Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 112

Bonnie had already unlocked the door, so Aiken kept quiet, gave her a nod, and followed her inside.

The apartment looked just as spotless as it did the last time he came. Glancing down, Aiken asked if he needed to swap his shoes. Bonnie bent over and pulled out a pair of disposable slippers from a drawer.

She mentioned she’d snagged them from a hotel while traveling.

“These are all I have… Hope they’re okay. No men’s slippers here.”

Aiken told her to head to bed and rest. After he switched to the slippers, he got straight to work. There was a first-aid kit sitting on the little cabinet by her bed. He grabbed the digital thermometer and handed it over.

Bonnie checked her temperature. One hundred point four.

Her face was flushed bright red. If Aiken hadn’t been there, she probably would’ve collapsed into bed already.

He brought her a glass of water, just warm enough.

“Don’t take ibuprofen,” he said, offering her a different pill. “Your stomach’s sensitive. Try this.”

She sat with her drink, tipped her head back, and swallowed the fever meds, her face wrinkling in disgust at the taste. Aiken laughed a little.

“I’ll make you something to eat first,” he told her. “Put something in your stomach before you take anything else. Take your mask off, get some sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s ready.”

Bonnie thought about saying no, but it all just felt like too much trouble for him. Still, Aiken sounded a little more insistent than usual tonight. He’d already taken off his uniform jacket, just wearing a blue shirt now.

He headed to the fridge, checked what she had, and came back with some greens, a piece of lean meat, and a couple of eggs.

Bonnie watched him move around the small kitchen. He was so tall, he could reach the jar of millet on the highest shelf without even trying. For a split second, it felt like she was watching someone else — someone who used to turn and ask, “Candie, should I make us that chicken and chestnut stew tonight?”

She blinked, her mind swimming with memories for a moment even though they were two completely different people. The feeling of familiarity was strong enough to make her chest ache.

She closed her eyes to clear her head. Without a word, she leaned back against the headboard and tried to rest. Her body felt so uncomfortable that she dozed off almost instantly.

Aiken worked silently, keeping his movements soft. After he had everything prepped, he turned around to see Bonnie slumped on her side, feet still hanging off the carpet.

The call ended. When Aiken stepped back into the room, he saw that Bonnie was awake again. She was sitting up, wrapped in her blanket, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her hair was a little messy and her cheeks still pink from the fever.

She looked a little out of it, but it only made her more endearing.

Aiken grinned, walked over, and crouched by the bed, reaching out to check her forehead.

“Your fever’s gone down. Still feel bad?”

Bonnie shrank back a bit, her head dipped. “Much better. You’re… you’re still here.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Aiken said, ruffling her hair softly. “Come on, let’s get you some food. Your voice is all raspy. I’ll pour some water for you.”

“I can do it myself,” Bonnie insisted, clearing her throat as she quickly got out of bed to fetch her own drink.

Aiken let her have it and started setting the table, putting out the food. One look at the portions and it was pretty obvious the meal was just for her. Bonnie was about to ask if Aiken was heading back to work when his phone went off again — louder this time.