Alex Carter has been sentenced to death after being framed for a crime she did not commit.
She has two months before she is killed, and has no way of proving her innocence because she can't afford a good lawyer.
The only option she has is to make...
I wake up and find Cage sitting on the floor on the other side of the cell. His back is against the wall and his eyes are closed.
"Cage?" I whisper.
I don't remember falling asleep. All I remember is lying in bed with Cage's arms around me. I felt safe and warm.
His eyes flutter open and his eyes find me. He gives me a small smile. "Morning." His voice is deeper and more raspy than normal.
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?" I ask.
"Um, I don't know. I just felt like it."
I roll my eyes. "Don't lie. It was freezing last night. You had to have a reason, and you're sitting as far away from me as you can be."
Cage sighs. "Fine. I was lying in bed with you and you fell asleep. I kept looking at you and wanting to kiss you and then a part of me realized it was more than lust. I had to get away."
I stand up and walk over to him, kneeling down. "More than lust?"
"I have to tell you something," he says slowly and I nod. "I like... red onions."
I chuckle. "What?"
"I don't know. When I eat them, I eat them like apples. It tastes horrible, but I like it. I can't explain why. I guess I like things I'm not supposed to like."
"Red onions, really?"
"Don't talk, Miss pineapples on pizza."
"Those are not the same, at all," I say, laughing.
He smiles. In that moment, my heart slows. His smile makes his eyes crinkle. It melts me. He runs a hand through his hair and looks away. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I—"
The buzzer goes off and all the doors swing open, indicating that it's time for breakfast.
That has got to be the worst timing ever. "I didn't hear you," I state, wanting to know what he said.
Cage watches me for a few seconds before glancing at the gate. "I should go before the other guards come."
We both stand up and I fold my arms across my chest. He gives me a small nod and then walks out.
What was he going to say? Damn it.
I walk out the gate and make my way to the cafeteria for breakfast. When I walk in the cafeteria my eyes scan the guards and I ball my hands into fists when I see Grant and Robert. They are watching me.
I put my middle fingers up and then walk over to grab some food. Those idiots need to be f*cked in the a** with a dildo made of razors.
Safe to say, I hate them.
They start walking towards me, when Cage and another guard step in their way. It feels good to be protected.
As I grab my food, Cage comes up beside me. "You're coming with me. Let's eat lunch somewhere else."
I chuckle. "It's a date."
He takes my arm and leads me out the cafeteria with my food in my hands. He walks through the hallways and into the library. There's a small tea light candle lit on the table with two plastic plates and some actual food.
"You..." I look up at him. Words seem to fail me in this moment. Why would he do this for me?
"It's just pasta. I made it with that tomato sauce you buy in the store."
Several other candles are laid out through the dark library. The light dances over his skin, making his green eyes seem darker.
I walk over to him and wrap my arms around him. The reason doesn't matter. Nobody has ever done this for me—or cared at all.
He hugs me back tight, his muscular arms tightening around me. My eyes fall closed. I hate how safe I feel when I am with him. It's as if the rest of the world doesn't exist.
His smell, leather and cinnamon, is the only thing that seems to make me forget where I am or that I'm going to be killed.
Maybe if I could make the most of these last few days, then it wouldn't matter if I died. I pull back slightly to look at him.
His eyes bore into mine with an intensity that makes me want to look away. "Cage," I whisper.
An unknown emotion flickers over his face. Regret? Attraction? I can't tell.
"Alexandria." My full name leaves his pink lips. It causes my heart to beat faster.
I slide my hands up, holding his face. The slight stubble prickles my skin, making me smile.
I lean up on my toes, bringing my face closer to his. For second, his eyes flicker to my lips. He quickly clears his throat and steps back.
"I care about you as a person, and I want to help you, but I think that we should keep this as professional as possible."
My heart races. What was I thinking? Playing it cool, I say, "Scared you're going to fall in love with me?"
"Yes, because there's a chance this might not work and I..." He shakes his head. "Let's not go there. Have a seat." He gestures to a seat and I follow his instructions.
"What if someone sees us?"
He runs a hand through his soft hair. "Nobody comes in here. Have you not seen the dust coated over every book in this place?" He leans closer to me. I look away, staring at the candle as it dances. "I want you to tell me what happened that night, when Noah Miller died."
I nod and suck in a deep breath. My heart is racing out of fear that once he hears my story, he won't believe me anymore.
"I was at the supermarket..."
0•0•0•0•0
Hi my favourite humans!!
Just letting you guys know that I post writing tips on my Instagram reels (how to get reads, writing dialogue, getting rid of writers block etc) & I'll be making lots more in the future. If that's something you'd like to check out, my Instagram is @laylaawrites
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