Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 72

The air in the room felt weird.

Bonnie’s return didn’t bring the easy warmth of a daughter who visited all the time, but it also wasn’t the over-the-top excitement you might expect after a long absence. Instead, there was this heaviness, like everyone was skirting around some unspoken topic.

Aiken dipped his head and broke the silence. “Hi, I’m Bonnie’s friend. I’m Aiken.”

It took Shirley a moment to respond. When she did, she looked Aiken up and down, her manner polite but guarded. “Oh, so you’re Candie’s friend. You sound local… Where do you work? How did you meet Candie?”

Bonnie started to chime in, but when she saw the determination on her mom’s face, she thought better of it and stayed quiet. If Shirley wanted answers, she was going to get them, one way or another.

Aiken gave her a reassuring smile. “Shirley, I work at the police station. Bonnie and I met back in college. My family lives near Horizon International School. My dad’s a police officer too, and my mom… she’s a teacher.”

That seemed to do the trick. Shirley’s sharp look softened, and a real smile tugged at her lips. “So your mother teaches at Horizon International School? I gave a lecture there once. Maybe we’ve met. Aiken, what’s your mother’s name?”

Before Shirley could dig any deeper, Bonnie jumped in. “Mom, that’s enough, okay?”

Shirley glanced at her daughter, who looked unusually thin and tired, then quietly let it go. She turned back to Aiken, her voice back to polite hospitality. “Would you like to come in?”

Aiken shook his head in apology. He could tell this wasn’t the right time. Instead, he handed Bonnie a bag from his trunk, then grabbed a box of tea from the other side for her mom.

“Happy holidays,” he said, his voice light.

Bonnie blinked in surprise at the gift. She stared, and Aiken just grinned, winking at her playfully.

In front of her parents, Bonnie felt awkward. Her cheeks went pink as she collected the bags, her gaze dropping to the floor.

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