Chapter 63 – Warmth

Margot’s POV

The shower helped, but only barely. The moment the warm water hit my skin, it was like my nerves finally gave themselves permission to unravel.

I leaned against the tiled wall, trying to catch my breath, hoping the steam would fog up more than just the mirror – maybe it could cloud out the memory of Coban’s mouth on mine too? Of the way his hands had roamed. Of the way I’d wanted every second of it.

But it didn’t. Not even close. I moved in a daze, washing quickly, then fumbling with the soft sleep set I’d grabbed: a worn cotton shirt and shorts that suddenly felt far too thin for how exposed I now felt. The towel kept slipping from my damp skin, and I cursed under my breath as I rushed to dry off, heart racing against the ticking clock of lights out.

I was brushing my teeth when it happened. Click. Total blackness. The buzzing fluorescents above gave one final flicker before the entire block went silent. The air changed immediately – still, heavier somehow, like the dark had weight to it. I froze, toothbrush still in my mouth, blinking into the void.

“Great,” I muttered around a mouthful of mint. “Just perfect.”

It was a miracle I didn’t choke myself trying to spit, rinse, and clean up in the pitch black. My hands felt along cold tile and damp edges, knocking a bottle over in the process. Every little sound felt louder, sharper. The kind that made your imagination kick into overdrive. My limbs were shaky and tired by the time I found the handle and opened the door, slipping back out into our room.

Dark. So dark I had to stand still and let my eyes adjust before I dared move forward. The faintest sliver of light crept in through the barred window, just enough for me to make out the vague shape of him. Coban. Sprawled across the mattress like he owned the world. One arm bent behind his head. His breathing slow and deep, telling me everything I needed to know. He was sound asleep.

Somehow that disappointed me more than it should have. I chewed my lip, unsure of what I was supposed to do now. After the kiss… after everything, I guess a small, shameful part of me had assumed he’d be waiting up for me too. That he’d say something else. Do something. Pull me into bed like this morning when we had weirdly cuddled together…

But now? Now he was fast asleep. No room left for me, clearly. Of course. What had I expected? After what happened in the gym, after the mistake I made of exposing my sports bra? Of course I was expected to sleep on the floor tonight. It was his way of reminding me to follow his rules.

I padded quietly across the room, still damp from the shower and chilled now in my thin cotton. The floor was unforgiving underfoot, but I didn’t complain. I was used to it by now. Except tonight… I couldn’t even find my damn blanket amongst the dark. I knelt, searching with my hands a little, pushing aside what felt like laundry, maybe a pair of shoes… but no blanket. No pillow either. I gave up with a sigh, flopping to the ground with a soft grunt, curling in on myself. No comfort. No warmth. Just my thoughts for company tonight.

Great. What a noisy group they were… Because no matter how hard I tried to quiet them, they came back louder;

What are you doing here, Margot? You’re in over your head… How did this happen? What the hell do you feel for him, it can’t be real? Is this just physical? Emotional? Survival instinct perhaps? He’s using you…

I pulled my knees tighter in to my chest and closed my eyes. Then-

“Bella, come to bed. Now.”

My head snapped up. His voice cut through the dark like a whip, low and gruff and somehow even more commanding when wrapped in sleep. I hesitated, blinking, unsure if I’d even heard him right.

“…Are you sure?” I asked cautiously, testing the water first before diving in.

A guttural groan followed, like he couldn’t believe I was still on the floor. “Hurry the fuck up before I change my mind. I’m tired,” he retorted harshly, followed by a heavy yawn.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I shot upright, relief washing over me like a second shower. Sleep on the bed. With him. I didn’t care if it was awkward, or if he changed his mind again tomorrow, or if he used this against me tonight, I needed the warmth and comfort.

Especially after the day I had endured! But of course, nothing with me was ever graceful or easy… My foot caught the edge of something that felt rubber, probably a damn slide sandal, and in the next second, I was airborne.

“Crap!” I shrieked, flailing through the dark.

I hit the ground with a loud, undignified thump, all my breath leaving me in one harsh gasp as my hip cracked hard against the floor. Fuck! For a moment, there was silence as I tried to catch my breath. Then-

“Fucking hell, woman!” Coban barked from the bed, the mattress groaning as he bolted upright and shuffled towards me.

“I tripped and fell!” I whined, breathless, rubbing at my throbbing hip and toe with opposite hands.

In a flash, I felt his hands on me amongst the black. Strong, as he dragged me up like I weighed nothing at all to him. He was shirtless. Warm. Massive. And clearly done with my chaos for the day.

He manhandled me back onto the mattress with one swift motion before climbing in beside me.

“Yeah, no shit. Go to sleep,” he grumbled, his tone sharp but sleepy, like a grumpy old bear forced out of hibernation.

I wanted to be annoyed by his tone, but it only made me want to laugh. Instead, I snuggled quickly under the blanket, hiding my smile. The sheets were warm from where he’d been lying, and his body heat radiated toward me like a furnace. I curled into my side, careful not to touch him. But I could feel the weight of him there. So close. So real. My eyes fluttered shut. And still, that smile stayed on my lips.

Because despite everything – from the toe pain, the embarrassment of the fall, the spiraling panic I’d had in the bathroom after the kiss, the meltdown after the incident in the gym, the chaos from the cafeteria… this single moment felt like progress for us. It felt like I was allowed to be near him now. Like maybe he wanted me there too. And though the man beside me was unpredictable and terrifying in his own right, I’d seen another side of him tonight. One that made my heart beat faster for entirely new reasons.

This was a prison. He was a criminal. And I was just a girl trying to survive a nightmare of my own choosing…