The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 149

**Chapter 149**

**Margot’s POV**

For the very first time since I had stepped through the heavy, cold door of Leo’s cell, the reality of my surroundings hit me with an intensity that was almost unbearable.

This was it.

My inaugural night inside the prison compound without Coban by my side.

My first night in a space that wasn’t mine, a space that felt foreign and unsettling.

My first night where the unknown loomed large, where anything could transpire… but thankfully, Leo was not like the others. I had faith in him, and Coban did too.

Suddenly, Leo’s voice broke through my thoughts. “I’m guessing this is for you,” he declared, his tone light yet teasing.

I turned just in time to see him crouching beside a large cardboard box that had been unceremoniously shoved against the wall. With a swift motion, he ripped it open, stepping back as the contents tumbled out in a flurry, creating what could only be described as a pink explosion.

Pink.

So much pink.

My stomach plummeted at the sight, my jaw dropping in disbelief.

“Oh crap,” I murmured, frozen in a mix of horror and disbelief.

Leo raised an eyebrow at my reaction. “What? What’s the problem? It’s certainly not my stuff…”

I swallowed hard, shaking my head vigorously. “No, uh… it’s not that. It’s just… Coban hates pink.”

He blinked at me, his gaze darting between my face and the box, clearly processing my words.

I held my breath, bracing myself for him to scoff, to roll his eyes and tell me I was being overly dramatic, to suggest that Coban wouldn’t care about something so trivial…

But instead, he burst into laughter, shaking his head as if he couldn’t contain his amusement.

“Oh yeah, I remember that,” he wheezed, his shoulders shaking with mirth. “He was furious when you first showed up. Called you a damn Barbie doll.”

Heat flooded my cheeks, embarrassment creeping up my neck like a creeping vine.

Barbie doll—that was how he had seen me, with my pink uniform and blonde hair. How could I have been so naïve to arrive at a prison looking like this?

Of course he hated it.

I stepped closer, crouching down beside the box, my heart racing as I pulled out a sweatshirt that had been folded neatly on top.

I shook it out, almost hoping that by some miracle I could shake off the color, before setting it aside in resignation.

Next, I unearthed a hoodie…

Pink.

Then came the pyjamas.

Pink.

Then T-shirts.

All pink.

Every single item in this box was a violent shade of bubblegum pink.

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

Were the guards playing a cruel joke on me? Testing how far they could push Coban before he would finally snap?!

I dropped my forehead into my palm, feeling the weight of despair settle over me. “I can’t wear this. He’ll lose it with me tomorrow.”

Leo snorted, his laughter still lingering in the air. “Not your fault, that’s what they gave you. I’ll explain it to him, don’t worry. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Relief flickered through me for a fleeting moment before panic took hold again. He probably wouldn’t listen to Leo either…

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I would see Coban.

Tomorrow, he would see me dressed like a giant wad of cotton candy, just as I had on the day we first met.

Tomorrow, I would confront the man who terrified me, protected me, bewildered me, and who, it seemed, might actually like me? And I feared that I too, liked him back more than I had ever admitted to myself…

“What if he gets really mad?” I whispered, more to myself than to Leo. “I don’t want to start tomorrow off with him angry.”

Leo rolled his eyes dramatically, as if they might get stuck in that position. “Relax. He isn’t even here. Tomorrow is tomorrow’s problem. What’s the worst that can happen anyway? He glares at you? Yells a little? Grabs your chin like a little angry puppy?”

My face flushed instantly at his words. “Leo!”

He cackled, the sound echoing in the small space.

Not just a light laugh.

A full-bellied laugh, as if he had just delivered the punchline to the funniest joke ever told.

“Hey, don’t blame me,” he smirked, a playful glint in his eyes. “The man’s obsessed with you.”

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