I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 69

Valentine's Day arrived just a couple of days after they returned to work. From the moment the office doors opened, extravagant bouquets of roses were being delivered left and right.

It was hard for any woman not to appreciate roses. Even though Sophie had received a sweet morning text from Gavin, watching her female coworkers light up as they received massive floral arrangements still sparked a tiny twinge of envy.

Luke Lawrence had never bought her roses. He only ever gave her expensive jewelry—likely picked out as an afterthought while he was shopping for someone else.

Just as she was lost in thought, the receptionist called her name. The delivery man confirmed her identity and handed over a massive, breathtaking arrangement of deep red roses.

When she carried them back to her desk, the coworker next to her gasped. "From your boyfriend? They're stunning."

Sophie smiled and thanked her. Beyond the sheer joy of receiving the flowers, having her relationship openly acknowledged and slightly envied satisfied a tiny, very human sliver of vanity.

She absolutely despised the anxiety of keeping things hidden, the sneaking around, the constant fear of being caught. Love was only healthy and radiant when it was allowed to thrive in the sunlight.

Gwen caught sight of the gorgeous bouquet from her glass office and immediately shot off a text.

"Gavin is quite the romantic! Anyone who gets flowers like that is buying lunch to comfort her single friends' broken hearts."

While they were eating lunch together, Gwen mused, "He's a little dense, though. He should have taken two extra days off to spend Valentine's Day with you before flying back."

"He has to wrap up his current projects as fast as possible, hand everything off to his team, and deal with a mountain of transfer paperwork. He's incredibly busy," Sophie immediately defended him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you, already whipped. I give him one tiny critique, and you unleash a barrage of excuses. I guess your precious darling is immune to criticism now."

Sophie blushed furiously at Gwen's teasing and shot back, "Even buying you lunch can't shut you up."

"I'm looking out for you! Don't just hand over your entire heart on a silver platter. You have to hold a little back. Men love the chase—they love it when you play hard to get. Haven't you ever heard that saying? 'Men only want what they can't have.' Once they have you, they stop trying."

Gwen aggressively twirled her spaghetti onto her fork, generously dispensing the wisdom she had violently extracted from a string of failed relationships.

Noticing Sophie's skeptical expression, she added deadly seriously, "I speak from painful, firsthand experience."

Desperate to protect her beautiful roses from the chaos of public transit, Sophie splurged on a cab ride home.

Stepping out at her apartment complex, she froze. Standing right there, hands casually tucked into his pockets and a brilliant smile on his face, was Gavin.

Behind him, the sun was just beginning to set, staining the horizon a deep, vibrant crimson. The soft golden-hour light caught his smile, making him look breathtakingly warm and magnetic.

She let out a soft gasp, completely rooted to the spot. It wasn't until Gavin opened his arms that she finally snapped out of her daze, practically launching herself at him with a one-armed hug.

"What are you doing here?!"

It was the ultimate shock—when he left, he had sworn he would be buried in paperwork and wouldn't be able to visit until the transfer was finalized.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify