Read Bound by Ivy for Free Online Page B

the way up, from selling surfboards to making smoothies. He tells me about his artist mother and his father who was town mayor for a while.
    I tell him a little about my family and how my mother died when I was young.
    When Leo asks me again about the security, I’m half tempted to tell him about Giles Getty and the kidnapping, but something in me just can’t get the words out. I’m not ready to talk about that. Not yet.
    Jen knows something happened, but doesn’t know the details. After the kidnapping, I phoned her to say something bad happened at the theatre, and that I might be too spooked to go through with my opening night performance. But she doesn’t know much more than that, and she understands me well enough to wait until I’m ready to tell her more.
    What Jen does know for sure is that Marc insisted I stay at his townhouse and that he take care of me. I told Jen about all the therapists Marc lined up, and that was enough for her. As long as she knew I was being looked after, she didn’t need to know any more.
    *****
    Leo and I don’t work too hard at rehearsing because we know we have another big performance tonight.
    When show time finally comes around, we’re well practised, but full of energy and in good form. The crowd react well to us and we fix most of the things we felt didn’t work on opening night.
    Just like always, time flies when I’m performing and before I know it, Leo and I are doing our final bows and walking off stage.
    I’m hoping Marc will be waiting for me in the wings, but he isn’t. Instead, Keith is there – which takes me by surprise.
    ‘Keith, what are you doing here?’ I ask, picking up the skirts of my costume and walking towards him.
    ‘I’ve come to pick you up.’
    ‘Isn’t Marc here?’ I ask tentatively.
    ‘No. Sorry. I know I’m no substitute.’
    ‘You’ll d o just fine,’ I say. ‘Thanks for coming to get me.’
    Leo appears beside me. ‘Where’s Prince Charming?’
    ‘I was hoping to see him. But ... I guess he has his reasons for not being here.’
    ‘If you were my girlfriend, I’d be waiting for you after every show.’
    I give him a sideway s glance, raising an eyebrow. ‘I doubt that,’ I say. ‘You strike me as the sort of guy who’d be there the first few nights with the biggest bunch of flowers ever, and then get bored and be off chatting up one of the dancers.’
    Leo laughs. ‘Oh, so cruel!’
    ‘Can I have my phone back now?’
    Leo rolls his eyes. ‘ Sure. It’s in my dressing room. I’ll go get it for you.’

14
    There are no missed calls or text messages on my phone, and I can’t help feeling like something more is happening than just some safety thing. Why wouldn’t Marc have called, even just to check that I was okay?
    I keep the phone in my lap all the way to my dad’s house, but there isn’t so much as a bleep or a flash. As we near my village, the reception bar creeps lower and lower until it hovers between one bar and no service. Our village council campaigned to keep a mobile phone mast out of our area, so there’s still only reception when the wind blows a certain way.
    ‘Keith,’ I ask, as we pull up outside the cottage. ‘Has Marc told you anything more about what’s going on?’
    ‘Not exactly,’ says Keith. ‘All I know is that he’s been tightening security today. I’ve been swamped with messages about new procedures and passwords.’
    I’m about to climb out of the car when Keith holds up a hand to stop me. ‘Wait. I’m to escort you right to the door. New instructions.’
    ‘Okay.’ I’m beginning to feel really anxious now. Both about all the security and Marc not calling. When Marc and I are apart my body craves him, and the thought of being away from him tonight ... it almost hurts. I need to call him.
    Keith comes around to open the car door and just as he does, I see a flash of black outside the front garden.
    ‘What was that?’ I gasp.
    ‘Security,’ s ays Keith, helping me out.