The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Margot’s POV

The canteen doors slid open with their usual metallic groan, and the smell hit me instantly.

Cooked meat. Fresh bread. Something fried for a little too long in greasy oll…

Dinner.

For once, though, the room didn’t erupt in noise the way it had this morning. No chairs screeching back. No shouting matches already

brewing. No hands being thrown. No men being dragged off by guards…

The tension was still there, it always was though, but it felt… more muted. Like everyone in here had to be on their best behaviour.

“Go grab seats over there,” Coban said, nodding toward the back corner table that we always ended up at.

Not isolated enough to look suspicious and not close enough to anyone else to become vulnerable.

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I nodded without arguing, my fingers slipping from his as Cara immediately linked her arm through mine as force of habit to help put us

both at ease.

We moved together instinctively, weaving between clusters of inmates and their assigned girls, my shoulders tight as I scanned faces I didn’t recognise, new couples that looked out of place.

The chaos from this morning hadn’t fully vanished.

It had just been disciplined.

Punished.

Silenced.

Which somehow made it all feel worse…

Someone would be likely to explode any second under the pressure, no?

We reached the table and slid into the usual seats, Cara sitting straight across from me. I exhaled slowly once I was seated, my spine still rigid as if I might need to bolt at any second.

“Did you hear me?” Cara asked suddenly, eyes looking expectantly and cheeks a little flushed.

I blinked. “Huh? What? Sorry, wasn’t paying attention.” I admit, already feeling guilty for ignoring whatever she had said.

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Chapter 164

She tilted her head, studying me like she always did when she knew my mind was somewhere dark. “I said… that was pretty crappy, wasn’t it? Having to tell Sarah about Newman so soon.”

My chest tightened instantly at the memory.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “It was.”

The image of Sarah’s bruised face flashed behind my eyes again, the yellowed skin, bandages, the way her voice had cracked when she spoke of him…

“But it would’ve felt worse not telling her too,” I added after a moment of thought. “Like… like we were keeping something from her that

she deserved to know.”

Cara nodded slowly, “I agree, and hopefully, in a sick sort of way it gives her some closure?”

“Yeah, I’d hope so…” I whispered. “But walking into that room was… hard to say the least.”

I stared down at the table, fingers curling together as the emotions I’d been holding back began to press their way in again.

“She looked so small,” I continued, my throat tightening. “I don’t remember her ever looking that fragile before. She was always bubbly, you know? Always laughing. When she wasn’t watching over her shoulder that is!” I state, as a little flash of annoyance shot through me at the way Newman would talk to her.

Cara swallowed and added; “And yet she still saw hope for him changing… until he fucked it all up! But at least she is recovering. That’s

all that matters,”

I nodded, even though my eyes burned.

“Yeah. It could’ve been so much worse, we have to think about the positives.” I hesitated, then said the thought that had been haunting me since the ward. “It’s terrifying to think about, though… knowing something like that could happen to any one of us at any time in

here…”

Cara’s mouth pressed into a thin line.

“She was unlucky,” I went on quietly. “Paired with him. Just the total wrong man, it breaks my heart.”

My fingers trembled slightly in my lap.

I didn’t say the rest out loud.

That it could’ve been Cara who was paired with Newman, or even me… nobody was fully safe.

I couldn’t begin to imagine being paired with someone like Newman instead of Coban… I didn’t know if I would’ve survived it. I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to fight back the way Sarah had. To literally fight for her life.

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Chapter 1641

I know,” Cara umuted, chewing her lip. “I think about that too, and we still don’t even know why he did it either? Cara adds, as t

hum in acknowledgment.

“You’re right, we don’t, but Sarah will tell us when the time is right, I guess…” I nod once, as Cara sighs, leaving us both feeling sad for

our new friends traumatic encounter.

“D’you think they’ll just throw her back in here with someone else? They couldn’t, could they?” Cara suddenly perks up, brows pulling

together in horror at the thought.

It felt wrong to think of her being sent straight back to square one after what she had just gone through…

“Oh no, they couldn’t! I’d hope not! Surely they’ll just give her the money and apologise for what happened, it wasn’t her fault!” I defend.

as Cara agrees.

“Here’s hoping…” she puffed out, before our conversation was cut there.

Heavy footsteps approached before either of us could spiral further.

Coban and Leo returned, each carrying trays piled with food, the plastic clattering loudly as they set them down in front of us like it was

an order, not a suggestion.

“Eat,” Coban said firmly, already pulling out his chair beside me. “Both of you.”

Leo slid in next to Cara, glancing between our faces. “Yeah, it’s been a long day for you two, no skipping meals tonight.”

I looked down at my tray.

Chicken. Potato fries. Side salad. Some rice.

My appetite was almost gone, knotted up with fear and grief and things I wasn’t ready to unpack anytime soon again…

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