from rigid to relaxed in a matter of seconds and he knew what that meant.

"I'm guessing you'll be needing your key back?" she tells Alex, fishing for her keys inside her pocket, easily detaching it from her keychain. "Or should I give this to you?"

Norma looks at her extended limb, the tiny key situated on the palm of her hand.

"Take it," she adds with a snarling smile.

Without moving a muscle, Norma's eyes dart back to Alex, finding him looking at her with regret. As if he was silently imploring for her forgiveness to this nonsense.

Rebecca dropped the key to the floor, the metal banging loudly against the hardwood flooring beneath their feet. She walked past Norma, bumping her shoulder in the process. Norma didn't move but kept her eyes on Alex at all times.

They both waited until she was out of sight to react. The night was chilly and her cheeks were turning a rosy color. Alex got close to her when he sensed she was about to storm off and not talk to him again. He didn't even know what any of this meant.

"Norma-" he grabs her forearm with more force than intended, forcing her to stay where she is.

"You couldn't wait for me? What were you thinking? That you would show up with her after you told me that it'd be best for us to go together? To make this look real?"

"No, no, I didn't-Norma, I was about to head out when she—"

"You're married to me! Not to her, Alex!" she exalts angrily all of a sudden.

"I know, I know that. I didn't—"

"What was she doing here? Why the hell was she inside your house?" she scowls. "You know what, I don't need to know. I don't want to know."

He sighs. "Norma, let me explain—"

"You couldn't tell me that you were sleeping with her when I asked you?" she's spitting fire. "I had to come here to find out that she even has a key! A damn key to your new house!"

Where is this coming from? She's acting like a jealous, overprotective wife and he couldn't hide the bliss flowing through him just now.

"Did-did you ever bring her to the motel? Did you? Tell me!"

He gets closer to her and she takes a step back.

"Of course you did. Of course. I'm so stupid."

"Norma, what I did back then doesn't—"

"What?" she interrupts him. "It doesn't concern me? You're right. It didn't then. But it concerns me now! You were about to go with her to the damn festival and everyone in town knows that we're married!"

He wishes she would let him explain. "I wasn't going with her. She came here as I was walking out the door. She came here on her own. I didn't call her. I didn't—"

"Have you been seeing her?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I haven't—"

"You know what, don't even answer that. I don't care."

"You're not giving me a chance to answer and explain what happened," he says calmly.

She sighs and rolls her eyes, flapping her hand in the air as if dismissing him. He doesn't even know why she's so upset; so bothered by Rebecca. Their marriage is strictly on paper, nothing else, nothing more.

"Norma, she's just-" he is trying to find the right words. "She's nobody."

"Nobody?" she looks back at him, a fake smile embedded on her face. "Nobody... That's great."

"Wha-what is that supposed to mean? Why are you acting this way? What did I do?"

"You're seriously asking me this?" she grimaced.

He raises his shoulders. "I didn't do anything!"

"Okay."

"O-okay?"

"Okay, Alex."

"Norma, I didn't invite her. I asked you to come with me because I wanted you to go with me. Not her. I wasn't-I wasn't expecting her to come here. I was on my way out when she—"

"She had a key."

He exhales irritated. Not at her, but at the situation. "She did. I gave it to her. We-we were... you know, back then."

"Back then? She doesn't seem to think so. She still had the key."

"Because she didn't know I got married. I was about to tell her when you knocked on my door."

"She would come in here in the middle of the night as she pleased?" she asks with a face of disgust. "What? She would crawl in bed with you and—"

"Norma..." he interrupted her. "Stop. It's not like that."

"It's not? Then why would she have a damn key?"

"I'm sorry but that's my business. Private. I don't ask you about the relations you have with other men."

She gives him a look that could kill. "Other men? What is that supposed to mean?"

He takes a deep breath. "Other men, Norma. I don't need to know what you do or don't do with George Heldens or James Finnegan."

He had spoken way too soon and as much as he wanted to take back what he just said, he couldn't.

Norma was looking at him in horror. "Wh-what makes you think... James? My therapist?"

"Whatever his name is."

"Who told you about James?"

He raises his eyebrows. "So, it's true?"

She continues to stare at him in bewilderment.

"Yeah. I'm in no place to say or question you—"

"No, you're right. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything about your long lost lover over here," she says starting to roam down the steps of his front porch. "Just... have a good night."

Alex reaches for her hand, pulling her back to him. "She's no one, Norma. I don't care about her. We just-we were never involved, not like that. She was just someone I could..."

"Fuck every now and then?" she whispers.

"Don't talk like that," he frowns as if the act was solely prohibited and they weren't adults talking about something so innocent and pure.

"That's what you do, don't you? If I hadn't shown up tonight... If I hadn't—"

"Nothing was going to happen, Norma."

"Are you going to continue seeing her?"

She spoke with such dejection that it made him wonder.

"Would you care if I do?"

He said it with the whole purpose of watching her reaction. He tries hard to not grin like a kid at a toy's store when she furrowed her eyebrows and her jaw tightened.

"I'm not going to," he assures her. "I'm married to you and although it's not a real marriage... For me... For me it's important to honor our vows, and I'm not going to disrespect you like that."

Her blue eyes travel fondly around his face, examining the truth written over it. He means it. And she loves that he does.

"I must admit..." he transfers his hands and holds her waist, liking that she didn't shy away from his touch this time. "I never pictured you being the jealous type."

"I'm not jealous!" she snaps, her little scowl exposing her.

"I know a jealous woman when I see one," he smiles.

Norma rolls her eyes and grins a little, looking away from him. He dips his head, trying to find her eyes again.

"I just-I didn't like... She just—"

"What?" he simpers.

"Stop smiling," she demands with a frown.

"Sorry."

"What happened last night between us... I know I told you that it was too much... I mean, this morning I told you it was too much... but..."

"But what?"

"I don't want it to stop. I don't want to stop you next time you want to kiss me or the next time that we... you know."

He simply stares at her, trying to make sense of what she's implying.

"And I don't want you to make love to anybody else that's not me."

"Norma, I've... I've never made love to anybody else. Last night... last night was the first time. We didn't just had sex last night."

"I know," she travels her hands to the back of his neck, she began playing with his silk hair. "I felt it, too."

"And about James—"

"No need to explain," he tells her. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Who told you about James? Was it Bob Paris?"

They swayed on his front porch, the tip of her nose red due to the chilly night.

He simply looks down, feeling ashamed from bringing it up as if he's been fooling around with Rebecca just to hurt her. When Bob told him about James, he tried as best as he could to hide the jealousy off his face, he tried to act as casual as possible but Bob knew better. He knew that Norma was someone special and he mentioned James to hit him where it hurts.

"It didn't mean anything," she explains cooly, knowing that she had made a terrible mistake that night and although she wasn't married to him when it happened, she felt the need to explain herself.

"Norma—"

"I swear it didn't. It was a mistake. A stupid, drunk mistake."

"He-he took advantage of you?" he spits in disgust, ready to go find him and kill him for it.

"No," she promises. "It wasn't like that. If anything I took advantage of him."

Alex bites the inside of his cheek, furious at the mere thought of Norma in someone else's arms.

"It was a mistake," she says again. "But last night... last night was different. I've never felt the way I did last night."

"I don't regret it," he tells her again, mistaking her words, allowing his hand to brush her hair back, tucking it behind her left ear.

"I don't either," she whispers. "I've never... I've never..."

His fingers caress her chin lightly and he could feel it quivering under his fingertips, the way it does when she's about to start crying.

"I don't know how to explain it," she starts. "But I've never felt more wanted in my life. You took your time... you... Alex, you..."

"Making love is not the same as having sex."

She has to smile at that. He's so right.

"I've been wanting to make love to you for a long time," he confesses. "For a really long time."

"When... when you were with Rebecca, did you ever..."

"Think about you?"

"Yeah," she stares deeply into his brown eyes.

"Not while doing it, no. I could never do that. It's not the same."

"Really?" she sounded so hopeful, so flimsy.

"Rebecca was someone who could satisfy me for the time being. Nothing more."

She frowns. "For the time being?"

"Yes."

"And now?"

He pulls her close to him, resting his forehead against her own. "Now? I'm a married man. That's what my beautiful wife is for."