CHAPTER 319
KATYA POV
Warm steam still lingered faintly inside my bedroom.
Even after stepping out of the bath nearly half an hour ago, the room carried the clean scent of lavender soap and shampoo, replacing—if only temporarily—the smoke that had seemed permanently trapped inside my memory.
I needed that bath. More than I had realized. I'd stayed beneath the hot water far longer than I normally would have, letting it pour over my head until my skin had turned pink and my fingertips wrinkled.
I had stood there with my eyes closed, trying to wash everything away. But to my dismay none of it disappeared.
Every time I closed my eyes, I found myself right back there. The water had only warmed my skin. It hadn't quieted my mind.
A slow sigh escaped me as I sat before the vanity mirror, absently studying my reflection.
I looked… Tired. There were faint shadows beneath my eyes that no amount of sleep—or lack thereof—had managed to hide.
