The Perfect Sin

07

𝗟 𝗨 𝗟 𝗔

Anna approaches with a plate of toast, placing it down in front of me before walking off again. Elio pulls out the chair across the table from me and sits down.

He tilts his head slightly, watching me closely. What it his problem?

"So, settled in well?" He asks in a strange tone.

I look up at him, taking a slice of toast from the plate. "Settled in? Hardly."

"Shame." He replies. "Well, at least you have the rest of your life to do it, hmm?"

My expression instantly hardens as I try to push the lump back down in my throat. "Mhm, apparently." I mumble, looking back down at my plate as I take a small bite of toast.

"So, you like taking pictures?" He asks as he leans back in his chair, clasping his hands over his stomach.

I just nod my head wordlessly, keeping my attention focused solely on the toast in my hand and the other slice on the plate.

When I don't attempt to say anything else, he clears his throat, shifting forward in his chair. "Not very talkative are you?" He quizzes in a contemptuous tone. "That's okay, we can work on that."

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to reply to that, so I choose not to, maintaing my silence. He rests his arms on the table, glancing over his shoulder as Anna brings him a drink.

We both sit in this awkward silence for what feels like hours, until I finally grow the courage to say something.

"What is this place? What do you guys do?" I ask, not exactly fully prepared for whatever his answer may be.

He shrugs his shoulders, pursing his lips as he glances out of the window momentarily. "We have a lot of specialities, Lula."

"Being?" I press.

"Hmm, I don't know.. waste management?" He replies nonchalantly, almost as though he's questioning himself if that response was satisfactory enough.

I knit my brows. "Matteo said you specialise in pest control."

His lips begin to curl up into a small and unsettling smirk as he takes a sip of his drink. "Same thing."

Pest control and waste management? Is that seriously all I've got to go on?

He pushes his seat back, standing up and placing his hands down on the table. "I know what you're thinking but trust me when I say, that's all you need to know. For now anyway."

For now? What's that supposed to mean?

"It was interesting meeting you, Lula." He says as he adjusts the sleeves on his shirt. "I'm sure I'll see you again at some point."

I sit quietly, watching as he walks away from the table and out of the kitchen. Anna approaches and takes my plate, smiling faintly.

Elio's words play on my mind, causing me to feel even more uneasy as I take a small sip of my coffee, trying to future out how the hell I can get out of this place.

.                    .                    .

I haven't seen Renzo at all today. Not that it's a problem. I'm actually grateful that I haven't.