Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 189

Bonnie had braced herself for this moment, but she could only manage a quiet, “What kind of application?”

Aiken looked at her, serious as ever. “I want to transfer from neighborhood police officer to your boyfriend. I probably can’t be there for you around the clock, and I might have to drop everything and leave, even in the middle of a date. My job’s risky. But I promise I’ll do the best I can to take care of you and handle my work too.”

He paused, then asked, “So, Bonnie, would you give your approval?”

His confession caught her off guard, but not really. Bonnie had imagined this exact moment before, pictured how she might answer if Aiken ever put his heart completely on the line. Maybe she’d try to say yes, because she knew herself well enough to know she wasn’t looking back anymore. All she’d ever wanted was to move on and start over.

She couldn’t deny that the shadows of her last relationship still clung to her. The memories Lawrence left behind were still sharp and clear. But forgetting and forgiving… those were two completely different things.

Aiken treated her so well, and Bonnie didn’t mind being around him. Maybe, over time, they could go the distance together. She had thought about it, turned it over in her mind more than once.

She’d also thought about turning him down. It didn’t feel fair to Aiken—to accept a love so honest and pure when she was so far from being able to give the same back. This wasn’t like some arranged date where both sides weighed the pros and cons, checked the boxes, did the math. Aiken was offering his heart, and—naturally—he hoped to get her love in return.

Maybe Aiken was patient enough to wait for her to open up. But what about later? If he realized things were never truly equal, would he get hurt or regret his choices? Would they start to argue or clash because of that?

Her last relationship with Lawrence had started full of hope, intense and beautiful, but it ended a mess she could never untangle. Bonnie was honestly scared now, maybe even traumatized. Rather than saying yes in a rush when she hadn’t even fallen for Aiken yet, it seemed smarter to give herself more time.

She’d thought about all of it.

Still, now that the day had come, and Aiken was crouched in front of her, smiling, clear eyes locked on hers, waiting for her answer… Bonnie realized she couldn’t say yes. She couldn’t say no, either. She just… froze.

Her voice dropped to barely more than a whisper, and there was a touch of pleading in it. “There’s just been so much going on lately. The mess online, work not going well, and I’m getting ready for grad school. I might have to move to Oasinia for three whole years. Everything’s so tangled up, even I can’t get my head on straight. I honestly don’t have the bandwidth right now to think about my feelings. Aiken, can you give me some time? Let me wait until things settle down a bit, and I promise, I’ll think about it properly. Is that okay?”

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