Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 186

Aiken walked up to Lawrence, his eyes drifting from the trash bag Lawrence was holding to the quiet gloom inside the apartment.

“Lawrence, you know it’s illegal to just walk into someone’s home.”

Lawrence stood at the door, silent, barely moving. Tension crackled in the air. Once, he would have chased away any guy with a hint of bad intentions around Bonnie, no questions asked.

But now, it felt like anyone—literally anyone—deserved to be by Bonnie’s side more than he ever could.

Who was he, really? He was the one who’d hurt her the most.

Nothing could make up for what he did. No amount of regret, no punishment, would ever be enough.

If not for him, Bonnie wouldn’t have lost hearing in her left ear, wouldn’t have fallen out with her parents, wouldn’t have been attacked online, bullied, or pushed to the brink while she just tried to start over. She wouldn’t be living through this nightmare all over again.

Lawrence blinked hard, trying to clear his red, sore eyes. Faces blurred. His sharpness was gone, replaced by a quiet emptiness.

“The threats and harassment Bonnie’s been dealing with, the cyberbullying…” Lawrence’s voice scraped at his throat, every word hurting, “…what evidence do you have?”

Aiken hesitated, then caught on. He thought it over before answering, “We’ve got plenty of evidence, and a few suspects in custody. But the trail leads overseas, to someone with American citizenship. They’re refusing to cooperate. To dig any deeper is going to take us a lot of time and resources.”

Lawrence understood immediately. “Can you show me what you have?” He sounded like he was struggling just to get the words out.

Aiken shot a look inside. Bonnie was still asleep. Lawrence looked like he’d fall over if he let go of the doorframe. After a moment’s silence, Aiken pulled out his phone, finding the files he and Patton had put together.

The light from the screen made Lawrence squint, but it wasn’t the worst part. It was the things he saw on that screen—the photos, the words. Every one hit like a knife to the gut.

He’d spent so long running away, hiding his panic behind caring for Jasper. Meanwhile, Bonnie had been fighting through harassment that never seemed to end.

He couldn’t understand how anyone could put that much energy into being cruel. All the ways they found to tear Bonnie down, bit by bit, piece by piece.

Lawrence met Aiken’s gaze, his vision swimming with red. “Whatever you can’t find, I will. Leave the rest to me.”

What he couldn’t do before, he was ready to do now.

Aiken looked at him, taking in the bloodshot eyes, the hollowed-out look. Lawrence reminded him of a wounded lion—battered, alone, still standing even after losing everyone he cared about.

Right on the edge of despair, still somehow forcing himself to go on.

“If you’re really going to help, then Bonnie…”

Lawrence cut him off, voice barely more than a whisper. “She can’t know I was here. Don’t tell her, please.”

His heart was breaking apart, but he couldn’t help repeating himself, softer every time.