That Summer In Italy (18+)

Chapter 15: Sabotage!

*Selli*

Something was wrong. 

I didn't notice right away since we were all working at a breakneck pace but then it became obvious.

Things were going missing. 

A roll of fabric. Sewing needles. Measuring tapes. 

I didn't want to bring it up in front of everyone so I took Marco aside instead. We stood under the cypress tree while I relayed my thoughts.

He listened and glowered into the distance, smoking, as I recounted all the items I couldn't find. Some work that had been done was unraveling fast on the mannequin as if there was a mouse in the night trying to undo all the work we had done the day before. 

But Marco knew. His eyes flashed in anger.

"She wants to leave and this is her cruel way of telling us," he said simply before stamping the cigarette on the ground so hard it was etched in the dirt. 

Out of everyone, he knew her best. He picked it up and flicked it into the trash bin without another word.

By the next day just as he predicted Polly had left, leaving only behind her bottle of shampoo.

 There was no note, no apology. Her room was empty, the sheets still tangled from restlessness.

Our trio had suddenly become two.

She had forfeited her compensation by leaving early but Polly never needed the money. She had come solely to spend time with Gennaro and it was not the experience she wanted. In a way, I couldn't be angry with her for that.

None of us knew what we had signed up for when we flew here. But unlike Polly, I couldn't leave. Even when things were tough and we had to work long hours and my back ached. I felt a sense of responsibility to finish what we started. For Gennaro.

The place was quieter without Polly around. Marco and I settled into an easy cohabitation. He went out most nights in search of adventure while I stayed in making the place eerily quiet. I looked out the window at the night sky. The moon was luminous above and the cypress tree stood like a large shadow. I passed the time by reading and taking long showers after a full workday.

I was starting to get used to the change of pace. At first, I yearned for the bright lights of the city but there were benefits from staying here too. I was sketching more again. Ideas would spring forth in my mind and it was easy to commit them to memory without getting pulled in different directions. Max was holding down the fort and sending me updates so I didn't have to worry about what was happening back home.

My mind wandered back to the other day. The visit to the wine cellar was... unexpected. Finding Dante there was even more unexpected. The almost kiss was branded on my skin. 

We were so close to kissing...

But what of it? It was something we could have explored but luckily fate intervened and we went our separate ways again. He didn't bring it up again and neither did I. It was better to ignore it, put it aside in a drawer, and shut it firmly.

We were working together. This wasn't the time to explore anything romantic.

-

As usual, I found my gaze drifting. From the fabric in front of me to the door. We kept it open to allow in the air and it opened up to the view of the lone cypress tree at the bottom of the hill.

 One by one throughout the day we would nip away, leaving the artillery fire sounds of machines, and head towards the outside world. For a moment of solitude. To stay sane.