Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 188

Aiken was caught off guard. He’d seen the bag when he walked in, but he’d been busy talking to Lawrence about Bonnie at the time, so it barely registered. He just assumed it was one of Bonnie’s things and moved on.

He never would have guessed it was for him.

A quiet happiness crept in, softening his features, making his eyes shine a bit more than usual. After wiping his hands dry, he wandered over to the console table and picked up the bag, turning it over in his hands. His heart felt unexpectedly light. He pulled out the box, opened it carefully, and found a sleek black watch resting quietly inside.

It was simple but elegant, low-key but absolutely classy.

Aiken genuinely liked it, enough that he just stood there for a beat, staring.

“You really didn’t have to,” he said, suddenly shy and not quite ready to put it on. Carrying the box with him, he walked back into the room and found Bonnie sitting at the edge of the bed beside her nightstand, a bunch of tissues scrunched in her fist, looking a bit lost. He didn't question it too much. “So, what made you decide to get me a gift all of a sudden?”

Bonnie stirred, forcing a small smile. “You gave me that scarf before, and you’ve been helping me out so much lately. I just wanted to say thank you. Try it on and see if it fits, okay? If you don’t like it, or want to swap it out for a different style, we totally can.”

Aiken teased, “So it’s a thank-you present. You know, police officers aren’t supposed to accept expensive gifts from regular citizens.”

Bonnie’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “Relax, I won’t turn you in.”

Aiken met her gaze, warmth spilling from his eyes. Bonnie dropped her head, and the tips of her ears turned a little pink.

He smiled, unclasped his old watch and set it aside, then slipped Bonnie’s gift onto his wrist. He held his arm out for her. “How does it look?”

Bonnie glanced at the watch, then back at him, and nodded. “It looks really good. Honestly, it suits you way better than the guy in the ads.”

She wasn’t exaggerating, either. Aiken had this air about him—serious, upright, good-looking. The watch just fit him, maybe even more so than on those poster models.

The way he was smiling made her feel oddly self-conscious.

Bonnie had meant to give the gift in public, somewhere neutral, not in her own apartment. It felt too private, a little awkward and…a little more intimate than she’d expected.

Aiken didn’t say anything, which only made Bonnie more on edge.

“Let me finish first,” Aiken smiled, a little sheepish. “But honestly, it’s not too late. Meeting you again after three years is still better than losing you forever, right?”

“You probably don’t know this, but I had a crush on you for three years. Back at the ski resort, I wasn’t really interested in being your instructor for a couple hundred bucks. It’s just…out there on that endless white snow, surrounded by crowds in colorful gear, you were the only one I couldn’t look away from. I saw you take off your goggles and sit alone. It was busy all around you, but you just seemed so lonely. I gathered all my courage to go over, but every bit of it disappeared the moment your boyfriend showed up.”

The regret in Aiken’s voice was real, almost heavy. He hadn’t wanted to be the reason Bonnie fought with Lawrence, so he’d left for the advanced slope instead. “If only I hadn’t walked away so quickly…maybe things would be different.”

Bonnie’s emotions twisted inside, part of her wanting to laugh, part of her wanting to cry. Everything just felt like a mess. Aiken had put everything out in the open, confessed straight from the heart, completely catching her off guard.

She just didn’t know what to do with it.

She gripped her tissues tighter, picking up the faintest metallic tang. After everything that had happened lately, her heart felt so tired, she wasn’t even sure how to handle something as big as this.

Aiken saw it all, but he still needed to say what he came to say. “Bonnie, I’ve never dated anyone. My whole relationship history is just a blank, except for this one failed crush. I’ve got steady work, my family is simple. Right now, there’s something I want to ask. Kind of like applying for a new job…I want to submit an official request to you. Would you be willing to consider it?”