I knew they were there. I could feel them. Watching. Waiting. Ready to rip me away and place me back in that horrid place. With that in mind, I gripped the straps on my purse tighter and quickened my pace down the busy street. I didn't want to draw any attention to the others around me, so I pretended like I wasn't being followed. Regardless of my racing heart, regardless of my uneven, quick breaths, I pushed forward hoping to at least add some distance.

With my head down I took a sharp left turn at a nearby corner trying to throw them off their tracks, but when I did I only ran into a burly chest.

"Alexandria," the sound of a gruff voice made my heart drop to my stomach. "Playtime is over now."

Ever so slowly I looked up to see a man dressed in a fine suite with his cold, steely eyes on me. I knew those eyes all too well. And I knew the way they looked at a prey before making their move. Just like they are right now. So I did the only thing I could

I ran.

Of course, I should have known that was pointless because the second I turned around I was flanked by two other burly men. Each grabbed my arm regardless of my feeble attempt to pry loose. Their grip was like iron that tightened with every effort I made to escape.

"The more you fight, the more it hurts," a thick accent promised. Still, I had to try. I wasn't going back.

"Help!" I called out. "Please! Someone please hel--!"

A cloth-like material was suddenly tied around my mouth muffling my screams. Clearly I was at a disadvantage and my arms felt like they were going to be ripped off at any moment, but still I had the will to fight. I used my legs to try and kick my captors but it was pointless. Instead, they kicked my feet out from under me and forced me to my knees. I could feel my skin tear from the rough contact with the concrete.

The man with steel eyes pulled out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth. "Such a bothersome one," he lit his cigarette giving it a few puffs. "And Malcolm made you sound so submissive. But it has been so long since he's last seen you."

I was about to show him just how submissive I was when suddenly a cold hand was gripping my throat cutting off my air supply. My lungs worked overtime trying to pull in anything that would ease the pain but my mouth was currently closed off. It was useless.

"He misses you, you know."

I wanted to tear his hands off of me but the men kept them firmly in place. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run, I wanted to fight, but it was all useless. Like a broken machine that was no longer functioning, all I could do was cry.

"Alexandria," he blew a puff of cigarette smoke in my face and smiled, showing his yellow teeth. "Let's not keep him waiting."

With a mighty cry, I lurched forward from where I was laying, nearly falling off. My breathing came out in rapid pants and sweat rolled down my neck. It was as if I had just finished a long run the way my chest was tight and my face flushed, but I knew better than that. Every time I blinked I could see it. Those yellow teeth grinning at me with a promise of making my life a living hell. Again.

A shudder ran through my body at the thought. I drew my knees up to my chest in search of comfort all the while feeling the cloth underneath me. It was soft, just like what I was sitting on. It took me a moment to register I was in my bed. In my room. Safe and sound. When my eyes landed on the clock nearby I realized it was seven in the morning. Not my usual time to wake up, but I knew going back to sleep was out of the question.

I let out a long exhale hoping to expel any lingering anxiety although I knew it would take a while. This isn't the first time I've had a nightmare like that, and it certainly won't be the last. Like with every other time when I come out of the horrid dream I feel odd and disconnected. The imbalance was always the worst part, but luckily I could fix it.

I tore off my sheets, now damp with sweat, and headed off to take a shower. Normally I rush through the process because I had to get to work on time, but the bakery was closed today so I let myself linger in the warm water. I leaned against the wall, letting it pour down and over my body, relaxing my tense muscles. What I would give to stay in here forever. After rinsing out my hair and washing off the grime, I stepped out to dry off feeling refreshed. The first step complete.

Next, I walked into my room to change and find my yoga mat tucked away behind my dresser. I kicked away my dirty clothes on the floor to make a spot for it in the center of the room. Normally I would begin my stretches in silence, but this time it called for something soothing. Once I found a promising yoga playlist on my phone, I sat it down and placed my feet on the mat.

The first few stretches helped release the tension from my back working all the way to my toes. I repeated the same stretches on each side before focusing on other areas of my body. With each pose, I took in deep, soothing breath and thought of calming thoughts. Like puppies and chocolate and sales at the grocery store.

Originally, yoga was a difficult practice for me because my thoughts were always racing. But after Ellie showed me a few techniques, it became part of my daily morning routine. I was even able to master a headstand without falling and knocking over the photos on my dresser last weekend. It was a lot of practice, but the benefits weren't something to ignore.

At the end of my routine, I laid flat on my back with my eyes closed completely relaxed. I imagined the tension flowing out of my fingertips completely releasing any panic I had earlier. A peaceful smile crept onto my face, but right when the music started to come to a close it was replaced by my loud ringtone making me jump.

"Holy fruitcake!" I yelled scrambling for my phone before it fell off the dresser.

So much for relaxation.

I had no idea who would be calling me so early, and when I looked at the caller ID it only increased my confusion. Still, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Good morning! Is this Katy Thomas?" came a chipper, male voice.

"This is she."

"Hey there! It's Collin from delivery."

"Hi!" I greeted then paused. "Wait, it's not Saturday is it?"

"Err, no, it's Thursday," his laughter sounded forced. "But, uh, listen, I know that usually we don't deliver for another few days . . ."

"Uh huh."

"But, you see, we get the weekend off since we work through major holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July and Halloween and--"

"Right, right," I cut him off before he kept rambling.

"So, we decided to go ahead and deliver today instead of waiting another week. I know how that could be disastrous for companies if they don't have their supplies."

Well, he's not wrong. But still, it was pretty inconvenient.

"Oh definitely. So, what time will you be delivering today?"

"Actually, we are heading out now."

My eyes widened. "Right now?"

"We wanted to get it done early. We have several deliveries today and since yours is the biggest order we wanted to get it knocked out," he explained. "I'm sure you can understand."

"Of . . . course." I needed a lot more yoga today. "Let me just . . . grab my stuff and head down there to sign off on everything."

"Great! Glad you could understand Ms. Thomas."

I faked a laugh while looking for more appropriate attire. "Sure thing."

"Oh! And one more thing, you might want to bring someone to help you."

I paused putting on my pants. "Do what?"

"Well, it is a big delivery so we don't want you to do it all by yourself."

How thoughtful of them.

"Oh, no worries! Actually, if it would be a lot better if I could use some of your help. If Joe is still with you guys we can just tag team--"

"Well," and here it comes, "we would on any normal day. But as I stated earlier, we have tons of deliveries to do today. I'm talking a week's worth in one day. So we sort of need to get in and get out as quickly as we can. I'm sure you understand."

I have always considered myself a kind and calm person. But the more he talked, the more I felt myself growing impatient. This was not the morning to be dropping bombs like this on me.

Collin must have realized this because he quickly added, "I promise we will place the packages as far as we can in the store, that way you don't have to do a lot of work. And this will be the last time it happens. Honest, Ms. Thomas."

"Okay," I laced my tone with as much sugary goodness as I could. "Like I said I will be down there soon."

"Great! See you then!"

For the first time in years, I hung up without saying goodbye. It felt wrong and for a moment I debated on calling him back to apologize for my behavior but I had other things to worry about. Like who the fudge muffins am I going to call to help me with this?

My first instinct is to call Lamar since he handles deliveries more than I do, but it's his day off and I didn't want to disturb him. He's already put in so much overtime this just felt wrong to ask him to do more. Plus, he has enough on his plate with the girls so he was crossed out.

Next was Ellie and Kellie, but I could write a book on why they shouldn't handle delivery. Images of the back room covered in powdered sugar came to mind. Plus, they were getting ready to go back to school so they needed the time off.

With those three out of the question, it only left me with one other option.

I looked at the wall to my right that connected to a certain friendly neighbor and new co-worker. Well, not entirely new since he's been with us for nearly two weeks now. But new enough that he hasn't handled shipments before. I knew how he felt about favors, and I also knew how he felt about mornings. Therefore I should strike him off my list as well and just do the shipment by myself. It was the only logical thing to do.

So why am I standing in front of his door knocking frantically?

I stepped back from the door after knocking and sighed. "1 . . . 2 . . .3--okay, that's it he's not coming. I'm just going to get my bike and--"

Suddenly the morning silence throughout the apartment complex was broken with the eerie sound of a door creaking open. I gulped when I turned around to see a shirtless man standing there. His light blue eyes now featuring dark circles were glaring in my direction.

"What.the.hell.do.you.want.shortcake," Gage growled.

I laughed nervously. "New nickname, I like it. Short-stack was getting kind of old after hearing it every five seconds. Plus it reminded me of pancakes and that just made me hungry but not in the--"

"Today, Katy," his demanding voice rose an octave making me jump.

"Right. First name now, very serious," I coughed to hide my uneasiness. "I'm sorry to bother you so early. I know how you're not a major morning person."

"And what made you think that?" his eyes were slits now.

I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. So instead of being logical, I decided to answer his question.

"Umm, well, I don't know . . . maybe because you look like you want to kill me right now? And there is this vein in your head that keeps throbbing. That actually looks kind of bad. You might want to get that checked out. Plus, last time I came over to give you extras from my breakfast you sort of threw a remote controller at my head. Not a smart move on your part. And then--"

Gage started to close the door so I panicked and startled flailing my arm around like a madwoman. "Wait! Wait! I seriously need to ask you something!"

"Well get it over with so I can get some sleep," he growled.

"Right, okay, let me try this again," I cleared my throat. "How would you like to make some extra money?"

He stopped closing his door.

"Right now?"

"Right now," I nodded. "I know it's not the most convenient time--"

"Like hell it is."

"--but I really need your help, Gage. I promise I wouldn't ask you unless I absolutely had to. Especially in the mornings."

He didn't look happy, although that wasn't a rarity, but he didn't close the door on me either. He did, however, keep his eyes trained on mine as if searching for something. I felt uncomfortable under his stare, and I'm the one who has a shirt on! After what felt like years he finally took in a deep breath and said.

"What do you need?"

At that, I smiled and filled him in on the delivery. He had a lot of questions and said a lot of curse words, but in the end, he put on some better clothes and followed me to the bottom of the complex. When we got there I blushed realizing another problem.

"Umm, I kind of have a confession."

He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I . . . sort of don't have a car."

"You don't?"

I shook my head. "I have a bike."

In my head, he was going to point and laugh at me, but instead, he shrugged. "That's okay," he pulled out a pair of keys from his pocket. "I was planning on taking us anyway."

I was so stunned it took a few minutes to register that he had already walked off to head behind the complex. Quickly I ran back to his side.

"Whoa, wait . . . really?"

I watched as he dug around a storage box that the complex gives us per room. Mine is usually empty besides the air pump I keep in there. Gage's, however, was filled with stuff.

"Yep. That's the plan. You see, I have a bike, too" he dug around a little more until he pulled out two black helmets. My eyes widened knowing where this was going. "Only it's a little bigger than yours."

When he tossed the large item at me I stumbled back a few steps. After I got my footing I looked down at it and said, "You can't be serious."

"If I am doing this for you at," he looked down at his watch, "eight thirty in the morning, we are doing this my way."

When I looked back up he was throwing his leg over a silver motorcycle. I have seen many motorcycles before. They are common transportation in Florida. But I have never actually ridden on one before. It looked big, bad, and scary. Kind of like Gage.

I stood there frozen in fear, which seems to be a common theme today, when the thunderous sound of his engine turning on ripped me from my thoughts. Gage placed his hands on the clutch giving it a little twist. The thunder turned into a loud roar that I'm sure the complex is loving at this time of the day.

"You getting on, or what?" he called out to me.

"I-I have another confession!"

He waited.

"I have never been on a motorcycle before."

"Really?" his heel kicked the kickstand backward and started rolling the bike closer to me. "If you like riding your bike then you will love this."

I eyed the monstrous, vibrating machine that screamed danger. "I highly doubt it!"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, shortcake."

"How about I take my bike and meet you there?"

"Get on the bike."

"My bike? Okay. Glad we could agree--"

He suddenly grabbed my wrists giving it a soft tug towards him. "Stop being scared and just sit behind me. I promise you won't get hurt."

Famous last words, my mind kept telling me. But despite my physical and verbal protest, I took in a large breath and started to climb on.

"Watch your leg," he warned. "Don't want it to get burnt from the muffler."

"It can burn me?!"

"Well, yeah, it's a hot metal pipe. What do you expect?"

I groaned but safely sat behind him. It was the weirdest feeling straddling someone's backside. Especially when their name is Gage Rivers. It was strangely intimate which is not what I was planning this morning.

When I got in a more comfortable position I asked, "Now what?"

"Now put your helmet on but keep the visor up so you can hear me."

I did as I was told, my head feeling like it was fifty pounds now.

"Okay, now we are about to go so you're going to have to put your arms around my torso."

"What?!"

"I said put your arms--"

"I heard you! I just . . . well, it's just so . . ."

He turned his head to smirk at me. "Is there a problem?"

"N-No! I just . . . I don't . . . you see--"

Again without warning reached around to grab my arms and place them around his torso. His very toned torso, might I add. My goodness, I could feel his abs through his shirt as if he wasn't wearing anything at all! I've been with guys before but they've never felt like this. I mean it was like hugging a statue. I don't think this could get any more awkward. Wait . . . is that an eight pack?

"As nice as it feels, rubbing my stomach is not part of the process."

I jerked back in surprise and quickly stopped my mindless caressing. "S-Sorry."

"Make sure you keep a tight grip on my torso and whatever you do, do not let go. Got it?"

"Got it," I sent up a silent prayer.

"Alright," he put his helmet on and flipped the visor down. "Let's go!"

I pulled my visor down and the second my hand was back to its original place he slowly took off. We were barely out of the parking lot, and I'm almost positive he didn't go over three-miles-per-hour, but I was already screaming the entire four feet. Okay so maybe it was more than four feet, but still.

When Gage rolled up to the turning lane before heading to the main road he opened his visor to say, "You know helmets aren't soundproof, right?"

"Deal with it!" I screamed back.

I could have sworn I heard laughter before he flipped his visor back down, watched a car pass, and with a little twist of his handlebar we were off.

I'm sure Gage was probably used to taking hot chicks out for a ride on his bike while they cheer with joy as they race down the road. However, I'm not that chick. I'm the five-foot-nothing chick screaming a year's worth of cuss words in his ear and praying to every spiritual entity that the ride will end soon.

For a while, I thought I was going to pass out, especially when we rode over a hill that looked like the size of Mount Everest, but when we came to a stop light Gage checked on me.

"You okay?" he turned his head to the side to ask.

"We are never doing this again."

He shook his head. "Katy, it's really not that bad. Just relax."

But in that moment I was far from relaxing because that's when I realized he was softly rubbing my arms.

I'm sure it was meant to soothe me, but instead, it did the opposite. Because now it sent my thoughts into a conniption. I shouldn't want his hands on me, he's my co-worker and neighbor. The grouchy neighbor. Although I wouldn't mind being his friend, anything more than that was out of the question.

But if that's the case then why is my body reacting this way? Why does everywhere he touch feel like the summer heat? And why do I feel saddened when the light turns green and he has to let go?

This