Control Yourself
Back in Your Head
“Namaste,” Shae spoke calmly, pressing her hands together, bringing them to her chest.
She bowed her head before the class, her clients mirroring her. After a short moment, enough time to take in a deep breath then exhale, Shae rose from her mat, the class following her motion.
“Good class, everyone” Shae smiled as everyone began rolling up their mats and storing them away. Shae knelt down, rolling up her own mat, carrying it over to her gym bag. After zipping up her gym bag – making a note to have it washed sometime soon – she dug through her tote for her Blackberry, checking to see if Forrest had texted her.
No new messages.
Needless to say, Shae was disappointed. Forrest probably had a logical reason for not talking to her at all – through text, call, or stopping by the studio. Shae let out a long sigh, hauling her bags down the stairs, trailing behind the rest of the women from the class.
The class was a night class. A lot of her clients had been pushing for later hours, even though Shae hated the idea from the very beginning. Majority always wins, though. The class ended at nine, leaving Shae with only an hour of possible Forrest time before she was prone to dozing off.
Shae bid Gretchen a good night before locking up the studio, trotting across the parking lot to her Prius. She noticed a slip of paper tucked under her windshield wiper. Glancing around the parking lot, Shae concurred that no one else had a slip under their wipers. She gulped.
After stuffing her bags into her back seat, slamming the door shut after, Shae tore the paper from under the wiper, skeptically slipping into the driver’s seat, locking all the doors after her. Slowly, she unfolded the paper, recognizing the scribbled handwriting almost immediately.
He won’t always be there to protect you.
It was from Greg.
Shae crumpled up the paper, shoving it into her pocket of her spring green yoga zip-up as she started the car, tearing out of the parking lot. She sped towards the apartment, skidding into her regular parking spot, skimming the curb as she parked. Forgetting completely about her bags in the back seat of her car, Shae sprinted towards the front foyer of the building, fumbling with her keys in her hands to find the one that unlocked the foyer door. She busted into the lobby, bolting towards the elevators, violently pressing the upwards arrow button. She continuously glanced over her shoulder, her hands shaking.
By the time the elevator doors finally opened, Shae was already hustling up the stairwell to Forrest’s floor. She flung open the metal door, sprinting down the hallway to his door, first banging repetitively, hoping for a response. There was none. She tried the doorknob, panicked by the fact it was locked. Using the spare key Forrest had gave her, she slipped inside the dark apartment, disappointed by the fact that it appeared as though he hadn’t been home at all. Shae whimpered.
“Forrest?” She called through the empty apartment. Yet again, there was no reply.
Shae hurried out of the apartment, nearly forgetting to the lock the door after her.
She was frantic at this point, eyes prickling with tears that threatened to fall.
Again, she blazed down the two sets of stairs and burst through the metal door of her floor. Her footsteps thundered down the hallway as she ran; a few tears managed to spill, rolling silently down her cheeks. She slowed to a complete stop as she reached her door, taking in a few short breaths before unlocking the door knob.
To Shae’s dismay, however, she ended up locking the door; it had already been opened.
Shae unlocked the door, yet again, successfully slipping inside this time, trying her best to suppress a wave of hysteric sobs.
At the end of the hallway, there was a dim beam of light coming from her bedroom door, cracked open slightly. She patted down the hallway, softly, unsure of what to expect at this point, clutching her keys in her now trembling hands. Shae peeked into the cracked open door, seeing nothing but the dimly illuminated outline of her dresser and desk. She slowly pushed open the door, gulping.
“Surprise, ba—“ Forrest beamed, stopping dead in mid-sentence upon seeing her rattled appearance.
Shae’s entire bedroom was lighted only by the flickering flames of a handful of lit candles. There were pink and yellow rose petals scattered amongst the ground except for a small pathway leading to the bed. On the side table, a bottle of her favourite wine was on ice. Forrest laid in the middle of her neatly made bed in nothing but his boxers; however, he leapt across the bed and engulfed her in a tight embrace.
“Shae, what’s wrong?” He asked, releasing her from his arms, caressing her damp cheek with his thumb.
“He’s coming,” Shae blubbered, tears now freely falling from her red eyes. “He’s going to get me.”
Forrest was startled and concerned, rubbing her arms, trying to soothe her.
“Shae, who?”
She retrieved the crunched up note from her pocket, handing it to Forrest. As her unfolded the note, Shae plopped down on the edge of her bed, cradling her head in her hands as she weaped.
Forrest read and reread the note, shredding it into tiny, confetti-sized pieces, watching in disgust as they fluttered to the hardwood floor. He knelt down before Shae, gently pulling her hands away from her face, staring up into her beautiful, puffy eyes.
“No one is going to get you, Shae,” He assured her, caressing the top of her smooth hand with his thumb. “I will always be here to protect you.”
Shae nodded, allowing Forrest to sweep her up into his arms, laying her gently on the bed. He curled up beside her, tucking Shae safely into his chest.
She bowed her head before the class, her clients mirroring her. After a short moment, enough time to take in a deep breath then exhale, Shae rose from her mat, the class following her motion.
“Good class, everyone” Shae smiled as everyone began rolling up their mats and storing them away. Shae knelt down, rolling up her own mat, carrying it over to her gym bag. After zipping up her gym bag – making a note to have it washed sometime soon – she dug through her tote for her Blackberry, checking to see if Forrest had texted her.
No new messages.
Needless to say, Shae was disappointed. Forrest probably had a logical reason for not talking to her at all – through text, call, or stopping by the studio. Shae let out a long sigh, hauling her bags down the stairs, trailing behind the rest of the women from the class.
The class was a night class. A lot of her clients had been pushing for later hours, even though Shae hated the idea from the very beginning. Majority always wins, though. The class ended at nine, leaving Shae with only an hour of possible Forrest time before she was prone to dozing off.
Shae bid Gretchen a good night before locking up the studio, trotting across the parking lot to her Prius. She noticed a slip of paper tucked under her windshield wiper. Glancing around the parking lot, Shae concurred that no one else had a slip under their wipers. She gulped.
After stuffing her bags into her back seat, slamming the door shut after, Shae tore the paper from under the wiper, skeptically slipping into the driver’s seat, locking all the doors after her. Slowly, she unfolded the paper, recognizing the scribbled handwriting almost immediately.
He won’t always be there to protect you.
It was from Greg.
Shae crumpled up the paper, shoving it into her pocket of her spring green yoga zip-up as she started the car, tearing out of the parking lot. She sped towards the apartment, skidding into her regular parking spot, skimming the curb as she parked. Forgetting completely about her bags in the back seat of her car, Shae sprinted towards the front foyer of the building, fumbling with her keys in her hands to find the one that unlocked the foyer door. She busted into the lobby, bolting towards the elevators, violently pressing the upwards arrow button. She continuously glanced over her shoulder, her hands shaking.
By the time the elevator doors finally opened, Shae was already hustling up the stairwell to Forrest’s floor. She flung open the metal door, sprinting down the hallway to his door, first banging repetitively, hoping for a response. There was none. She tried the doorknob, panicked by the fact it was locked. Using the spare key Forrest had gave her, she slipped inside the dark apartment, disappointed by the fact that it appeared as though he hadn’t been home at all. Shae whimpered.
“Forrest?” She called through the empty apartment. Yet again, there was no reply.
Shae hurried out of the apartment, nearly forgetting to the lock the door after her.
She was frantic at this point, eyes prickling with tears that threatened to fall.
Again, she blazed down the two sets of stairs and burst through the metal door of her floor. Her footsteps thundered down the hallway as she ran; a few tears managed to spill, rolling silently down her cheeks. She slowed to a complete stop as she reached her door, taking in a few short breaths before unlocking the door knob.
To Shae’s dismay, however, she ended up locking the door; it had already been opened.
Shae unlocked the door, yet again, successfully slipping inside this time, trying her best to suppress a wave of hysteric sobs.
At the end of the hallway, there was a dim beam of light coming from her bedroom door, cracked open slightly. She patted down the hallway, softly, unsure of what to expect at this point, clutching her keys in her now trembling hands. Shae peeked into the cracked open door, seeing nothing but the dimly illuminated outline of her dresser and desk. She slowly pushed open the door, gulping.
“Surprise, ba—“ Forrest beamed, stopping dead in mid-sentence upon seeing her rattled appearance.
Shae’s entire bedroom was lighted only by the flickering flames of a handful of lit candles. There were pink and yellow rose petals scattered amongst the ground except for a small pathway leading to the bed. On the side table, a bottle of her favourite wine was on ice. Forrest laid in the middle of her neatly made bed in nothing but his boxers; however, he leapt across the bed and engulfed her in a tight embrace.
“Shae, what’s wrong?” He asked, releasing her from his arms, caressing her damp cheek with his thumb.
“He’s coming,” Shae blubbered, tears now freely falling from her red eyes. “He’s going to get me.”
Forrest was startled and concerned, rubbing her arms, trying to soothe her.
“Shae, who?”
She retrieved the crunched up note from her pocket, handing it to Forrest. As her unfolded the note, Shae plopped down on the edge of her bed, cradling her head in her hands as she weaped.
Forrest read and reread the note, shredding it into tiny, confetti-sized pieces, watching in disgust as they fluttered to the hardwood floor. He knelt down before Shae, gently pulling her hands away from her face, staring up into her beautiful, puffy eyes.
“No one is going to get you, Shae,” He assured her, caressing the top of her smooth hand with his thumb. “I will always be here to protect you.”
Shae nodded, allowing Forrest to sweep her up into his arms, laying her gently on the bed. He curled up beside her, tucking Shae safely into his chest.