I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 199

It was 8:00 PM by the time Jason finally stepped out of the conference room. He called Gwen while waiting for the elevator.

"The clients came over today to discuss some design revisions, and it dragged on until now. Did you and your dad eat?"

"Yeah. Sarah came by at noon and made two jars of meat sauce, so boiling some pasta is easy."

"I'm heading over now. Wait for me."

Before Gwen could refuse, Jason blamed the bad elevator reception, quickly said goodbye, and hung up.

Half an hour later, Jason knocked on the door, holding a bag of fruit.

Gwen was dressed in a simple baggy t-shirt and shorts, completely makeup-free. Her long curly hair was tied in a messy bun, and faint dark circles shadowed her eyes.

"Did you not sleep well last night? Are you burning yourself out?" Jason asked softly.

"I'm okay," Gwen replied quietly, stepping aside to let him in.

George was half-lying on the sofa watching TV. Gwen had just helped him walk a few laps around the living room and was feeling drained herself. When George saw Jason, he mumbled a greeting, his speech still slurred.

Jason carried the fruit into the kitchen, and Gwen followed him in.

"You should head back early and spend time with Mia. Everything's fine here. It's not fair to keep making Sarah work overtime."

"I already called Sarah. I'll leave right after I give your dad a shower."

Jason turned around and glanced toward the living room. He gently pulled Gwen deeper into the kitchen, entirely out of her father's line of sight.

He wrapped her in his arms and rested his forehead against hers. "Don't work yourself to the bone. If you need anything, remember to tell me. I'm always here for you."

Jason didn't ask why she had ignored his message last night, and Gwen didn't bring it up either.

They stood there in silent embrace for a while until George's coughing drifted in from the living room, prompting them to pull apart.

Jason cut a watermelon into small, bite-sized cubes so George could easily eat them with a toothpick. Even so, watermelon juice kept dripping onto George's shirt.

"I'll go change."

Jason pulled a tank top and a pair of athletic shorts from his bag—clothes he had specifically packed for bathing George.

After changing, he supported George into the bathroom. Gwen cleared the coffee table and collapsed onto the sofa.

She was truly exhausted.

For the first half of the night, she had lain awake agonizing over her situation with Jason. For the second half, she had heard her father get up and had to sprint over to help him to the restroom.

Terrified he would fall, she hadn't dared to leave his side even while he used the toilet.

"Stop being so polite with us," Sophie said, gently patting her hand. "If anything comes up, don't try to shoulder it all alone. We live right next door, it's super easy for us to come over."

Gwen squeezed Sophie's hand back, suddenly noticing the diamond ring resting on her left middle finger.

"Whoa, Gavin actually pulled off the proposal! When did this happen?"

Sophie exchanged a smiling glance with Gavin before telling Gwen, "The night he got back from his business trip."

"That's amazing." Gwen threw her arms around Sophie.

She had witnessed Sophie and Gavin's entire journey from the beginning. She felt a profound wave of emotion and joy, like watching her own family finally get their happily ever after.

"Yeah. Even though we hit a few bumps along the way, we finally pushed through it. As long as two people are on the same page, there's no hurdle you can't cross."

Sophie was talking about herself and Gavin, but she was specifically making sure Gwen and Jason heard it too.

That afternoon, when she had called to check on Gwen, Gwen had confessed that she wanted to break up with Jason.

*"It's exactly because I love him that I don't want to drag him down. At the very least, if we end it now, we can still hold onto the good memories we had."*

Sophie had urged Gwen to think it over. No one's life was perfectly smooth sailing, and love was the same. Obstacles were just a normal part of life.

*"It's not the same. His mother's opposition was temporary; once she saw how determined Gavin was to be with you, she was bound to compromise. But my dad's situation is permanent. Taking care of a sick patient absolutely destroys a person. Jason doesn't need to suffer through this with me."*