Defender's Heartbeat

Chapter 22

Manuel

I couldn't believe how fast time had flown. My boy had turned 15. As usual, no one threw him a birthday party. His friends' inquiry about why he didn't celebrate his birthday had left him at a loss for words. Hoping to cheer him up, I treated him to his favorite meal at a restaurant and then accompanied him to a movie. I paid from my pocket because it was my gift to him. His curfew limited our time out, so we had to return home soon. He couldn't believe I had done something like that for his birthday. No one had ever made him feel special in his whole life. And I didn't think I had done something huge either. But that was all I could do for him.

One day, while waiting for him in front of the school gate, a schoolgirl around Enzo's age approached me.

"Excuse me, sir, are you Enzo's dad?" she asked.

"No, I'm his driver. How can I help you?" I asked, noticing the sadness in her expression.

"Can you tell him to talk to me? I'm his ex-girlfriend. He's got a new girlfriend currently, and he doesn't talk to me. He didn't even say why he broke up with me," the girl said, tears in her eyes. I felt sad for her. I couldn't understand why Enzo had done such a thing to this innocent girl. At the very least, he should have told her the reason for the breakup.

"Okay, I'll tell him. Don't cry. How long did he date you?" I asked.

"For five days," she replied.

"Just five days? Okay, I'll give him the message," I assured her.

After a few minutes, another girl approached. "Excuse me, sir, are you Enzo's father?" She asked as well, and I realized Enzo was causing trouble in school, too.

"No, I'm his driver. How can I help you?" I inquired curiously.

"He cheated on me with another girl. He doesn't even talk to me now. Can you ask him to talk to me and explain it better?" the girl demanded.

"Sure, sure. I'll let Enzo know," I promised, thinking, What's wrong with this guy?

After a little while, a boy came up to me. And this time, I was burning with curiosity to know what he was intrigued to say. "What's your name, Mr.?" he asked. "I'm Manuel. Is this about Enzo?" I asked.

"This is about Lorenzo Perez, the biggest jerk of the school. Can you tell him not to steal other people's girlfriends?" the boy stated before leaving. I wondered what Enzo might be up to at school.

I called Enzo's phone as he hadn't come out yet. Despite calling him three times, he didn't answer. Enzo wasn't a regular child; he had to leave school on time and be home promptly. Deciding to check inside the school, I found him sitting on a bench, seemingly engrossed in a serious conversation with two girls on either side. His arms were around their shoulders, and he occasionally pressed his lips to theirs in gentle kisses.

"Hello, Mr. Love Bird. Don't you think it's time to go home?" I teased. Enzo looked shocked, his cheeks turning crimson with embarrassment at being caught. The two girls ran away, giggling.

"Papa, you scared me," he said innocently.

"Oh, I'm sorry, darling. I also got scared because you didn't come out, didn't pick up your phone, and two of your ex-girlfriends asked me to tell you that they needed an explanation for the breakup. Oh, and a boy asked you not to steal other people's girlfriends," I informed him as we walked towards the gate.

He said nothing. He just walked with his head down. "Do you have anything to say, Mr. Lorenzo?" I asked.

"They are lying, okay? I would never do such things," he defended himself.

"I might believe you, but with what I saw there..."

"Okay, fine. It's just... I don't know. I don't like them. So, I broke up," he admitted.

"At least tell them why," I suggested.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell them that they aren't sexy enough," he seethed.

"Maybe tell them they are not your type or something less hurtful," I advised. I wasn't a dating expert; I only had one girlfriend, and now she's my wife. Because I was so poor, she was the only one who liked to date me and who loved me.

"And don't steal other people's girlfriends. It's nasty," I added.

"I didn't. She asked. So, I said okay. She's sexy," Enzo explained, closing the car door after getting in. "And why do I care about other people's feelings?" he bristled.

"Well, didn't you hurt their feelings?" I said, looking at him in the mirror.

"It's not my fault they have feelings," he retorted.

Okay, little Gerado, I thought to myself.

I discovered that Enzo had grown accustomed to getting punished by his father. It seemed like he didn't care about it anymore. Sometimes, he even applied medicine to his wounds by himself.

However, it was different when I was around. "Papa, it's hurting, papa," he moaned in pain.

"Papa, can you sleep in my room today? I'm in pain," he asked, and I stood in his room, feeling sorry for him. I did my best to comfort him as usual.

Then, one day, as I returned from my leave, a bodyguard informed me that Enzo's father had punished him for sneaking out of the house. I hurried to his room, only to find him applying medicine to his wounds while humming a song as if it wasn't a big deal. He was unaware that I had just come home.

"So, no pain?" I remarked, and he turned around in shock. The look on his face sent chills down my spine. He seemed angry about getting caught, and his dark eyes pierced into my soul.

"Papa, when did you come?" he asked with surprise, staring at me with those intense eyes.

"Are you not happy about that?" I said, taking the medicine from his hand and turning him back to help him apply it to his back. Even his shoulders bore red marks.

"Oh, Enzo," I sighed, looking at all the scars.

"Aw," he winced when I applied the medicine.

"Why don't you sing that song again? It might be helpful for the pain," I suggested.

"No, it's still painful, okay. And why the hell do you think I'm not happy to see you?" he retorted, turning back to face me.

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's just a joke," I said, cupping my hands around Enzo's angry yet handsome face. His lips trembled as if he couldn't control his anger, and his dark eyes shone.

"It's just a joke, son... I'm sorry. Okay?" I noticed his tension ease slightly, and regret washed over me for my ill-timed attempt at humor. He hid his face on my chest like a child. "I'm sorry, okay," I said softly, brushing my lips against his cheek and slipping my arm around him.

"Aw," he sighed, leaning into my embrace.

I held him close, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. It pained me to see him in such distress, and I wished I could take away all the hurt he had endured.

We stayed like that for a while, finding comfort in each other's presence. The silence was broken only by the occasional sniffle from Enzo as he tried to compose himself.