I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 67

When Sophie walked into the apartment, her mother was waiting for her in the living room, exactly as expected.

Meeting Sarah's scrutinizing gaze, she walked over, clutching the Starlight Bunny Plush Gavin had given her.

Sarah, realizing she had overreacted on the phone, softened her voice. "Is Gavin feeling any better?"

"He's doing better," Sophie replied softly, taking a seat beside her mother.

"Sophie..." Sarah began hesitantly. "I know you're an adult now, but I'm just so terrified of seeing you get hurt again. You have to learn how to protect your heart."

"I know," Sophie murmured, looking down at her hands.

"Gavin seems like a wonderful boy. He's handsome, well-educated, has a great job, and comes from a good family. But parents from a background like that can be incredibly demanding. If he derails his entire career to move here for you, do you really think his parents won't resent you for it? What if they try to tear you two apart?"

Sophie remained silent. Sarah pressed on, "Jason's mother passed away, and his father has a whole new family, so he won't meddle. And Mia absolutely adores you. At the very least, if you chose Jason, you wouldn't be fighting an uphill battle."

"Mom, stop playing matchmaker. Who told you he likes me? There is absolutely nothing going on between us."

Sophie felt a surge of frustration. Her mother was only making things infinitely more complicated.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed. The way he looks at you is different from how he looks at anyone else. And he's done so much for us. If that's not love, then what is it?"

Before Sarah could finish, Sophie cut her off.

"Mom, I hate constantly guessing. I hate misinterpreting a single look as affection, only to feel like an absolute fool the next time they act distant. I am done living in a state of constant doubt. If someone likes me, they need to look me in the eye and say it clearly."

Her face flushed with emotion, and tears pricked her eyes.

"Sophie..." Seeing her daughter so worked up, Sarah realized she had hit a deeply painful nerve and suddenly didn't know what to say.

"Gavin told me he loved me from day one. He told me exactly why he liked me, when he started liking me, and what his plans were for our future. He laid everything out completely transparently. Since I said yes to him, I'm not going to let myself waver."

Sophie looked her mother dead in the eye. She hadn't agreed to date Gavin on a whim. She had thought long and hard about it. She was ready to start fresh, and she was going to fiercely protect the love Gavin had given her.

The two of them sat in silence for a long moment before Sophie finally stood up. "Mom, I'm going to bed. Please don't say anything else to Jason about this. It's just going to make everything unbearable."

"Sophie." Sarah called out just as her daughter reached the hall. "Have you truly forgotten him?"

"I will," Sophie said, pausing without looking back. She added with absolute certainty, "I definitely will. I've already started my new life."

Sarah stared at her daughter's slender, stubbornly rigid back.

When Sophie had left for college in San Francisco, she had strictly forbidden Sarah from seeing her off at the airport, claiming she could handle it herself. She had walked through the security gates without looking back once.

She never let Sarah drop her off, and she never asked to be picked up when she came home.

Sophie looked over. Her mother was already putting on her coat.

"I'm going to drop off some breakfast sandwiches for Mia. The ones in the pan have sausage. If you two decide to come back for lunch, give me a call beforehand. If not, just send me a text so I know."

"Mom... I shouldn't have yelled at you last night."

Her tone had been way too harsh. Seeing the lingering sadness in her mother's eyes made an ache settle in Sophie's chest.

"I'm just so afraid..." Sarah let out a heavy sigh. "Sophie, no matter what happens, I just want you to be happy."

"Mom, I'm not that fragile, and I'm not that easy to break. If he can't accept my past, I'll walk away. I'd understand."

Hearing those words only made Sarah's heart ache more. She quickly wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye while pretending to adjust her shoes.

"I'm heading out. The weather's gorgeous today, you two should go for a nice walk."

Gavin walked into the lobby just as Sarah was walking out.

"Good morning, Sarah." Gavin offered a polite nod and a bright, clear smile.

"Go on up, Sophie's waiting for you."