𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐞

21|| Strawberries

Celeste // February 11
•••

I walk outside to the backyard, craving another cigarette. Smoking was only allowed in certain rooms in the house and everywhere outside as long as it was nowhere near Adriana's flower garden.

"What are you looking at old man?"

A snarky voice stops me from rounding the corner and I realize I'd accidently walked to the guard's smoking spot.

I'm about to turn right back around when I hear a familiar voice mumble, "Nothing."

I recognize the voice as belonging to Piero, one of the chefs in the house. He'd brought me my dinner ones or twice and unlike most maids, he didn't linger longer than necessary or tried to enter my room without invitation.

"That's what I thought," another voice laughs. "Perché non usi la tua pausa per sbarazzarti dei chili di troppo?" (why don't you use your break to get rid of the extra kilos?)

A total of three male voices laugh at the mean comment and my muscles tense when I hear one pair of footsteps moving.

I round the corner and the man who was moving forward subtly steps back to his friends. I light a cigarette as I stand between the group of young guards and Piero, making no eye contact with any of them.

"Whatsup pretty girl," the guard who'd insulted Piero speaks. "Who let you in here all on your own?"

"Keep it respectful," Piero grumbles.

A blond tall guy who hadn't talked until now scoffs at his words. "We're always respectful." The fool moves towards me, and I glance at him only to see a sly grin on his boyish face. "Especially with pretty ladies like these."

"Careful, Matteo," the third one, a tatted man chuckles. "She might be one of capo's whores."

I take a drag of my cigarette, ignoring the three pair of eyes that wait for me to give them a reaction.

Piero tenses beside me and he steps forward. "Knock it off."

The insulter flickers his cigarette butt onto the ground. "He's just making an observation, old man. What else would a woman be doing here?"

The blond levels his eyes with mine, his face scrunching up in confusion. "Is something wrong with you or something?"

Piero attempts to move his body between me and the men, but I stop him by moving my hand up. "It's fine."

"See, ciccione? She likes talking to us," tatted guard says. (Fatty)

Piero huffs out a breath and takes another drag of his cigarette, meanwhile my anger flares.

I discard the cigarette butt and crash my elbow into the side of his head, causing him to fall sidewards against the wall of the house.

His blond friend comes at me, swinging sloppily for my face. I grab his fist, twist his arm and swiftly move to his back.

With one push I bring his arm towards his neck, sliding it up his back. He screams in pain and his shoulder pops out of its socket. The tatted man reaches for his gun and he points it towards me as I dislocate his friend's shoulder some more.

I kick at a vulnerable spot in his wrist, breaking the bone and causing the weapon to fall at his feet. I push the crying and cursing blond onto the ground and grab the gun just when the first man gets onto his feet again.

He tries to punch me in the face and I dodge his hand before crashing the hard metal gun against his temple. He instantly passes out and I turn to the tatted man, expecting him to be on his feet again, but he's still crying about his broken wrist.

Piero clears his throat and I turn to see him frowning slight. He takes another drag of his cigarette before his hand rubs over his thick black mustache. "Am I next?"

"No," I answer, blocking out the sobbing of the tatted man behind me. "You shouldn't let them talk to you like that."

He hums before grabbing his lunchbox out of the bag that was placed next to him. He opens it and holds it out to me. "Want a strawberries?"

I frown. "A whole one?"

"You know what?" He smiles and something about the sight was.. relaxing? No that can't be what people call it.. comforting. Yes, it was a comforting sight. "Take all of 'em."

"Oh, I-" I try to object but he pushes his lunchbox into my hands.

Now I have strawberries.

Piero eyes the men behind me, all passed out from pain, and begins walking the other way after gesturing me to follow him. I hesitate but follow him, starting on my first strawberry.

"I'm Piero," he says. "Celeste was it, right?"

I look up at him and am surprised when I don't see him looking at me like I'm a monster or a timebomb or crazy psychopath. He's just.. looking at me.

"Yes," I answer, swallowing the sweet taste of the fruit. "Thanks for the strawberries. They're nice."

"Grew them myself," he tells me proudly. "My wife and I grow all kinds of things in our garden."

"That's great." I hold the box out to him. "Are you sure you don't want one?"

He passes with a smile. "No, thank you." He puts his hands on his round belly. "You need them more than I do."

I stop walking and my eyebrows pinch together. I know what it feels like to have a group of people hurt you with words and an ugly feeling strikes my chest at the thought of Piero feeling the way I did back when the other girls in the house made fun of me.

"Did they hurt your feelings?" I ask.

He frowns at the question and I briefly wonder if I'd made any mistakes in articulating myself before he shakes his head. "Don't you worry about it. I'm used to it by now."

I used to say that to Josette every time she'd see the traces of the abuse.

"You shouldn't have to be used to it."

"I know, I know," he sighs. "But it is what it is."

"I, eh-" great start- "I got bullied too when I was a kid and I was rather boney so.. it's not your fault."

He sends me a genuine smile and we start walking again in silence.

•••
A wholesome little chapter right before shit's going down 🌚🌚

Thoughts on Piero? Do you trust him? Like him?

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