"Who is actually part of this family? Me or Bonnie? Is she more important to you than I am? She's just his girlfriend! They've only been together for a year, and who knows if they'll even get married! What right does she have to act like the boss of this house and dictate whether I stay or go?"
Hannah's voice pitched higher, turning shrill and hysterical as violent tremors wracked her body. "You promised you would love me forever! You promised you'd always take care of me! So why won't you take my side? Why are you kicking me out? Does this mean I can never be around if Bonnie is here? Why?!"
Seeing her completely unhinged and bordering on a psychological break, Odette was terrified to say anything that might push her further. She reached out to grab Hannah's hand, only for Hannah to violently slap it away.
Hannah curled into a tight ball in the corner of the couch, completely devastated. Odette hadn't denied it, which meant her worst fear was true. Lawrence really wanted nothing to do with her.
He didn't even want to maintain a basic polite relationship. He had been so cold, refusing to even look at her, having clearly made up his mind to sever all ties for Bonnie's sake.
The realization plunged Hannah into a suffocating, blinding panic. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. The manic energy clawing at her insides was so unbearable she let out sharp, sudden screams just to relieve the pressure.
Odette jumped in sheer panic.
She quickly tried to hold her, and Hannah sobbed into her arms with such harrowing misery that Odette completely abandoned the idea of pushing the US conversation.
She had to back off until Hannah was stable.
...
With the situation handled, Lawrence felt a weight lift off his chest. He stopped to buy Bonnie's favorite snacks before heading back to The Observatory.
Bonnie had finished her work and fallen asleep on the couch with a movie playing in the background.
Lawrence turned off the TV, gently pulling the throw blanket down to uncover her luminous skin. He leaned in, placing soft kisses on her face. Not fully asleep, Bonnie's eyelashes fluttered. Seeing it was him, she sleepily shifted, resting her head affectionately on his lap.
Lawrence leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep, lingering kiss.


VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging