Read In Chains for Free Online

bed.”
    “Already,” says Ben, frowning at me. “Do you want some company?”
    I shake my head. “No I’m tired. Goodnight everyone.”
    Before getting undressed I wedge the chair under the door handle, just in case Ben does decide to keep me company during the night.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER SIX
    Savannah
     
    I wake up and wander down to the kitchen. Doesn’t look like anyone else is up yet. Their empty wine bottle and glasses are on the coffee table. I throw the bottle in the recycling and put the glasses by the sink. Fixing myself a vanilla coffee, I put on my jacket and go out to sit on the bench and have a smoke. As I’m about to light up, I see Kayden approaching.
    “You can smoke in my caravan, it’ll be warmer,” he says.
    “Thanks but I don’t want to make it all smoky.”
    “It don’t bother me, it’ll be warmer for you. You can smoke in there whenever you want.” Oh what the hell. It is cold. I get up and follow him to his caravan. I sit on his bed but he stays standing, leaning against the wall, fixing me with his stare. He looks like he wants to say something.
    “Is everything okay Kayden?”
    He looks down at his feet and then blurts out, “Do you like him?”
    “Who?”
    “The guy who had his arm around you last night?”
    Kayden was there? I didn’t see him, but it was dark. “He’s okay,” I say. He’s still looking down at his feet and doesn’t say anything else. The silence feels awkward. “Have you done anymore drawings?” I ask. He doesn’t lift his gaze, just shakes his head. He seems unhappy and I wish I could cheer him up. “I’d love it if you’d do a drawing for me sometime. Who knows, you could be famous one day and I’d have a first original.” I smile at him.
    Finally, he lifts his eyes. “Can I draw you?”
    “Um, if you want to.” He grins and picks up a sheet of paper and his pencil. “Are you drawing me now?” I ask.
    He sits opposite me on the bed and rests his feet up on the mattress. “Yep.”
    I don’t know if I’m supposed to sit still, or pose and I need to put my cigarette out. “I don’t suppose you’ve got an ashtray have you?” He reaches over and plucks the cigarette out of my hand, takes a drag of it and then crushes the lighted end between his finger and thumb to put it out. “Didn’t that hurt?” I ask, frowning.
    “Only for a second, it saved you going outside.”
    His pencil makes quick movements across the paper and now and again he glances up at me. Still not sure what I’m supposed to be doing I sit as still as I can. I hope he doesn’t make me look too awful. After a few minutes he hands the drawing to me. Wow. It looks like me and yet it doesn’t. He’s drawn someone much more attractive than me and yet it’s definitely me. “It’s lovely thank you. You’ve made me look pretty.”
    His reply is immediate, “You are pretty.”
    Blushing, I hand it back to him. “Will you sign it for me?” He holds the pencil to the paper and sits there, frowning. It’s strange that this man who drew with such ease would be struggling to decide what to write on it. “You don’t have to write anything special, just your name.”
    He continues frowning and staring at the page, finally he speaks, “I don’t know how to do my name.” He’s now staring down at the drawing, gnawing on the end of his pencil. Oh my God. He doesn’t know how to write. I feel so guilty for asking him to sign it but how could I have known?
    “Didn’t they teach you to write at school?” I ask.
    He’s still frowning. “What’s school?”
    “Where you go when you’re a child. It’s where they teach you things.”
    His eyes meet mine. “Oh, like the pound you mean? They didn’t teach me to do my name there.”
    I shuffle across the bed so we’re sitting side by side. “Would you like me to show you how to write your name?” Gazing at me, he smiles and nods his head. I wait for him to hand me his pencil but he continues to hold it,