Chained by Jaimie Roberts

how busy I was and offered to take over. I wasn’t sure whether she was being kind, or whether she was taking over just so I could settle the bill with Bob. I kind of had a feeling it was the latter.
    Thanking her, I turned my attention to Rachel. I placed my hand in my pocket and pulled out a twenty. “Here, take this.”
    Rachel shook her head and tried to force the money back to me. “No. You’ve done enough.”
    I turned to Wayne. “Does she have enough money to buy some medicine for the pain?” He shook his head, so I turned to Rachel. “Take it. I won’t take no for an answer.”
    Rachel sighed and looked unhappy. Reluctantly, she took it from me and gave me another hug. “Thank you so much, Olivia. You’re such a sweet girl.” She had a tear in her good eye as she gently pinched my chin.
    “Don’t mention it, Rachel. I just want to see you get better.”
    They both nodded and, after Wayne squeezed my hand, made their way out the door. I saw Thomas quickly following after. He was obviously eager to make sure she was okay.
    I turned to Bob. “I guess you’ll be wanting to get paid now.” I smiled sweetly and walked towards the office. “Follow me.”
    I walked in and grabbed my bag. I took my purse out and dug out two fifty pound notes. I held them out to Bob, but he just stared at me without taking them. “It’s a hundred, isn’t it? Or has your rate changed?”
    Bob shook his head. “No…but why are you taking money from your bag?”
    I sighed. “I told Tammy this was on me so she didn’t have to use the money from the petty cash.”
    Bob stood there indignantly. “That’s what it’s there for, though.”
    I nodded. “I know. It’s just… I just wanted to do the right thing.” I sagged my shoulders and Bob stared at me.
    After a minute, he sighed and walked towards the door. “I can’t take your money, Olivia. This one’s on me.”
    “But… But…” It was too late. He was out the door before I could argue.
    Feeling bad, I placed the money back in my purse and went in search of Tammy.
    I stayed for another hour, helping with all the cleaning up. By the time I was finished, it was close to twelve. I was a little excited at the prospect of going home to see Kit, but I wanted to do some shopping first.
    I took a little stroll down the high street and bought two pairs of jeans, two tops, and some socks. I wasn’t sure about Kit’s waist, so I had to improvise and hope for the best. He looked like he may have been a thirty-four, so I went with that.
    By the time I got to my street, I was virtually skipping towards my door. I was starting to get hungry, so I’d picked up a couple sandwiches on my way home.
    When I walked in, I shouted up the stairs, “Kit, it’s just me!” I smiled, loving the fact I was talking to someone in my home. I was usually met by silence.
    He didn’t answer. Part of me worried, but another part of me thought he may be asleep. I went into my utility area and found Kit’s things still sitting there.
    Without a thought, I picked up his key, went to my drawer, and placed the spare key to my front door on his key ring. It just felt right somehow.
    Putting his key back, I took my coat off, placed my handbag on the floor, and raced up the stairs with Kit’s new clothes and sandwiches.
    When I walked in, I found Kit under the covers, shivering. He looked just as bad as when I saw him last night. Quickly setting everything down, I raced to him and placed my hand on his forehead. He was cool and clammy. I looked at the nightstand and saw that the tablets had been taken.
    “So…so cold.”
    I squeezed his hand, which was clutching the sheets, and got up to walk around the other side. I stripped down to my bra and panties, got under the covers, and scooted towards him. I placed my arm around him, and he pushed his back into me, seeking out my warmth.
    “It’s okay, Kit. I’m here now. I’ll keep you warm.”
    His shivering went on for a while, but once he