I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 73

A faint, despairing smile broke across Sophie's pale face, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

"How touching. But even if you died right in front of me, I still wouldn't sign it."

When she had whipped around to face Luke, she had fully intended to slap him. But now, it felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body.

Her hands clenched at her sides, lacking even the energy to raise them. She turned around slowly, never wanting to see this man again.

"Sophie." Luke took a step forward, grabbing her wrist.

"Listen to me..."

Before he could get another word out, a heavy fist smashed into his face. Gavin yanked Luke's grip off Sophie's wrist and pulled her securely behind him.

"Stop bothering Sophie. Stop bringing your mess into her life."

Gavin's voice wasn't loud, but it struck with the force of a hammer.

Luke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his knuckles, ignoring Gavin entirely. "This is between her and me."

He tried to step around Gavin, but Gavin shoved him back hard.

"She's my girlfriend. Stay the hell away from her."

A black sedan suddenly screeched to a halt by the curb. Before the car was even fully parked, a middle-aged woman threw open the door and stormed out.

"Luke!" she shrieked. "Where is Eileen? What the hell is going on here?"

Her gaze swept over the three of them. The streetlights were dim, but she immediately spotted Sophie.

She pointed a trembling finger at Sophie, though she directed her wrath at Luke. "That's the girl who drove us to the airport last time. You did all this for her..."

"This has nothing to do with her. It's my fault."

Luke's gaze bypassed the woman, looking toward the middle-aged man who was walking over to join them.

"You little bitch! If anything happens to my daughter, I swear I'll destroy you!"

Victoria Harper lunged at Sophie, raising her right hand to strike.

As Gavin pulled Sophie back, Luke stepped right into the line of fire, shielding Sophie with his body. He caught Victoria's raised wrist and pleaded, "Victoria, it's my fault. If you want to hit someone, hit me."

Without hesitation, Victoria raised her left hand and slapped Luke hard across the face.

Luke stood perfectly still, taking the blow without flinching.

Because she was shorter, the slap landed on his jawline. Her long nails dragged across his skin, leaving three bloody scratches.

"Name your price. Whatever you want, we can accommodate," Harold pressed, still trying to negotiate.

A taxi pulled up in front of them. Gavin opened the door and ushered Sophie inside, using his own body as a barrier between her and Harold.

"My girlfriend has made herself perfectly clear. Leave her alone."

"Sir, could you turn up the heat, please?"

It was a mid-March night, and the wind was biting. Sophie's shirt was thoroughly soaked and plastered to her skin. Even wrapped in Gavin's thick coat, she was shivering violently.

Her hands were like ice; no matter how long Gavin rubbed them, they wouldn't warm up.

The driver glanced at the couple in the rearview mirror and, though a bit reluctant, blasted the heater.

Gavin pulled Sophie into his arms, rubbing her back gently, soothing her like a wounded kitten.

"Are you hungry? Let's go grab something to eat."

Sophie shook her head. "I'm just tired. Take me home."

"I really regret not listening to my mom," Gavin murmured. "When I was in grad school, she told me to learn how to cook whenever I came home for the holidays. She said that when the girl you love gets sick, cooking for her is the most romantic thing a man can do. I was too lazy back then. Now I want to cook for you, but I wouldn't even know where to start. You'll have to teach me later."