Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 61

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Lawrence sat in silence for a long time after hearing what Abbot said.

Abbot could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen Lawrence look so lost. Lawrence was always the quiet type, keeping to himself. He was only twenty-five, but it felt like the world had put a little too much on his plate. Most days, you’d catch him by the window, cigarette in hand, brooding while he watched the clouds drift by.

Back in the States, there were two things Abbot dreaded most. One was Lawrence working himself into the ground. The other was getting a call from Hannah. If Lawrence didn’t show up at home, Hannah usually tracked Abbot down. She always used the sweetest voice, coaxing him to talk Lawrence into coming back.

For a long time, Abbot had no clue what really went on between Lawrence and Hannah. But after they came back to China, after he finally met Bonnie, it all started to make sense. She was the real reason behind it all.

Abbot listened carefully, pretending to mind his own business, but he couldn’t stop glancing through the carved designs in the wooden screen behind him, just to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

He was pretty sure this blind date wasn’t going anywhere. Bonnie looked distracted, her mind obviously somewhere else.

He waited, trying to be patient. Ten minutes passed, maybe a little more, and the date finally wrapped up. The guy left. One of the Love Begins Here staff members slid into the seat across from Bonnie, asking her how it went, if she wanted to swap contact info, maybe chat more later. She said the guy seemed nice enough, nothing wrong with him.

Abbot figured Bonnie would politely decline, but she just smiled and said, “Sure, we can talk again sometime.”

He blinked in surprise, then pulled out his phone and sent Lawrence a quick update.

Lawrence replied almost instantly. Get the guy’s information.

That was easy enough. These days, every matchmaking event felt like a selective screening process, and anyone introduced to Bonnie was already pre-approved in every way. Plus, Abbot had overheard that the matchmaker was actually related to one of Bonnie’s friends.

He excused himself, went to the restroom, and started making calls. A few minutes and a couple of connections later, he got ahold of the owner of Love Begins Here. Soon enough, a whole file popped up on his phone.

Lawrence was at home when Abbot sent the information. Outside, Carl was by the fishpond with Jasper, tossing in pellets for the little fish. Odette and Hannah were in the garden, fussing with their flowers. Lawrence sat in a rocking chair, gazing at the bright blue sky, lost in thought.