CHAPTER 02: COAT IN THE COLD
1014 Words
ZARA'S POV
Dad knows. Just like I do. No matter how loud I scream or how much I fight back, he understands that I’ll always fold. That in the end, I’ll obey, whether I want to or not.
My fingers clutch the icy railing, metal biting into my skin through the thin material of my cocktail dress. Below, the dark, grimy river churns like it’s mocking me, each ripple laughing at the mess I’ve become. The wind cuts into my back, sharp and punishing, heavy with the stench of gasoline, rot, and sewage. It suits the wreckage of my life far too well.
For one fleeting moment, the thought flashes through my mind, what if I just let go? What if I surrendered to the pull of the water below and disappeared where no demands or deals could find me?
But I won’t.
Not like this.
Not here.
I swallow the ache in my throat and take a shaky breath. It’s ridiculous, really. I actually believed I had a choice. That I could make something of myself. That I wasn’t just another bargaining chip in my father’s empire. But with a single demand, just one order, it all changes. My life gets signed away like it’s part of a business agreement.
A ring. A name. A last name that isn’t mine yet. And me, wrapped up and offered like a trophy.
Groomed to be obedient. Raised to comply. Trained to smile on cue and look perfect while doing it.
The cold seeps into my bones, numbing what little warmth I have left. This is the reality I’m trapped in. There’s no outcry, no refusal that would matter. My fate was sealed long before I had the courage to speak for myself.
"You alright, miss?"
The voice behind me jolts me out of my spiral. It’s low, smooth, with a husky edge that carries over the wind. A shadow moves from the rusted arch of the bridge, half-obscured by the mist.
"I’m fine," I respond quickly, too quickly. My voice cracks halfway through.
"You don’t look fine." He stays put, his tone even. A flash of orange glows near his lips as he takes a drag from his cigarette. In that flicker, I catch a glimpse, sharp jawline, dark eyes, thick hair that falls in loose waves. There’s something quietly magnetic about him.
I turn toward him with a raised brow. "Do you always interrogate strangers?"
He drops the cigarette and crushes it beneath his boot, a thin stream of smoke trailing from his mouth. "You’re standing alone on a bridge in the middle of the night, dressed for a party you clearly walked out of. That doesn’t scream ‘just having a good time.’"
I fold my arms over my chest and take a step back. "I didn’t ask for your opinion."
He doesn’t react. Still, calm. Almost like he finds my defensiveness familiar.
"Didn’t say you did," he replies. "Just figured you looked like someone who could use a moment. Even if it’s silent."
There’s a pause. His gaze finds mine, not filled with pity, just… steady. Measured. He glances briefly at my legs, then up again. Then, without a word, he shrugs off his coat.
I tense. My guard rises instantly. "No thanks."
He holds it out anyway. "I get it. Random guy on a dark bridge doesn’t exactly scream safe. But it’s freezing, and I’d rather not watch you collapse from hypothermia while trying to prove a point."
I hesitate. The wind cuts through me again, sharp and cruel. My limbs are trembling, and I’ve been holding myself together so tightly, I’m not sure how much longer I can manage it.
"You don’t need to say anything," he adds gently. "Just take the coat. I’ll leave after if you want me to."
I glance at the road behind me. Cars pass by without slowing, without noticing. No one else has stopped. No one else saw me.
He doesn’t push. Doesn’t inch closer. Just waits, coat extended like an offering I didn’t expect.
Something inside me gives in. Against every instinct screaming not to trust, I reach out and take it.
The fabric is heavy and warm. The second it wraps around me, heat rushes across my skin, and I finally realize how cold I’ve been. I pull it tighter, instinctively inhaling and the scent hits me. Earthy, like cedar and something deeper. Clean and grounding. It smells like something real on a night that feels unreal.
"Thanks," I murmur, finally meeting his gaze again.
He gives a small nod, the corner of his lips twitching into something like a smile. "You’re welcome."
For a moment, neither of us speaks. The city doesn’t stop behind me. The wind still howls. But standing here with him, there’s this strange pause, like time just softened.
"I’m not trying to be intrusive," he says eventually. "But you looked like you were deciding something."
I glance down at the coat wrapped around me. "I was."
He doesn’t pry. He just turns, leaning against the railing a few feet away, staring out at the dark water like he’s listening for answers.
"I’ve been there before," he says. "Not this exact spot. But I know what it feels like. The cold has a way of making the hard stuff louder."
His voice is calm, but I hear it, that weight buried in the quiet between words. Like he’s stood where I am now, unsure which way to fall.
"Did you jump?" I ask, softly.
He lets out a low laugh. "No. Someone saw me. Didn’t walk away."
That lands somewhere deep inside me. I don’t know why those words hit so hard, but they do.
"I’m not looking to be saved," I whisper.
"Good," he replies. "I don’t do saving. But I’ll stand here with you until you figure out how to save yourself."
I don’t know who he is. I don’t even know his name. But in this moment, under this sky, in this freezing wind, something feels a little less hopeless.
And for now, that’s enough.
- Writer
