Chapter 196: Human

Chapter 196: Human
Avery’s POV

We finally left the city, and I don't know why but I feel like Dario is not doing this only for me. I feel like he's trying to get a rest after the physical and emotional toll of everything that happened in Norway. I feel like he's either taking me away for safety, or just to clear his head.

We flew, just the both of us, at least I only knew that the both of us were going, and even though he had said that there would be no guards with us over there, I still kinda find it difficult to believe.

I literally slept throughout the flight until I got awoken by Dario, saying that we'd landed and that we had to get to the car to take us to the cottage.

It was a really long drive — mostly through the woods, but we finally arrived at the place.

“Vince is the only one that knows about this place, you know. I had taken him here once and that was after the incidence with his best friend. After I grew some big enough balls and stood up to my father.” Dario chuckled as he opened the door for me.

“Well, your balls are pretty big.” I said, knowing what those words will do to him.

I noted his face flushed, but I didn't have time to dwell on that as my attention got drawn away by what I saw in the distance.

It was indeed a cottage like the one I had seen in the books. Small, wooden, cozy looking and…

I gasped. “Dario, you didn't tell me there were deers on the property.”

“Oh, there are deers and coyotes. The deers come here to graze and drink from the lake, and then they leave. I didn't talk about it because they're not mine and I don't want you to be disappointed when you can't find deers whenever you want.”

We walked on slowly, trying our hardest not to scare the deers who had a little baby deer with them.

“I have horses though. I could teach you to ride if you want.” Dario whispered.

“Oh, I can ride.” I chuckled. “I just don't really like it as some people do.”

“You can ride?” He stopped in his tracks, his voice setting the deers on a run. “I feel like there are things you're keeping from me, because apparently you can shoot a gun better than an assassin, and now you can ride?”

“First of all, you scared the deers.” I growled at him playfully as a smile tore out of my lips. “Second, those were extracurriculars in my boarding school, and my father had no idea of them, so I put my mind to it and I got really good.”

Dario stared at me, curiosity and pride filling his face.

“If you knew that you were so good with a gun, why didn't you ever try to steal Marco's and kill him with it.”

“I've thought about that a lot,” I slipped my hands in the pocket of my pants and began moving on, “but, I don't know. I guess I just felt like I had to let everything happen as that was part of my story, and maybe some part of me knew that you were going to come for me someday. I mean, Subby always talked about me being rescued by my knight in shiny armor, and he would take me away in his black regal stallion. That's exactly what happened except that you came in a black perfectly tailored suit, and rode me away in a tinted black Mercedes Maybach.”

We both burst into laughter.

“I would have killed him if you came later or didn't take me though. Don't be mistaken.”

We laughed again.

“To think it's been less than a year since i found you. Then when you used to talk to yourself.”

I glared at him.

“I'm sorry. I meant your subconscious.”

We laughed and he took me into the cottage.

My eyes widened at the sight of the space before me. The place was warm. Lived in. And so full of books and throw blankets, and little signs of a life Dario doesn't show to  the world.

The light in here glowed warm and orange, and I took a little glance at Dario and realized that his demeanor had softened. It was almost like he let his guard down in here.

I looked to the table and realized that he had indeed let his guard down, because right there on the table was a gun. His gun.

“I'll let you look around. I want to go change.” He said and walked into a door which I assume was the bedroom.

I kept looking around at everything. From the photos on the walls to the books in the shelves to the….what is this? It was marks like someone had sliced into the wall with a saw from bottom to top, although there was a big gap between the fifth one and the sixth one.

Dario came in at that moment, and to my surprise, he had traded his dress shirt for a hoodie, and I dare say, I think he looked better bin thee hoodie and sweatpants.

“What is this?” I motioned to the wall.

“Oh. This is where my mom marked my height every year. From when I was three,” he motioned to the lowest one, “to when I was eight.” He pointed the one before the big gap.

“My father trapped her so I couldn't do my ninth. After that, I didn't come here again until when I came with Vince, and that was when I was nineteen. That was when I did this next marking. The rest was every year after that. And as you can see, I haven't really been increasing that much in height ever since.”

We both laughed and I continued to look around. In my search, I stumbled upon a drawer.

“What could be in here?” I asked myself as I pulled open the drawer. It was a framed photograph.

I turned the photograph to look at it, and what I saw had me howling in laughter. I laughed so hard I had to stoop to the floor to catch my breath.

“What is that?” Dario asked as he walked in, obviously drawn by my laughter.

I just waved the picture at him, unable to speak as I tried to keep myself under control.

“No. Give me that.” He dove for me, but I ran before he could reach me.

It was a picture of drunk Dario, either nineteen or twenty years, with bright red lipstick on and bright blue eye shadow on too.

“Avery hold it right there.” He shouted, also laughing as I dribbled.

“No.” I said and instantly, he dove and caught me.

“Give me that right now.” He said as he tried to keep me pinned while also trying to catch my hand as I moved it wildly trying to keep the photo out of his grip.

“I've got just the thing.” He whispered and began tickling me.

“No. Dario. You're rough handling me. I'd tell madame Fiona.” I screamed as I launched into a giggle fest.

In my struggle, he took the picture away from me and ran away from it.

“Whatever.” I snapped. “You can take it from my hand but it's already engraved in my memory and you can't take it from there.”

“I don't mind. Just as long as you won't be able to show it to Carl or Abigail and ruin my reputation.” He laughed and went to hide the photograph.

I walked around more, and I found a scarred piano, a grey scarf, which I was not surprised that he'd be getting a scarf in his favorite color, but something hit me. This was where he came to be human.

“Why did you bring me here?” I felt him behind me before I could even turn to look at him.

“Because I wanted to show you where I go when I'm too tired to be him.”

My heart softened at his word and a thought occured to me. His birthday might be soon. Maybe that was why he chose to bring us here. I've asked him his birthday before, but he refused to tell me, so I made a mental note to reach Vince somehow.

But before all that, I'll try to enjoy this place.