His Heart

Chapter thirty-nine: Charlie

I entered the police station and was guided through by two uniformed officers as they signed me in and took my belongings.

"Right this way, Mr Sanchez." The male officer led me to a small conference room and I sat down and waited.

Why was I here? What was I going to say to him? He had ruined my daughter's life.

You need closure. You need to be able to give her closure.

She would kill me if she ever found out I was doing this. But one day, when she had kids of her own, she would understand.

I looked up as a young man entered the room.

"Charlie." He nodded, the way he used to.

"Don't, Oliver." I told him. "Don't play nice."

He was silent.

"What did she say to you?" He asked eventually.

"Are you going to deny it?"

"Would you believe me if I did?" He looked up at me briefly.

"No."

"Then why would I even bother?"

He stared at the table and I took a deep breath, reminding myself to stay calm. I pulled out a bottle of water and offered it to him.

"You look thirsty." I said.

He smiled and took a drink. Like he thought this little act meant I would forgive him.

"I loved her, sir." He said. "I really did. I don't know what she told you about me, about us, but when I said I loved her, I really meant it."

"So why did you hurt her?" I asked. "She was fourteen. She was a kid."

"She told me she wanted it."

"Using her words?"

"No but...you know. You could tell. Everyone could."

I shook my head. "You don't touch someone without their express permission. You took something from my little girl that she will never be able to get back."

"Her virginity?"

I winced at his vulgarity.

"Her innocence." I corrected.

"She loved me. She told me she did."

"She's a kid. It doesn't matter what she said or did. You should have known better." I said.

He looked at the table and I stood up.

"I will make sure my baby girl moves on from this. We both will. And one day she'll find someone who gives her everything that she deserves. But what you took from my daughter, she'll never get back." I paused. "I can't protect her from everything. But I can protect her from you."

I turned and walked out.

"He's not going to get out for a long time." The police officer said, shaking my hand. "I'll make sure of that. He's going to go on trial in a few months and your daughter will have to testify."

I glanced back at him, he was still sipping that water.

"Ok." I said.

I shook his hand once and walked out, wondering if we could put this behind us now and move forward.

~*~

"Can we invite Luke and Liam over to play?" Leo asked when I got home. 

I startled at the question and looked down at my son who gazed up at me with hopeful eyes.