Casually Cruel <Sharlie ff>

Chapter 28 ↝ Shawn

Album: All of Ed Sheeran's albums

"Thank you, I needed that," Charlie whispers against my ear.

"I figured," I reply seriously. "Luisa does not seem that bad if she defended you. She could have stayed silent." 

"I just loathed her because of the aftermath," Charlie replies honestly. "Let us keep dancing less talking." 

  "What are you thinking about Shawn?" Charlie asks tenderly as he looks me in the eyes.

Those deep hazel eyes hold me captive. I never knew that hazel eyes could make anyone such a sucker for surrender. Yet, here I am at a party I did not care to attend. Slowly dancing with a man of a majestic power and sex drive. Yet at this moment is being considerate and vulnerable.

"A couple of parties that my family and I attended whenever my father had saved some lives. He was always willing to put his life on the line if that meant someone else would live. He considered it his moral compass as a police officer.

They were as fancy as this one. The glitter and the glitz. But, that did not never matter to my dad. As he was just doing his job. But to my sister and me it allowed us to see a whole new world. We were forever amazed by the dazzle."

"And did ever get a chance to tell your dad of your sexuality? Before he passed on?" Charlie asks curiously. 

"Yeah, I told him when I was fourteen. He did not care as long as I was happy," I remark. 

My mind goes back to that dad at the dinner table. It was just my dad and me my sister and mom were out seeing a movie. My dad was a quiet man, hardly said any words. But he always told my mom he loved her before and after his shifts. I just blurted it out and my dad just shrugged his shoulders and told me he did not care.

"Desmond is just a cobra in a suit. He just wants to get his fangs in deep enough to bleed them dry then leave them for dead. Not like for real but in a figuratively way," Charlie replies bitterly.

I feel bad for him. He never knew what is was like to have anyone support him. His mom was barely there even though he tried his hardest to see her. In spite of his father. Desmond just sees Charlie as a flawed son and Padilla as the perfect replacement. Most of Charlie's life he was spent chasing after the shadow's of ghosts unable to figure they were never real. 

"Do you want to leave here?" I suggest as I put a halt to our dancing.

"Yes, darling please let us split the money is causing mild allergic reactions," Charlie responds casually.     

We start to leave but Luisa stops us. Charlie already on edge tries to push past her. However, she puts her hand on his shoulder. Trying to get his attention. She gives Charlie a hug which he does not even respond back but, has a stifling expression which leads me to believe this is all too unbearable for him.

"I wish you would not hate me Charlie. I know I made mistakes but, I was young back then. I knew nothing about this life, so I had to learn quickly," Luisa replies apologetically.

I feel sad for her. A new wife to a much older husband who already had a family. The two children who predestined to hate her no matter how hard she tried. She was trying to get a better life for herself and they did not care to understand the struggle. 

"You do not make fun of someone's mother. Do you know how hard it was for me? To go through a tragedy, watch my whole family go to shit. Then three months later you are so starry eyed, new, and fresh. He thought you could do no wrong," Charlie points out.

Shots fired and his injuries are on display. The truth is now bleeding out and Luisa most is able to decide what to do next. Whatever she did leave permanent scars on Charlie. All of this out in the open. I feel so sorry for the small broken kid that Charlie was that morphed into the same man.

"I thought that was the proper thing," Luis states apologetically. "Your father did not tell me a lot of things."

"Well you were wrong just like you always are," He answers in a cruel tone, narrows his eyes, and then suggest. "You know what? You stay out of my life and I stay out of yours."

"Now Charlie it does not be that way," She pleads.

"You made your bed, and now you must lie in it,"

I do feel a big sad for the both of them. Maybe Desmond fed her a bunch of lies to make her feel she was doing the right things. I can only imagine what life could have been like before Desmond stepped into the picture.

But, then my mind flashes my heart breaks at Charlie, a lot of hate and bitterness that has not been resolved. Holding on to it would be pointless but, I see the validity in it.