Margot's POV

The clatter of trays was always the first sound to be heard as soon as the canteen doors parted. Men laughing, girls whispering, the scrape of chairs against linoleum, with the occasional bark of a guard – it all hit me at once as we stepped into the large space.

This again wasn’t our usual time to eat. Coban had decided to join up with Leo today, not caring much for the 'strict routine' we were supposed to follow. But sure enough, the moment we stepped in, it didn’t go unnoticed either.

A guard peeled himself away from the wall, intercepting us with a hand raised. His eyes darted between Coban and me before settling firmly on Coban. “Santorelli. Why are you here? You were assigned to the first rotation this week.”

Coban’s jaw ticked, irritation flashing in his eyes. “I eat when I want,” he ground out, low but sharp. “And wherever the hell I want. You got a problem with that? The girls are hungry, too!”

The guard’s expression darkened, his stance tightening like he was preparing to press it further.

I hated this. Hated whenever someone would go out of their way to annoy Coban.

My stomach knotted. Every eye in the canteen seemed to shift our way, conversations faltering, the air brimming with a tension I could feel down to my bones. It was as though everyone knew we weren’t supposed to be there – of course they did, since Coban wasn’t exactly a man who went unnoticed in this place.

Before the silence stretched too far, another guard leaned out from near the serving station, waving the man off. “Just leave it, it’s not worth the trouble. Hurry it up and don’t cause us any problems, Santorelli.”

The first guard hesitated, clearly unhappy with the words of his superior, but after a beat, he stepped aside with a stiff nod.

Coban didn’t even look at him again. He just grunted, guiding me forward with his presence alone, not his hand, but close enough that my skin prickled from the weight of it.

Relief tugged at my chest as we proceeded towards the food, my eyes scanning the room quickly in search of them. I spotted Leo and Cara at one of the tables in the back. Cara lifted her head first, her eyes finding mine instantly, while Leo leaned back, arms sprawled wide, watching with that cocky grin that never seemed to fade. I offered a wave, which Cara returned with a smile, but her eyes continued to flash towards Coban.

She didn’t like what he’d done, and I didn’t blame her for her reaction either. She had gone through everything with me and my own father, and this was the last thing she would want for me, but she had to believe that I knew deep down, that Coban didn’t mean it…

The food line wasn’t as long as usual since most of the noise and chaos had already dulled as people sat and ate.

The smell hit me first: fried batter, salt, and vinegar hanging thick in the air. My stomach gave a humiliating growl, and I had to bite back the urge to groan. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t smell good… greasy, but good.

Coban slid a tray forward, the battered fish taking up most of the space with golden fries piled beside it, steam curling upward. He grabbed two large fish for himself, setting both onto his tray, before grabbing one for me. “You want one or two?” he asked, as I looked at the size of the thing.

“I wouldn’t be able to eat two!” I admitted, before he sniggered and placed two on the tray for me anyway.

“Guess I get three then!” He stated his plan, as my eyes darted around to see if any of the guards had even taken notice. I was almost certain that it was supposed to be a ‘one fish per person’ rule, and here we were walking away with a total of four!

I felt my cheeks redden a little as I slipped away for a second, heading to the water station tucked off to the side. The plastic cups were flimsy, the kind that bent if you held them too tightly, but I managed to fill two without spilling.

I didn’t need to look back to know Coban had stiffened the second I left his side. I could feel it, like the invisible tether between us had been stretched too far, just for those few steps. But he didn’t follow me, didn’t bark for me to come back. He’d realize soon enough that I was only getting water for us both, just like I usually did when he took the trays.

When I returned, I found him already waiting, his body angled like a wall against the rest of the room. His eyes tracked me as I walked back, narrowed slightly, but he didn’t say a word.

We moved together through the canteen, reaching the table, as I slid in beside Cara, setting my cup down with a small thud. Coban sat down opposite with Leo – our food hitting the table as he pushed mine towards me.

The difference in their body language was almost laughable – Leo loose and cocky, Coban sharp and coiled.

“You really can’t just walk into a room without causing drama, can you?” Leo’s grin widened, his voice carrying loud enough for me and Cara to hear.

I froze, fork halfway to my mouth, but Coban… Coban just huffed, like the comment amused him more than it insulted him. His laugh, if you could call it that, was low, a single exhale, but it still curled heat up my neck. He shook his head once, muttering something under his breath before diving into his food.

Leo leaned forward, his grin sharpening. “I mean, you had that guard ready to piss himself. It’s a gift, Santo. Really.”

Coban smirked faintly, shoving a forkful of fish into his mouth. “Maybe,” he said around the bite. “Maybe I just don’t take shit and you do. There’s a difference.”

Cara rolled her eyes at their exchange, and I forced a small laugh.

The conversation shifted after that. Leo dropped his voice lower, leaning toward Coban, muttering about people and things that blurred together into sounds I couldn’t make sense of. It was like watching two men speak in code, and I didn’t even bother pretending to follow. Their words were sharper now, serious, their heads tilting closer together.

It was always like this morse code in plain sight. One moment playful, the next veering into something darker, conversations that weren’t meant for ears like ours.

Which left Cara and me to our own bubble…

I stabbed my fork into a fry, leaning toward her slightly. “Haven’t seen Sarah around today,” I admitted quietly.

Cara blinked, her fork pausing midair. Then her eyes widened. “You’re right. I hadn’t even noticed until now, where is she?”

“She’s usually in our group for meals,” she added, my chest tightening at her words as we glanced around the room again.

She definitely isn’t here…

So where is she?