I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 33

The next morning, Sophie was jolted awake by her ringing phone.

She had lost track of how long she had cried or when she had finally drifted into a heavy, exhausted sleep.

Fumbling for her phone in a daze, her throat felt rough, her voice raspy as if she had swallowed sandpaper.

"You're still asleep? I need to come back and pack my bags. Is it a good time?"

Gwen's voice was hushed on the other end of the line.

It took Sophie a second to register exactly what Gwen meant by asking if it was a good time.

She closed her aching eyes, not bothering to explain. "It's fine. Come on up."

Rubbing her swollen eyelids, Sophie dragged herself out of bed. Her gaze fell on the dark green leather jewelry box resting on the nightstand.

She had bought it with Luke at a little boutique when they were in St. Moritz. She had fallen in love with its minimalist design and gorgeous color the moment she saw it.

When she left, she hadn't taken it with her, as both the box and the jewelry inside were gifts from Luke—including the white gold diamond necklace he had given her for her twenty-ninth birthday.

Sophie popped the lid open. Everything was exactly as she had left it: the earrings, the necklace, the brooch, the bracelet. The only thing missing was a ring.

Beside the box lay a single key.

The only difference between now and when Luke had originally given it to her was the colorful crystal rabbit keychain dangling from it.

After he had given her the key to the apartment, she had ordered the materials online and crafted that keychain herself, gluing every single rhinestone on by hand.

Sophie grabbed the key and hurled it fiercely at the wall. If she hadn't accepted that key seven years ago, she wouldn't have ended up so profoundly broken.

But when she reached for the jewelry box, she hesitated.

Was she really going to play the tragic heroine throwing away her treasures in a fit of rage?

Forgive her lack of ambition, but as someone who wasn't exactly rich, she was genuinely reluctant to throw it all away. Why take it out on the money?

After a brief internal struggle, she shoved the box into the very bottom of her suitcase. She had originally planned to buy a fake decoy ring to ward off unwanted attention; now, she could afford a real one.

Sophie was standing in front of the mirror, pressing a toner-soaked cotton pad against her puffy eyes. It wasn't doing much good, and the dark circles beneath them were painfully obvious.

Suddenly, Gwen's voice broke the silence. "What time did he leave?"

Gwen was leaning against the bathroom doorframe, jutting her chin toward the bed.

The wildly tangled sheets left far too much to the imagination.

"We just talked downstairs for a bit. He never came inside."

Sophie earnestly explained, stepping out to give Gwen the bathroom.

Gwen shot her a look that clearly said *save your breath*. Eyeing Sophie's dark circles, she smiled knowingly. "How late were you guys at it last night?"

"I'm serious. He walked me to the door and left."

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