Chapter 48 - My Soul Margot's POV The walk back from dinner was nothing exciting . Too quiet . Coban hadn't said more than three words since we left the laundry room earlier , and honestly ? I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be grateful for the silence ... or scared of it . He didn't seem annoyed at all , not like this morning anyway , but with him , that didn't mean much . His moods were like black ice - silent and lingering even if you couldn't quite see it . But at least I was full . That was something . Pizza night had been worth the wait , worth the anxiety of wondering whether we'd even make it to dinner . Greasy , cheesy slices - not great , not even that hot by the time we sat down - but still , a gift in this place . Something to feel human over . A small shred of normalcy in the midst of ... whatever the hell this project actually was . I couldn't wrap my head around its purpose yet ... We hadn't seen Leo or Cara at dinner either . Not once . A part of me wondered if Coban noticed too , but if he did , he didn't say . I thought about Cara constantly through every bite , through every long stretch of silence . She probably thought I was dead - or worse off . After the way Coban had dragged me back into our room earlier , fresh out of solitary and radiating fury , she must've assumed he'd snapped and probably killed me ! Honestly , I thought he might've too ... But I wasn't dead . Wasn't even hurt actually . Well , not really . Shaken ? Humiliated ? Sure . But no bruises . No belt . No blow to the face , That part still baffled me the most ... With my father , there'd never been restraint . If he was mad , you'd wear it on your skin for a week like I had done with my face ... Rage for him was physical . Crude , Predictable . But Coban ? Coban's anger was different to what I'd ever experienced before . 1/5 3:24 pm P SDD . Chapter 48- My Soul It was intelligent . Methodical . He didn't need fists or weapons . Just a look , a question , a few carefully chosen words and I'd be crawling , desperate to fix whatever I'd done wrong . His temper was a chess match . And I was still learning how to play the damn game ! Still , ever since that storm of a morning , something in him had shifted . Not softer , not really ... but something close to it . I wouldn't call it warmth , but maybe tolerance ? He'd kept to himself during dinner , hadn't barked at me once , and even let me take a third slice from his tray . A whole third slice . If that wasn't progress , then I didn't know what was . I'd longed to tell Cara everything . To break it down , to confess what he'd said , how scared I'd been ... and the part I couldn't stop replaying in my head - the part that would make me lose sleep : The kiss . On my neck , too . A warning ? A threat ? Or ... something else entirely ? I didn't know . And I hated not knowing . By the time we got back to the cell , the adrenaline had long since burned out . My limbs felt heavy , my stomach blissfully full , and I was ready to curl up and escape into my book for a while before lights out ... if he'd let me ? " Could I maybe read some more ? " I tried , as Coban shut the door behind us and we heard it lock shut . I didn't miss the sound . None of us did . Every girl here knew that sound by heart . It meant : no help was coming for the entire night . He stretched his neck once , slow and deliberate , and then said , " Lights out will be soon . You've got about thirty minutes if you want to read more of it . " I perked up immediately , nodding . " Yeah . Ok . I'd like that , thank you . " I said , rushing to grab it . But then his voice dropped again . That slow , deliberate tone he used when he was about to pivot the mood . I froze halfway to the desk . " I don't think you've behaved well today . " He hummed . My hand hovered over the book . I turned , slowly , cautiously , and found him standing dead still -arms folded across his chest , legs apart like some ancient warrior carved in stone . His posture alone screamed authority . And warning . My throat dried . 2/5 3:24 pm P SDD Chapter 48 My Soul " Do you think you've behaved ? " he asked , tilting his head slightly , watching me . I chewed on my bottom lip . " I ... well ... I shouldn't have left the room a total mess this morning , " I offered , hoping it was a good starting point . " No , " he cut me off flatly , " you shouldn't have left the room - full stop . " I nodded too quickly . " Yes , you're right , " I said , scrambling to agree . " But I ... I tried to fix things . I said sorry . I- I didn't mean to upset you- " " You didn't mean to , " he repeated , voice like steel , " but you did . " I swallowed hard . " I know . I really do know . I was scared , and I panicked , and- " He took a step closer . " So do you think you behaved well enough to sleep on the bed tonight ? " And just like that , I stilled . Oh . So that's what this was ? The bed punishment all over again . Having to earn my rights around here ... I blinked at him , lips parting slightly as I hesitated . It was a trap . I knew it . Say yes , and I sounded entitled . Say no , and I might be condemning myself to a cold , sleepless floor . " Well ... uh ... no ? " I squeaked out . It came out more like a question . But it made him smirk . " Glad we can agree , " he said simply . Then , as if it were nothing at all , he turned his back to me and began stripping out of his shirt , tossing it into the hamper . My breath hitched the second I caught sight of his bare back - dark purples and sickly yellows blooming across his ribs and down the side of his abdomen - a long rectangular white dressing placed up his side . Bruises . So many bruises . 3/5 3:24 pm P & DD . Chapter 48 My Soul I looked away fast . Embarrassed . Or maybe ashamed that I'd forgotten how much the fight had taken from me yesterday . He didn't mention the bruises . Of course he didn't . But I could feel the pride in the way he moved . Like they didn't matter . Like he wasn't in pain at all . But he must have been ... I knew it ... And then I watched him move . Then I saw it . In his hand . My blanket . The fluffy one I'd folded and placed neatly on the bed when I had cleaned up earlier . A silent offering . An olive branch , maybe . Or just ... something ? I didn't know ? He held it up , examining it . " A peace offering too , I see ? " he asked , voice slick with amusement . " Yeah , uh , you can have that , " I muttered quickly , trying not to sound like I cared much for the item . But of course I did . He looked smug as hell . " Thank you . I will . " And then , just to drive the knife in further , he collapsed back onto the bed like a king accepting tribute . His head hit the pillow , and he let out a contented sigh as he adjusted himself , fully stretched out with my blanket now tucked beneath his arm . What . An . Ass ! Now I didn't even have that for the floor . I stood there like a fool , cold and annoyed and trying not to let it show . What else was he going to take from me ? What was left to give ? But deep down ... I knew the answer . My soul . And I didn't know how long I had before he took that too . 4/5 3:24 pm PSD D The Prison Project