Chapter 6 Unexpected Luxury
Waking up felt more like a dream than reality.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I was lying in an actual bed.
A soft, comfortable bed that seemed to swallow me whole.
I blinked up at the ceiling, disoriented.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d woken anywhere that wasn’t a barracks.
Cots, thin blankets, makeshift sleep set-ups, they were my normal.
But this… this looked like a damn hotel room!
Rolling over, I stretched my aching limbs, wincing at the reminder of the last few weeks.
Every muscle throbbed with the toll they’d taken on me.
Still, I couldn’t help sinking back into the lush bedding with a sigh.
Whoever had tucked me in had done a good job.
The thought had my mind quickly reeling, asking myself the inevitable question…
Had it been The General?
My gaze drifted across the room, taking in the soft beige carpet, the pale walls, and the elegant furniture that didn’t belong anywhere near this apocalyptic world. Which meant my first assessment was right. Definitely a hotel.
I sat up, the motion pulling my attention toward the window and the balcony beyond, sunlight spilling across the cityscape to my left.
The bathroom door was open, and I caught a glimpse of a marble countertop and the edge of a jetted corner tub gleaming under recessed lights.
Luxury… real, impossible, heart-twisting, luxury.
The kind I hadn’t known even before the Rift tore the world apart. My mind, as usual, betrayed me, wandering back to the questions that mattered. How the hell had I gotten here, and where was here exactly?
Flashes of those haunted memories suddenly assaulted me. All of them were generated by that damned orb. Because moments after I lashed out at The General, blaming him for forcing that nightmare on me, the orb had wanted to inflict one of its own making. A vision that I couldn’t seem to shake.
The one where we had kissed and I had to choose between Riley and The General…
but I didn’t want to think of that, so I told myself it wasn’t real.
That it couldn’t be. That I’d never let it happen.
But even as I thought it, I knew the truth.
Something inside me had shifted. Something I didn’t want, didn’t understand, and worse… something I feared.
“Life was so much simpler back at the base,” I muttered to myself, groaning as I pushed myself upright. My hair fell into my face, and I used both hands to shove it back, fingers tangling in loose strands.
At least I was still dressed. That was something, I suppose. My boots, however, were gone and neatly placed beside the bed like someone had been waiting for my feet to return to them.
Heat flushed my cheeks before I could stop it. The thought of The General being the one who carried me here was one I didn’t want to linger on. Oh, but of course, my traitorous mind did anyway.
Where was he now, I wondered?
If this was a hotel, and judging by the pristine bathroom, it definitely was, then it made sense he’d commandeered one nearby for himself and his men.
The Capitol building wasn’t exactly known for its cozy amenities.
There were no bedrooms or full bathrooms, as it was a place of work, not where people slept.
And well, the man clearly needed a place to sleep.
So, I wasn’t exactly surprised that he would pick somewhere other than the prison.
It was obvious the guy was used to luxury.
It was also a thought that gave me pause and made me question whether this whole building was filled with his people.
Or was it just reserved for his personal command?
I remembered what my uncle had told me back in the garden after my meeting with The General, how people had felt safer living within the prison.
It made sense, seeing as the prison already had reinforced walls, surveillance systems, generators, everything you’d want if the world outside was ready to eat you alive.
Hard to imagine calling such a place ‘safe’, but after years in chaos, safety wasn’t about comfort, it was about control.
I thought back to the base and Riley, remembering the relief I’d felt being accepted there all that time ago.
The warmth of belonging, of not being alone anymore.
It made facing whatever horrors came next almost bearable.
Because there was strength in numbers. Not just in battle, but in spirit.
The shared sanity of knowing you weren’t surviving the nightmare alone.
I doubted I was the only one who had started talking to myself during those long, lonely years before I found Riley.
The silence had been a slow kind of death.
So no, it wasn’t hard to imagine people finding happiness, even in a prison.
Because happiness was relative now. Survival was the new luxury.
And speaking of luxury… I had to admit, my body appreciated this little slice of it. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept this well.
Swinging my legs off the bed, I stood and stretched until my spine popped, then I turned toward the bathroom.
The sight that greeted me nearly made me cry.
A spotless walk-in shower and a corner tub that gleamed like an invitation.
Oh my god, and the towels, actual fluffy towels that folded neatly on the rack.
“This is insane,” I whispered, my voice cracking with disbelief. Enough that it incited a laugh to bubble out of me.
“I swear, if this is still the apocalypse, it’s doing a terrible job convincing me,” I said with a shake of my head as if it was a dream I never wanted to wake from.
Ever since the Rift, it was most definitely the smallest things that made you realize what you missed.
The ones that reminded you that joy still existed, even in this fractured world.
After I used the bathroom, I realized my body had one more urgent request as my stomach rumbled so loudly it startled me.
In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten anything substantial.
No wonder I was feeling light-headed. My fingers gripped the counter by the sink as I steadied myself, and that’s when I caught sight of my reflection, causing me to wince.
Yeah… definitely not my best look.
Even back at the base, I’d at least had access to a shared shower and mirror, but seeing myself now, pale, bruised, and hollow-eyed, it hit me just how long it had been since I’d felt human.
Then my gaze drifted to the neat line of amenities arranged by the sink. A new toothbrush and toothpaste. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that hadn’t been touched. There was even a new hairbrush.
Of course, The General had thought of everything, meaning the man was nothing if not thorough.
I stepped out of the bathroom and stopped dead, my breath catching in my throat as I realized this wasn’t the same door I entered through…
and I wasn’t just in a hotel room… I was in a freaking penthouse!
An actual, spacious penthouse, with a living area, a dining table big enough for six, and a small but well-stocked kitchenette.
My stomach growled again, reminding me where my priorities were, so I went straight for the cupboards and nearly laughed aloud when I found food… Real food.
Rummaging through, I pulled down a packet of bagels and felt my mouth water. I pried one open with my fingers and shoved it into the
toaster, grinning when I found butter, cream cheese, sliced meats, fruit, and cheese in the fridge.
There was enough food here to last a week if I rationed like I used to at the base. Although rationing was the very last thing on my mind right now. Fresh food. Not canned. Not powdered. Real.
It was the stuff of dreams, and I swear that I could have sat there and devoured it all just to remind myself what living tasted like. Anything that didn’t come out of a tin these days was basically winning the apocalypse lottery.
Then I spotted it.
The holy trinity.
A coffee machine, creamer, and freshly ground beans.
I actually laughed, the sound bubbling out of me before I could stop it. My hands trembled slightly as I fumbled with the machine, trying to remember how to use something so luxurious. The smell of the coffee hit me like a spell. A scent so rich, dark, and utterly perfect.
By the time the first cup filled my hands, I was grinning like an idiot.
“Okay,” I muttered, half-laughing, “Maybe being brought here wasn’t all bad,” I admitted to myself.
A few minutes later, and there I was, sitting out on the balcony, soaking up the quiet morning. A cream cheese bagel on my plate, a glass of orange juice beside me, and coffee in my hand.
For a fleeting second, I could almost believe I was on vacation.
But the illusion cracked as soon as I remembered him.
The General.
I was in half a mind to thank him the next time I saw him, but I had to admit that my gratitude was tainted by the memory of what he’d done in his office. Even now, my chest tightened at the thought. It wasn’t just anger. It was confusion. Frustration. And admittedly, something far more dangerous.
I thought I had known passion, thanks to Riley’s kiss. It had been beautiful, innocent even. But what I’d seen in that vision with The General… it had felt like standing too close to the sun.
And the worst part?
Some dark, shameful part of me wanted to know what it would feel like if it really happened.
The thought quickly had me groaning aloud, pressing my palms to my face.
Not even coffee could comfort me through the feelings because I was furious with him for manipulating me, for using his words like weapons, for pulling me into a place I hadn’t wanted to go.
But what made me angrier was that I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Half my mind wanted to hate him.
The other half made excuses for him.