Page 59 of Chained

"I trust Hunter," he responded.

"Wow. Two people, don't go overboard."

Another long pause before he continued. "You know why that is. And I'm not really a people person, I don't need any more friends."

"Well, I like making friends."

"Girls never like you," he pointed out.

"That's not true. They just don't like that I'm stronger than their boyfriends. These girls are tough like me," Alicia sounded like she was smiling.

"No one is tough like you. Look, let's just trust that they'll want to help us or at least stay out here with us, more than they will want to try their luck back at the city. I don't think that's too much of a stretch of imagination," he said and I could hear him yawning as he finished.

"How have you been sleeping?" Alicia asked him suspiciously.

"Like the dead. Speaking of which, it's late." He sounded annoyed.

"I'm sorry, I'm playing mom again. You know I just worry about you," Alicia said gently.

"And I worry about you too, stop apologising. I'm fine, I promise."

"Okay, are you going to bed?"

"In a minute."

"I'll see you in the morning then." I heard Alicia climbing off of the sofa and ducked into the kitchen as stealthily as I could manage, hoping that she wasn't thirsty too. Thankfully, I heard her moving up the stairs.

I hastily got my glass of water which I downed in one before I filled another and slipped back out into the corridor. I paused for a moment by the door to the living area and saw the back of Coal's head still poking above the sofa.

I crept on by and put a foot on the first step of the wooden staircase.

"What are you up to?" Coal called out.

I paused, hoping that he might just have been talking to Kaloo.

"Maya?" he called out again. I moved back to the doorway grinning sheepishly.

"I was thirsty." I brandished my water as evidence.

"You look... different." His eyes studied my face and I dropped my gaze.

"I think what you mean is, I look clean." He watched me for a few more moments before looking away.

He'd had a shower too, his hair was wet and he'd had a shave. I bit my lip, wondering if I should make an excuse to leave.

"Are you tired?" he asked, reclining back onto the sofa and beckoning me into the room. I felt like I was in trouble and I dragged my bare feet across the soft carpet as I moved around to face him.

"I'm not sure. I'm physically exhausted but I'm so hyped up I'm not convinced I could sleep." I hovered by the arm of the sofa, not sure what to do with myself.

I glanced about the room, there were pieces of heavy wooden furniture lined with books and a stereo. The walls were painted a dark green but the room was big enough to hold the colour. I noted the fact that there was no TV and wondered what they did for entertainment.

"I'm not feeling too tired myself yet, do you want company?" He gave me an encouraging grin. I had no idea what I would say to him and was half tempted to refuse.

"Sure." I sank into the far end of the sofa but glanced back up at the stairs guiltily as I did so.

"If you'd rather be with Taylor-"

I shook my head. "There isn't much point, I just don't like leaving him up there alone, he might wake up and be confused without me there. But he hasn't shown any signs of waking up yet so..."