The quiet gray light of the pre-dawn hours filtered through the cheap blinds of Room 314, casting long, muted shadows across the messy floor. I lay perfectly still, the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of Bella’s chest the only movement in the entire space. She was completely dead to the world, her head tucked securely under my chin, her soft breaths warm against the bare skin of my chest. One of her arms was draped unconsciously over my ribs, her fingers lightly curled into the fabric of the tangled bedsheets.
She looked entirely peaceful. Vulnerable. Innocent.
A dark, cynical smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I looked down at the soft curve of her jaw. If only she had any real idea of how much I hated her, she wouldn't be sleeping in my arms so easily.
She didn't know the rules o
