I found out the next day that I was way too confident about my cardio skills. I ran frequently, but the self defense class that Lina was able to find for me to join the next day felt like it was ripping out my insides. The fact that I got out of breath after the stairs every day should have been a warning, but I really thought that I would be able to hold my own.

I was dripping sweat and struggling to keep up with the instructor, but I felt proud of myself for not giving up. I let my fear drive me forward, knowing that if I knew how to defend myself, I would feel safer in my own home again.

Lina was letting me stay with her, which I appreciated, but her roommate drove me crazy. She had a loud voice, smelled like rotten meat, and didn't like cleaning up after herself. I didn't want to be in that apartment for long, but I didn't feel safe staying on my own.

I only let my body collapse once the instructor announced that the class was over. When she noticed how much I struggled to lift myself off of the ground to go shower, she assured me that it would get easier after I'd taken a few more classes.

After a shower in the crowded, sweaty locker room, I got dressed in my scratchy waitressing uniform and drove to work. I was tired from the busy day I had yesterday and dreaded going to work, but knew that I had no choice.

What was supposed to be a lazy day turned into me walking around the building with Lina asking everybody if they'd seen anybody around my apartment, but nobody was helpful. Desi was in her apartment all morning, but didn't hear anybody coming in or out of my apartment while I was gone. My other neighbor, Ron, was away at a friend's house getting stoned. Nobody else noticed anybody in the building that they didn't recognize, so we spent all of that time walking around interrogating people for nothing.

We finished just in time for me to get ready for my gig, but Lina had one of her own and couldn't go with me. I went straight from the gig to her apartment so that I was never alone in my building.

I was starting to get paranoid about if this person would retaliate again for whatever I did that upset them. Would there be something waiting for me at work? Or when I went home that night? I was starting to fear every corner that I turned.

Gabe was already at the diner when I got there, so I used our conversation to take my mind off of everything that was happening.

"You look tired," he noticed as I filled his coffee cup with fresh, hot coffee.

"I had a long day yesterday," I admitted to him. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm in the mood for a burger today," he told me.

I took another table's order and then sent both orders into the kitchen. After that was done, I started cleaning some tables near Gabe and asked him, "Do I really look that bad?"

"Not bad," he assured me quickly. "Just tired."

"I started taking self defense classes today," I told him. "It kicked my ass."

"You don't need to pay for a class to teach you self defense," he said with a scoff as he scratched his graying goatee and then poured some sugar into the coffee. "Just get a taser."

"It's getting me into shape," I said, making a mental note to also buy a taser. "How are things working out with your daughter?"

"I'm still not happy about her getting on the pill, but I'm accepting it. It sure has hell beats her getting pregnant," he tells me in a grumbling, bitter voice.

"That's a good attitude to have," I assured him. "My neighbor got pregnant at sixteen and her parents kicked her out, now she's on her own at eighteen with two kids and barely getting by. It could be so much worse."

"That poor girl," he shook his head in sympathy. "I guess it's important to look at the silver lining."

"That's the spirit," I said with a smile.

As I continued to work, I found myself looking around the diner wondering if one of these customers was Mrs. Lamb. Did they know that I worked here? I never put it on social media, but they seemed to have a way of finding out things about me that I never made public. It was so frustrating that I had no information about this person. I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl. I knew the signature was female, but that could be a fake name. I didn't want to make any assumptions.

"Hi, Maren," Winston greeted me by the kitchen as I was grabbing Gabe's burger from the window.

"Hey," I responded politely. "How are your grandparents?"

He looks at me with a deadpan stare and said, "They're still dead, Maren."

"Well, I'm sorry for your loss," I responded, still not believing that either of his grandparents actually died last week and he was just lying to get the day off of work.

"I was actually wondering if you'd be able to take my shift on Wednesday," he said before I could leave to deliver Gabe's burger.

"I'm busy," I dismissed him, despite the fact that I wasn't busy on Wednesday. I didn't really like Winston that much and I didn't want to help him out by taking his shift. I wondered why he even worked there if he didn't actually want any shifts.

I left quickly to stop him from responding or giving me a dumb excuse and hurried to Gabe's table to place his burger in front of him.

When it was time for my break, I put my coat on and went behind the building to call David. It was Saturday, so I knew he wasn't working but I didn't know if he had any plans that day as it wasn't something we discussed when we were hanging out.

Luckily, he answered after the third ring. "Hey, stranger," he answered in a low, grumpy voice.

"Hi there. Is everything okay? You sound upset," I asked him curiously, leaning against the cold building behind me.

"No, I've had a rough day," he admitted to me. "Some asshole slashed my tires last night."

"Oh my god," I gasped at the news. "Did they steal anything?"

"No, they didn't break in. It didn't even look like they tried to. Just slashed my tires and ran off," he explained to me, sounding very aggravated. I immediately wondered if Mrs. Lamb was the person who slashed his tires, probably because he slept with me. I didn't want to believe it, because I didn't want to drag him into this mess or give Mrs. Lamb that much credit. The motive made sense, but wouldn't it be difficult for this person to know where David lived, and which car was his?

"I'm really sorry that this is happening to you," I told him, feeling upset that I brought this onto him. If I had never talked to him, this wouldn't be happening. It could have been a random incident, but it would be such a coincidence if it was somebody else.

"It's not your fault," he assured me, although I didn't believe him. He didn't know about Mrs. Lamb though, as I hadn't opened up to him about it because we really weren't that close.

"Well, I was calling to see if I could come over tonight?" I asked him. "I have a gig at a cafe until ten, but I can come over after that. I can try to cheer you up."

I felt guilty for getting him into this mess, but didn't want to spend the night alone. Although would I feel any safer at David's house rather than my own if Mrs. Lamb knew where he lived too? At least I wouldn't be alone.

"Sure, you can come over," he confirmed. "I just finished filling out a police report about the tires and I have to get it towed today, I'm going to need a lot of cheering up."

"Do you think they'll catch whoever did this?" I asked, suddenly feeling a bit excited. Maybe if the police could catch who slashed David's tires, I could get answers for myself.

"Maybe, I'm not sure. There are security cameras in the parking lot, but they don't do well when it's dark," he said over the phone. "I just need the police report for insurance, I don't really think they'll catch anybody."

I deflated again in disappointment, but at least they'd be investigating it. It gave me a little ounce of hope. I knew that after I spent the night, I probably shouldn't talk to him any more. It hurt to think about, as I did really like spending time with him, but it was better to nip it in the bud if this creep was going to be slashing tires and breaking into my apartment because of our relationship. I hated that I was letting this person get to me and affect my life, but I didn't feel like I had a choice. By keeping David in the dark and continuing our relationship with him oblivious to the risk he was taking, it wasn't fair to him.

"Well, I should go, I have to get back to work," I announced, feeling upset about this revelation. It figures that this kind of shit happened the second I got some courage to start flirting with a new guy and he was so sweet and great in bed.

"Okay. I'll send you my address for tonight," he said.

"I hope your day gets better." I tried to sound optimistic.

"I can't see how it could get worse," he snorted with a sarcastic laugh. "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, see you tonight," I said before the call ended. My break wasn't over yet, but the longer I heard the frustration and grumpiness in his voice, the guiltier I felt about his day being ruined because of the mess I was bringing into his life.

I knew that it wasn't really my fault because I wasn't the one that actually sliced his tires, but I knew that if anything else happened to him after this, I would feel more responsible. Being with David knowing that it was possibly putting him in danger, it would be partially my fault.

I tried to think of how this person would know where David lived and the only thing I could think of is that Mrs. Lamb followed him home yesterday. Assuming that this person doesn't have access to an all-knowing database where they could look up David's name and get his address.

Even as I went back to work, I couldn't stop thinking about how they got David's address. Although it leaves an upsetting feeling in the bottom of my stomach, I only have one slightly logical theory. If Mrs. Lamb waited outside of the building until we left, broke in while we went to get coffee, and then went to the bar where they must have known David's car was parked. They then waited for David to leave the cafe, and followed him home.

I hated thinking that this person was waiting outside of my building, willing to follow people, but it was the only way I could think of that he would know where David lived, and what car belonged to him.

I felt dizzy as I realized that I was in completely over my head with whatever was going on with me. I tried to get myself to relax because I knew that I was playing right into their hand. This is exactly what they wanted to happen. They wanted to get to me, to make me feel like this.

Everything was going according to plan, it just wasn't mine.