Chapter 189: Like never before.

Chapter 189: Like never before.
 Dario’s POV

Two weeks had passed, and Dario had been acting differently, which is causing everyone at the house to be confused.

A lot of things had been happening that could trigger his behavior, but no one believes that it's the things that happened that is causing him to act this way.

Abigail finally regained herself completely and made her way to go be with her boys again. Avery had just left her crutches, because it's been really painful and difficult to walk so she'd been using it all along. Carl wanted to come through after he heard what happened to Avery, but Dario insisted that she was fine, and that she was going to feel worse if he came, knowing that she was the reason he was leaving his work and all the other important things to travel across the world for her.

It took quite a lot of argument, but at the end, Carl finally gave up, not because of the pressure and threats from Dario, but because he treasured Avery's peace and happiness over everything else and was going to do anything to make her happy.

The thing that happened that really got everyone super cautious was on one of the many long nights. Avery was asleep in her bedroom — because she's been finding it more comfortable to sleep on her own since the injury — when everyone heard a loud bang.

Dario, Vince, Michael, and every other occupant of the house ran to Avery's room, where the noise came from, and found her sitting on the bed, frozen in shock, with Matteo sprawled on the floor, his brain leaking from us head, and Jackson standing over him with a smoking gun.

Jackson said that Matteo had stolen the key to their locks. And that when he found out that Matteo had stolen the keys, he pretended to still be unaware. At night, he was trying to sleep. His eyes were closed but he wasn't asleep yet. Matteo thought he was asleep though, because he released himself and stupidly just dumped the key there. Jackson struggled, picked up the key and unlocked himself, then began to quietly follow after Matteo.

He followed him to Avery's room and saw him lifting a dagger over her, ready to stab her. He had developed a certain level of liking for Avery, so he decided to defend her and shot Matteo in the head.

Dario didn't let Avery sleep in that room anymore and started telling her to lock her doors, because that experience was very traumatizing to him.

Ever since that day, Dario has been in a mood. He just seemed sad and brooding, but Avery was still recovering and she hadn't been around the house to hear what the people were saying. Whenever he went to see her, he put on his brightest face and the moment he left her room, he was in those moods again.

It was beginning to worry everyone, so Vince decided to go find out what was going on.

“Hey there. You're not with Liam today — I hope everything is okay.” Avery gave Vince a smug smile as he entered the room.

“Yeah, very funny. I came to talk to you about something.” He replied with a smile and went to sit on the couch beside her bed.

Avery's curiosity piqued, because she knew that they all knew better than to come have a conversation once she was in the middle of her books. And right now, she was sitting on the bed reading one of the many fantasy series Dario had got her, so for Vince to want to talk to her when she was in the middle of that, it had to be really important.

“What's going on?”

“I should be asking you that.” He replied in a confused tone. “Because everyone is worried. What's going on with Dario? You're the only one he speaks to these days, so what do you know about it? I'm asking just so that I can know if there's any way I can help.”

Avery's brows creased as she turned to fully face Vince, folding in her legs.

“What are you talking about? Nothing is wrong with Dario.”

“Huh? No. No, you have it all wrong. Dario's been moody for days. Since the incident with Matteo and Jackson he's just been locking himself up in his study — only coming out when he wants to see you. He's not eating, he's not speaking to anyone. Avery, this is the saddest I've ever seen him and that's saying something, since I've been with him for decades. Or at least a decade and a half.”

“When Dario comes here, he's beaming with smiles. I won't say I never suspected that something was off, but when I brought it up he waved it away saying that it was just my overactive brain and all the crime I've been reading.”

Vince chuckled lightly. “Well, it's not. And we think the only person that can get him to open up about everything that's going on is you.”

“I will go to him. Thank you for telling me, Vince.”

“Yeah sure.” He said and got up to leave.

“You're leaving already?”

“Mhmm. Don't want to hold you from reading your smut.” He smirked at her.

“It's not smut.” She snapped, although the way her face flushed said otherwise.

“Mhmm.” He gave her a smug grin and walked out of the room, leaving Avery alone with her thoughts.

Why was Dario moody? And what was so wrong that he couldn't tell me?

Those were the thoughts that ran through her mind, before the craziest thought came in.

Am I dying? Is that why he doesn't want to tell me? I have to go see him right now.

She hopped out of the bed and limped her way to Dario's study, where Vince said he was locking himself in, and indeed, he was there.

Her heart broke seeing him the way he was, and she had to bite her lips to prevent a sob from escaping as tears poured down her face. He was staring into the fire pit, his hair was scattered all over his face, and his eyes were vacant, like he was lost in thought or something.

He didn't even notice her presence until she stepped on a part of the floor that creaked, jolting him out of whatever he was thinking about.

Dario froze as he turned around to find Avery standing in front of him with tears in her eyes.

“What is it? Come here baby.” He opened his arms and she crawled into him.

He smelled beautiful and fresh to Avery's surprise, because she thought he hadn't been showering. Turns out she was wrong. She looked at his face and realized that he had a stubble brushing his chin and he looked paler and older somehow.

“Why are you like this, Dario? You said nothing was wrong when I told you that I suspected that something was off and you said I was just overthinking things, just for me to now find out from Vince that you've been in this mood for weeks? Dario.”

“Vince.” Dario growled to himself.

“Yes Vince. And you would do nothing about it, because he's right to care about you. What's wrong? Is there anything I should know?” She cupped his chin, which he unconsciously leaned further into.

“I'm just being a silly kid. Nothing is wrong, I just felt bad after you still refused to move to my room after what happened. I thought you hated me for not being there to protect you.”

“No. Dario, I know that I can protect myself, and I know if I scream, you'd be there in a flash. I just……” she let out a sigh before continuing, “I wasn't comfortable enough with my leg and I knew I couldn't lay with you.”

Dario looked back at her face and she looked at his and all she saw was pure longing. Slowly, she leaned in and tried to kiss him, but he stopped her halfway and moved away from the kiss.

“What's wrong?” She asked him, now scared.

“I don't want you to kiss me out of pity or because you feel you have to.”

“I'm not doing any of this out of pity, and I don't feel like I have to do anything for you. I'm kissing you because I want to.”

At those words, longing like never before filled Dario's heart, and he leaned in and kissed her.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he got the chance to kiss Avery again, and it felt like heaven because this time, none of them held back.