I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 48

"Mr. Baxter made it very clear. We've already prepared your rooms and toiletries."

Sophie called Mr. Baxter directly. "What's more important, your job or your little romance?" he barked into the receiver. "You're old enough to know how to prioritize."

"You have two kids, Mr. Baxter. Have a little sympathy for us aging single women. The clock is ticking, and I'm desperate," she volleyed back smoothly, her tone perfectly polite but laced with steel.

"You lack the professional drive Gwen has. Don't think just because you used to work for Mr. Lawrence that you get special privileges."

She absorbed his insults gracefully but refused to yield an inch. No matter how aggressively he threatened her, she adamantly refused to ditch Gavin.

In the end, it was Luke who called the boss, stating that his cold had taken a turn for the worse and he unfortunately had to decline the generous offer to stay.

On the drive back, Luke genuinely looked awful. He kept his eyes squeezed shut the entire way.

Sophie and Gwen remained completely silent, and the driver wisely kept his mouth shut.

Gwen insisted on dragging Luke to the emergency room. They dropped Sophie off at a subway station on the way.

By the time she reached the restaurant where she was meeting Gavin, the dinner rush had faded, leaving the dining room mostly empty.

"Have you been waiting long? Why haven't you ordered?"

"I was waiting for you," he smiled, handing her the menu.

After placing their order, Sophie leaned forward. "What did you do today?"

"I met with the director of the local research institute. I'm filing for a transfer after the new year."

He held her gaze, his eyes bright and unwavering.

"You're... moving to Seattle?"

She was genuinely shocked. They were barely a month into dating. The idea of him uprooting his entire life for her triggered a massive spike of anxiety.

"You refuse to move to San Francisco, so I have to come to you."

He said it playfully, but seeing the panic flashing in her eyes, his tone softened. "Sophie."

She looked up. He gave a helpless, reassuring smile. "I'm not trying to suffocate you. We take this at your pace. It honestly doesn't matter where I work."

From the very beginning, Gavin had been the one crossing the distance. She realized that even if she wasn't ready to sprint toward him, she couldn't keep backing away.

Gwen texted her later that night, confirming the doctor had prescribed antibiotics for Luke and it was nothing serious. She told Sophie to enjoy her date and promised to handle babysitting duty if anything escalated.

They spent the weekend sightseeing, wandering through botanical gardens and historic ruins, finally walking the perimeter of the city's ancient fortifications.

His train left just past seven. They grabbed an early dinner, and by six, he was heading toward the subway to catch his ride.

He adamantly refused to let her come to the station.

"Afraid I'll make a scene and cry?" she teased. "Not a chance."

"I'm afraid I'll cry, and refuse to get on the train," he laughed, brushing his thumb gently across her bottom lip.

Gwen was wearing knee-high boots with dangerously high heels, and both her hands were weighed down with shopping bags. The force of the shove sent her crashing backward.

Sophie lunged to catch her, but she was too late. Gwen hit the pavement hard, right on the curb.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

Sophie swung her heavy purse, bashing the man across the shoulder.

Scott absorbed the blow but didn't retaliate. Staring down at his ex-wife, he muttered, "Are you okay?"

"Sophie. My ankle is shattered."

Gwen was paralyzed with pain, unable to move.

Scott quickly placated his new wife, then rushed over to help Sophie lift Gwen off the concrete.

"Don't try to extort me over this. I barely touched you," he grumbled, his brow furrowed.

Gwen pointed a shaking finger at him, sweating profusely, entirely stripped of the energy to hurl insults.

"You are driving her to the hospital. Do not even think about running," Sophie threatened, bodily blocking his path.

Scott glared at her for a few seconds before looking over at Gwen, who was precariously leaning against a parked car. Knowing he was screwed, he conceded.

He tossed his own keys to his wife, telling her to take a cab, grabbed Gwen's keys, and shoved the two women into the car to speed toward the ER.