Her sweet chains

Part 20

Chapter 20

"So why Law?" I asked Ashton as we strode out into the dying September day light. He shrugged vaguely still clearly uncomfortable in this situation as if he was waiting for the punch line of this highly elaborate prank I was playing on him. "You must know at least a little." I pushed gently, "my reason was my family can you believe that?" I said weakly "my family own a lot of property we have lots of businesses tenancy agreements shit like that. me being a lawyer makes all that boring crap my responsibility and not some fucking lawyer we have to pay and trust as much as I trust marmite." Ashton frowned at me like I was insane; I suppose it was an uncommon metaphor. We walked down the main gravel pathway leading off campus.

"My father was a lawyer apparently." Ashton said quietly very deliberately avoiding my gaze. "My mom and my step brothers and my step father they were... different that me...I'm fucked up apparently." He said shrugging as if this was a fact he had heard so much he was now accepting it as fact. "I just figured maybe I must have taken after my father. And I did A level Law and got an A so I do seem to have a bit of a skill for it." He said shrugging as if this was inconsequential but this conflicted with the gaze he finally raised to mine, a desperate pleading gaze that clearly showed he was resigned he told me something he'd given me all the ammunition I'd need if I wanted to mock him.

"Its tough growing up somewhere were you feel like a freak isn't it." I said gently, Ashton smiled slightly for a second before his gaze swung back to the gravel beneath his feet. I was distracted of the necessity of having to find something to say by a tired sounding horn beeping in front of us. I smiled as I spotted Jamie sitting behind the Divers seat of our little red Vauxhall nova. Ashton's gaze flicked from me to Jamie just once evaluating before they settled back on the ground.

"Hey Princess." He called leaning out of the open window. "You a lawyer yet?"

"No I think I have to attend at least the second day first." I said as we drew level with the car.

"Well I thought I'd come get you. You must be starving you've been out all day without access to our wonderfully stocked fridge." I beamed,

"Excellent idea." I said turning to Ashton who was trying to continue on unnoticed, "Ash." I called he looked over his shoulder looking truly baffled by my persistent interest in him. "This is my cousin Jamie."I said brightly pointing at him.

"Hi." Jamie said brightly raising a hand in a bizarre sort of blokey half wave.

"Fancy some Pizza?" I asked Ashton looked utterly terrified "well, um...no I...um thanks but I...um... I have some stuff to do at home."

"You sure I won't order anything weird." I said sweetly.

"Well...I...um no but thank you." He said

"Alright I'll see you tomorrow." I said brightly Ashton gaped for a second at me before he nodded and almost ran away, as I walked around the car and slid into the passenger seat. Jamie leaned over and kissed the top of my head.

"He's twitchy." Jamie observed vaguely looking over his shoulder at Ashton who had almost disappeared into the distance. I smiled fondly at his retreating form,

"Yeah I kind of like him he's a sweetheart." Jamie smiled as he leaned over yanking the 9mm out of the back of my jeans.

"How did that get there?" I said innocently,

"Not allowed." he said handing it back to me and I slid it into a hiding place up under the passenger seat,

"I guess I'm a little twitchy too." I said as Jamie sighed and pushed the car into Gear and eased her away from the kerb.