Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 38

Bonnie’s expression wavered for a split second. Hatred flickered in her eyes as she stared at Lawrence, every emotion boiling just beneath the surface.

Lawrence stood there, clueless. He was the cause of it all, and he didn't have any idea.

That made sense, though. Hannah, always the picture of perfection, never let so much as a crack show in front of her husband. And the Lane family? They'd never let Lawrence in on the truth either. God forbid his precious sense of guilt should be triggered.

Bonnie’s voice came out cold, ice threading every word. “Whatever’s going on with me, it’s not your problem.”

She pushed past Lawrence, forcing her way through the narrow space beside him.

He stood there a while, the pressure of her arm still lingering on his chest. It took him a long time to finally breathe easy again.

Back in the private room, her coworkers and the boss were deep into their drinks, the room buzzing with half-drunken laughter. Someone must have come by to top off the glasses, because there was now a goblet of red wine waiting for her.

Lawrence slipped back to his seat just as the institute leaders led everyone in a round of toasts for the client.

Nobody at the institute forced the women to drink, and the engineers were rarely expected to do anything besides eat quietly. But Bonnie’s nerves were all jumbled, and every now and then pain pricked at her ear, just sharp enough to make her want to try the wine.

She picked up her glass, furrowing her brow as she took a sip.

Lawrence’s fingers were wrapped around his own glass, white-knuckled. He tipped his head back and downed the entire drink, making sure the institute leaders saw his respect, or maybe it was just a show.

Glass after glass, Lawrence kept drinking.

By the time the dinner wound down and people started making their way out, the tips of his ears had turned red, but he still managed to stand steady, shaking hands and saying goodbye like nothing was wrong.

Only Abbot noticed the truth. The corners of Lawrence’s eyes were flushed, unfocused. He’d seen this before, back in their start-up days in America. Lawrence would look fine to everyone else, but once they were alone in the car, he’d break. Abbot remembered a night when Lawrence sat next to him, choking on quiet sobs, calling out for Odette. Abbot had bought him a bunch of candy just to get him to smile before he finally fell asleep.

When they arrived at their destination, Lawrence refused to move. Under the glow of the interior lights, Abbot could see his eyes were damp.

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