Control Yourself

After Shae’s unfortunate encounter with Greg in the apartment parking lot, she grew more and more paranoid of him coming back. Though Forrest assured her he had scared her obsessive ex off the property, Shae couldn’t be too sure of that.

There was still her work, not to mention her apartment, and there was no telling what lengths Greg was willing to go to in order to win her back. Shae felt sick thinking about Greg’s grip on her arms; they were bruised for days.

Shae had taken to spending the night in Forrest’s apartment; it was the only place she felt safe. Since Shae still insisted on telling him she didn’t like him, he insisted she slept in his queen sized bed while he made a make-shift bed on the floor to watch over her. For the first week after the incident, he even drove her to work and picked her up from work, sometimes during his training or class sessions. Shae couldn’t thank him enough.

Though she still tried to act cool around him, Shae was beginning to warm up to Forrest, especially after he had saved her from a terrible fate. It was becoming harder and harder not to feel attached to him. Shae wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to hold up her hard-to-get act before it came crashing down around her. There was something she could no longer deny about Forrest that she liked.

One specific night, about two and a half weeks after the Greg drama, Shae found herself yet again in Forrest’s apartment, waiting for him to return home from a long day of training. She mindlessly flipped through the television channels as she munched on a bowl of cereal, topped with blueberries and almonds, plopped on his bed. The front door opened then closed, footsteps erupting through the apartment.

“Shae?” He called, followed by the sounds of his keys crashing against the counter.

“In your bedroom,” She replied, shoveling another spoonful into her mouth. Eventually, Forrest came trudging into the bedroom, flopping down at the foot of the bed, his head resting a few inches from her feet. He smiled, letting his eyes flutter shut, taking in a deep breath. Shae watched as his chest expanded then deflated with each long breath. It didn’t take long for her eyes to also settle upon his swelled, bruised cheek.

“What happened?” She asked, his finger tips gently grazing his injury. Forrest shivered.

“I left my guard down,” He said, casually. His eyes opened yet again, and he smiled widely. “You’re wearing my shirt?” He noticed, propping himself up on his elbow. Shae blushed, staring down at the ‘Xtreme Couture’ t-shirt that hung from her slender frame.

“I’m sorry,” She said softly. “I can change…”

Forrest smiled, shaking his head.

“Looks better on you, anyways,” He said. Shae turned her attention back to the television, cramming her mouth full of cereal, ignoring the extremely obvious fact that she was almost as red as a tomato.

“I’m hungry,” He said, rolling off the bed, dragging his feet out into the kitchen. Dishes cluttered and boxes shuffled as Forrest rifled through the cupboards for something to eat. Shae had a twisting feeling in her stomach, something like butterflies, as she ate. Something felt different about hanging out at Forrest’s place – there was a new tension in the air.

Forrest returned a short while later with a few grilled cheese sandwiches. Shae finished her cereal and returned the bowl to the kitchen, setting it on the counter. She paused for a moment, feeling somehow self-conscious wearing nothing but her undergarments and his t-shirt. Before, something like this wouldn’t have bothered her. But now…

Shae headed back into the bedroom, plopping down on the bed next to Forrest as he watched cartoons and ate his grilled cheese. Shae smiled, staring down at the navy blue bed spread, sighing quietly.

“What’s up?” Forrest asked her, looking at her questionably. Shae shrugged.

“Nothing,” She said, fiddling with the hem of the t-shirt. Forrest placed his plate on the bedside table, flopping back onto the pillows. He tugged on Shae’s shoulder until she flopped back as well, the t-shirt riding up, revealing her black underwear. Though she attempted to tug the t-shirt back down again, it was wrinkled in an awkward way underneath her, making it impossible to cover. Shae grunted.

“Tired?” Forrest asked her. She nodded, closing her eyes. Forrest rolled out of bed again, turning off the TV. As he headed over to the closet to grab extra blankets, Shae cleared her throat.

“You can just sleep in the bed,” She said awkwardly. Forrest smiled.

“And make you sleep on the floor?” He laughed. Forrest shook his head. “I’ll survive.”

“No, I mean,” Shae propped herself up on her elbow. “We can just, share.”

Forrest looked stunned.

“Are you sure?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowing together. Shae nodded apprehensively.

Forrest paused for a moment, closing the closet door in slow-motion, or so it seemed. He flicked the bedroom light off then crawled into bed. Shae too slipped under the covers, her t-shirt riding upwards until she tugged it down. The room was quiet except for their rhythmic breathing. Truth be told, Shae was wide awake. She clutched tightly to the pillow under her head, turned away from Forrest.

“Shae?” He asked softly. Thankful for an excuse to roll over onto her other side, Shae turned; catching the glint of Forrest’s opened eyes.

“Yeah?” She asked.

“What made you change your mind?” He asked, followed by a light chuckle. Shae sighed.

“I’m still trying to figure that out,” She mumbled, causing Forrest to chuckle further.

“Don’t think too hard about it,” He said. Shae cocked an eyebrow, smirking.

“Why’s that?” She giggled.

“Because, then you may decide you want me to sleep on the floor,” Forrest said. Shae rolled her eyes.

“Friends don’t let friends sleep on the floor,” She said softly. Forrest inched closer to her; she could feel the heat his body was giving off. She smiled.

“Friends, eh?” He chuckled. Shae shrugged.

“You couldn’t expect me to not like you forever, could you?” She asked. Forrest grinned.

“I expected you to try,”