ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond-Chapter 185: Clothes

Chapter 185

KATYA POV

The meal ended with a quiet sense of finality. Miss Stella moved to clear the plates, her movements efficient and hushed, while Nonna watched me with that grandma vibe eyes.

I felt better—physically, at least. The hollow ache in my stomach had been replaced by a heavy warmth, but the rest of my body still felt like it was made of bruised glass.

My skin felt tacky, the dried sweat of a fever and the lingering dust of the hallway making me feel itchy and restless.

Nonna tilted her head, her gaze lingering on the dark smudge of dirt on my collarbone. "Mia cara," she said softly, "I think it is time we got you into a bath."

I blinked, my eyes darting toward the massive, dark-tiled ensuite bathroom visible through the open door. "A bath?"

"Yes. You’ve been through a war, and you’re wearing two days of it on your skin." She started to smile, then paused, her eyes widening as she looked at the thick white gauze wrapped around my head and the stiff way I was holding my shoulders.

She let out a short laugh, shaking her head at her own forgetfulness. "Oh, listen to me. A bath. You’d come out looking like a drowned paper doll with those bandages. No, no bath. Not yet."

She looked over at Miss Stella, who was neatly stacking the last of the china. "Stella dear, bring a basin of warm water and some of the softest sponges. We need to get this child clean without ruining the doctor’s handiwork."

I felt a flush of heat creep up my neck. "I... I can do it," I whispered, though I knew it was a lie. I could barely lift my arms without the world tilting.

"You can barely sit up without swaying, Katya," Nonna said, her voice brooks no argument. "Let Stella help you. There is no shame in being tended to when you are wounded."

Stella disappeared into the bathroom as nonna leaned forward. " And there’s nothing to be ashamed of, we are all women." She winked while I shrink into myself.

A moment later, I heard the sound of rushing water.I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs dangling, feeling absurdly small in Romeo’s oversized shirt.

Miss Stella returned with a steaming silver basin and a stack of plush, charcoal-grey towels.

She set them on the nightstand and looked at me with her motherly eyes. "We’ll start with your face and arms," Miss Stella said. She dipped the soft towel into the water, before pressing the warm cloth to my forehead, avoiding the bandage.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The heat was heavenly. It felt like she was wiping away more than just dirt; she was wiping away the memory of Gina’s hands in my hair.

"Steady," Miss stella murmured as she moved down to my neck. I had to unbutton the top few fasteners of the shirt to let her reach my collarbone and shoulders

My heart hammered against my ribs—not out of fear of Stella, but because of the sheer vulnerability of it.

I was in his room, in his clothes, being washed on his bed. As the warm cloth moved over my skin, the grime of the last forty-eight hours disappeared, leaving behind the pale, scarred reality of who I was.

"You’re still very thin," Miss stella noted quietly, her hand pausing on my arm. She didn’t say it with pity—just as a fact.

"It could have been worse if not for both you and nonna," I smiled, because truly both women helped my health, despite me still skipping some meals.

Both Miss stella and nonna said nothing at that aas Miss stella went back to cleaning me. She got to my back, I had to lean forward, resting my head on a pile of pillows.

I felt the cool air hit the skin that wasn’t covered by the bandages. Stella was incredibly careful, her touch light as a feather as she cleaned around the edges of the gauze.

"The swelling is going down," She reported to Nonna, who was watching from her chair. "But the skin is still very angry."

"It will heal," Nonna said firmly. "With rest and proper care, everything heals." I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that if I just stayed in this room long enough, the jagged edges of my soul would knit back together just like the skin on my back.

By the time Miss Stella finished and dried me with the thick towel, I felt like a different person. I was exhausted from the simple act of being cleaned, but the "fortress" felt a little more like a home.

"There," Miss stella said, tucking the duvet back around me as I slid back into the bed. "Much better."

I leaned back against the pillows, my damp hair sticking to the bandage on my temple. "Thank you, Miss Stella. Thank you, Nonna."

Nonna reached out and squeezed my hand. "You’re most welcome. Now dear, let’s get you changed."

She showed me a black shirt and dark joggers pant. I didn’t know where she got it from. I stared at the clothes in Nonna’s hands.

They were simple. Soft-looking. Black cotton shirt, dark joggers folded neatly beneath it. Nothing extravagant. Nothing threatening.

Yet my chest tightened. "Um..." I hesitated, my fingers clutching the edge of the duvet. "Where did you get those?"

Nonna blinked, just once. The pause was small but I noticed it. "I mean," I added quickly, heat creeping into my cheeks, "I didn’t see you leave. Or Miss Stella bring them in."

Miss Stella had gone quiet by the couch, suddenly very focused on straightening a cushion that didn’t need fixing.

Nonna cleared her throat. "I know you might feel uncomfortable," she said gently, her tone shifting into something careful, coaxing.

"But all of your clothes were... ruined. Torn, bloodied, unsalvageable." Her mouth pressed into a thin line. "This is all we could manage for now."

I swallowed. "Where did you get them from?" Her eyes flicked away from mine. Just for a second. "From the closet," she said.

The words landed heavier than they should have. "The... closet?" I repeated faintly.

Nonna looked back at me, suddenly sheepish in a way that didn’t quite fit her usually commanding presence.

One shoulder lifted in a small shrug. "Yes. Just for now. You will get new clothes, bella. Proper ones. Dresses, soft things. Things that belong to you."

My gaze dropped to the fabric. The realization crept in slowly, uncomfortably.

His closet.

Romeo’s.

My fingers trembled as I reached out, brushing the sleeve of the shirt. It was warm—freshly laundered. Clean.

It smelled faintly of soap and something deeper beneath it. Something undeniably him. "I—" My voice caught. "This is his, isn’t it?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Nonna didn’t deny it.

"Just wear this for now," she said softly. "There is no harm in it. Clothes are clothes."

But they didn’t feel like just clothes.

They felt intimate in a way I didn’t know how to explain. Like I was crossing some invisible line without meaning to.

Miss Stella finally spoke, her voice calm but quiet. "They’re loose. Comfortable. Nothing will rub against your injuries."

That helped. A little.

I nodded, even though my stomach fluttered nervously. "Okay," I whispered. "Just... for now."

††

Merry Christmas

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Wishing y’all the best holiday