The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 170

Chapter 170

Margot’s POV

Then Coban walked in…

He looked… the same.

Too much the same!

His dark hair was styled, his short sleeve tee freshly crisp, his dark winding tattoos pooling out across his slightly tanned skin, his jaw ser

as though he, right now, even had anything to be irritated about!

Hypocrite!

I watched as his eyes swept the room automatically, landing on Leo first and then on me… great!

And just like that, everything inside me clenched.

For half a second, something flickered in his expression.

Surprise? Relief? Regret?

But It was gone before I could pin it down…

Before I could catch up, he started to approach me and not Leo… as my skin crawled with each step closer he became…

“Morning,” he said, his tone clipped, like we hadn’t just kissed less than twelve hours ago before he ripped my heart from my damn

chest…

“Good morning,” Leo chirped loudly from across the room instead, despite knowing that Coban had directed the greeting toward me. “You’re here early.” Leo continued, beginning to approach us now too.

.

Cara moved around him and sat down beside me, looking concerned, but she kept quiet for now.

I was glad Leo had took it upon himself to get involved in this petty attempt at a conversation, seeming to help distract Coban from me

for a moment or so…

“Yeah didn’t eat much,” Coban muttered back, as I chewed my lip to keep from saying something cheeky.

Of course you didn’t… I thought bitterly.

You couldn’t wait to get up here to torment my feelings more… to act as though everything was normal today!

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Chapter 170

He didn’t look at me again as he made small talk with Leo right in front of me…

Listening to him act so casual and unbothered began to drive me insane by the second…

“You good?” Cara whispered toward me, but my lips remained set in a tight line as I shook my head to tell her ‘no‘.

I most certainly wasn’t good.

I could feel my chest start to burn with anger as I stared up at his large back… his presence being far too overwhelming for me right

now…

I stood up abruptly, the movement sharp enough that Leo looked at me in surprise.

“I’m just gonna… go use the bathroom!” I hissed, my mood clear from the second I spoke.

I needed out of this room. Away from this space. Away from him!

Coban froze, his back muscles tightening at my interruption.

He turned then, slowly, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse jump as his brows pulled down in to a frown…

“Don’t,” he said, quiet but firm.

But the single word hit me harder than a shout would have.

“Don’t what? Use the bathroom?” I cut back, crossing my arms over my chest like it might help hold me together. “That’s a new one – even for you!” I snapped back bluntly, as his eyes began to storm at my snappy tone.

I’d never spoke to him like this and it was clear that he didn’t like it…

But I didn’t care.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt this mad before in my entire life!

Ignoring him, I began to move for the exit, my adrenaline suddenly flooding through me…

But he only began to follow…

“Don’t fucking walk away from me like that,” he roared loudly at my back, but I kept going, toward the door and out in to the corridor.

I wasn’t stopping, not for him, but I could feel him hot on my tail as I approached the nearest female bathroom…

I shoved at the door, letting myself in, before I released a heavy breath on the inside.

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Chapter 170

But it was short lived, as the door pushed open again seconds later, and in stormed Coban himself.

You can’t be in here? I hissed in defence, as he swiftly grabbed my nearest wrist and pulled me toward him.

We were close now, too close,

His breathing quick and his temper boiling.

I began to sweat, suddenly wondering if I had pushed him too far already, but my own rage seemed to tower above all else right now…

‘What the fuck is this?! You’re acting like a spoiled brat!” Coban fumed down at me, his eyes daring me to argue back with him.

And so I did…

“You know what you did! What makes you think I want to see you today?! After last night?! After you just… you just shut me out!” I snap, leaning up toward him as though his towering height didn’t bother me.

But it did.

He was beyond intimidating.

I felt his grip tighten around my wrist but I swallowed the pain back and ignored it…

Coban’s jaw flexed at my newly found confidence, slightly taken aback, before he shoved my wrist away from him hard – taking a step away from me to drag his hands back through his hair.

I clutched my throbbing wrist to my chest, eyes glaring over at him as he finally began to speak…

“I didn’t shut you out,” he defended. “I just stopped myself from saying something I wasn’t fucking ready to say!”

“That’s the same thing,” I shot back, voice cracking despite my effort to keep it steady. “Saying nothing speaks volumes to me – you’re only

using me!”

That done it.

“I’m not fucking using you!” He roared, rushing at me again – this time taking both of my shoulders in his large hands.

I tensed under him, waiting for him to throw me across the damn room, but he held me tight – leaning down to meet my eyes.

“If I’d answered you last night, Bella, I would’ve promised you something I don’t think I should promise! You don’t fucking get it!” He gritted through his teeth, face flushed and eyes suddenly desperate.

My breath caught.

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Chapter 170

What was he talking about?

What exactly did that mean?

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