CORIOLANUS SNOW IS IN MY BED. He's shirtless and tangled in my lavender sheets and I can't believe I'm so happy to say it.

He's laying there and he looks so eternally peaceful and beautiful and gentle i almost want to take a picture and hold onto it forever.

Coriolanus Snow is in my bed and I'm watching him sleep, when just two weeks ago I was under full belief that I hated him.

But now, he's everything soft in the world and I feel lucky to have someone I can feel grateful for.

There's a knock on my door and my heartbeat fastens.

I'm in full panic mode now—trying desperately to find some sort of cover up. I lunge for a towel but my hair isn't wet and he'll see my bra straps and he'll know something is up.

I grab the first shirt I see and begin buttoning it as I nearly trip over myself getting to the door. Turning the lock, I open it and see Sejanus on the other side, looking at me with worried brown eyes.

"Yes?" I ask, nearly out of breath already.

He frowns. "I'm really sorry about calling Mom and Dad the other night. I didn't mean for it to turn into a big fight."

I furrow my brows, confused. "You're just now apologizing? That was almost a week ago."

He nods. "I wasn't sure what to say."

Well do you have to say it now? I want to say, but know that I can't.

"It's fine, Sej." I plaster on a small, tired smile.

His eyes fall on my middle and a look of confusion washes over his face. "You sleep with your uniform on?"

I'm tired and fed up already and I just want to shoo Sejanus away before he can see his best friend in my bed.

I nod with a small sigh. "Mm-hmm. I fell asleep with it on last night."

"Are they really that big on you?"

I follow his gaze, and sure enough, this shirt is almost at my knees and it smells of Coriolanus' cologne.

Shit.

I swipe my tongue against my bottom lip and nod, looking back at him. "I like them a size bigger."

The lie is utter shit and I'm sure I've completely screwed myself over now because he gives me a disbelieving look.

"Is that all?"

He nods. "I'm sorry again."

I flash him one last smile before closing the door and turning the lock back.

I let out a deep sigh of relief that shakes my entire body and I flutter my eyes, leaning back into the door.

"Everything okay?" Coryo's groggy voice startles me.

I nod, opening my eyes to see that he's now turned over onto his side and facing me. I begin unbuttoning the white blouse. "He was just apologizing."

He pushed himself up, groaning lightly as he did.

"How's your back?" I wonder out loud, pulling the shirt's sleeves over my arms.

"Fine. How are your ribs?" He reaches his hand up and grazes his fingers across the bruised and tender skin. I'd fallen asleep before I remembered to wrap them—which probably didn't help them much.

I try to ignore how good the feel of his cold fingertips on my bare skin feels and nod. "Better."

He then used his free hand to cup the side of my face. "And your head?"

I can feel my face flush beneath his touch and I smile because I can't help it. "Also better."

Coryo is now sitting at the edge of my bed, and I'm in between his legs. And for the first time, I'm taller than him (by just a couple inches).

He snakes his hand from my side to all the way around my waist. He strokes his thumb against my temple and pulls me closer to him, connecting our lips.

I've likely kissed Coriolanus nearly 100 times now, but I still can't get enough of the buzz it gives me. When his lips are against mine I'm able to feel that much closer to him, and it feels like I finally have something—someone all to myself. Not something shared with Sejanus, or one of my classmates. But Coriolanus Snow, here in my bed, is exclusive to me and I just want to shout it out to the world.

My hand finds his torso and rests on his bare collarbone, giving me enough support to pull away. "I have to start getting ready and you have to try sneak out without getting caught."

He looks up into my eyes and his eyes have almost turned crystal clear due to the sunlight shining directly onto him. The light is reflecting against his tanning skin he looks ethereal. "Fine."

I remove my hand from his torso and he removes his from my waist and I barely even get a step in before he grabs my waist with both his hands and pulls me back into him, attacking my neck with kisses.

I let out a flutter of laughs as he squeezes his arms around my belly and continues to cover my entire neck with kisses.

His fingers sink into my hips and he turns me to face him once again. He has a smile on his face--not nearly as wide as my current one--but he appears as though he's just enjoying this. Like nothing else matters in the world but me. In his arms. Smiling like this.

"I could get used to this," he admits, letting out a quiet breath. "Waking up in your bed."

My grin widens with each word he says and I kiss him once more to distract him as I tug his shirt off of my arms and press it into his chest. "Get dressed. We have to be at the academy in an hour."

He cracks another grin. "We?"

I step away from him and begin walking toward my walk-in closet. "Yes."

I flip the light switch on and pull out a red skirt from the first drawer on my left. Sliding it over my feet and onto my waist, I then reach for my white blouse and slip it on over my build. I reach for my red blazer and walk back into my bedroom to see Coryo tugging on his pair of pants.

There's hardly any effort used when my red-painted nails push the buttons through their designated holes in my top. I've been doing this nearly every day for three months now it had now been a habit--a part of my routine.

"I'm going to sneak you out the back door and then I'll meet you out front." I explain.

"You seem to know what you're doing." He tries to fight the playful smirk from showing on his lips. "How many times have you done this, Mare?"

I roll my eyes. "Shut up."