"This is insane," Liam whispered. He looked at his dad and then at Azalea. "Those girls are innocent. Even if their dad did something wrong, why should we punish them? They aren't responsible for their parents' choices."
"That's what I've been trying to get him to see," Azalea said, pointing at Charles.
Liam's voice trembled. "I love her."
The room fell silent.
"What?" Charles spun around quickly.
"Ayla. I love her." Liam's eyes were filled with tears. "I've loved her for three years. She's funny, kind, and really brave. She has an amazing ability to see the good in people, even when they don't deserve it. She saw the good in me."
His voice cracked.
"And I walked away from her this morning. I left her a note telling her not to come looking for me. I broke her heart because you told me to. I thought I was doing the right thing, just following orders, serving some bigger purpose."
Tears streamed down his face now.
