I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 202

Experience truly was the best teacher, and Jason had completely outmaneuvered her.

"I thought I was the clever siren in this relationship, but it turns out Jason is the real sly mastermind here," Gwen complained over the phone to Sophie Sullivan.

Sophie burst into a fit of hysterical laughter on the other end of the line.

"I was actually preparing a whole speech to talk you out of dumping him! Men like Jason don't stay on the market for long. If you let him go, someone else would snatch him up instantly. But look at you—you're completely wrapped around his little finger."

"Excuse me, I'm quite the catch myself, thank you very much," Gwen scoffed, refusing to let Sophie stroke Jason's ego while diminishing her own.

"Of course you are. Our gorgeous Gwen is the most irresistible woman in the world."

The two best friends shared a few more easy laughs before finally hanging up.

Gavin Gilmore had been watching Sophie with a fond, easy smile. Once she settled back into his arms, he arched an eyebrow. "I thought 'irresistible' was a compliment reserved exclusively for me?"

Sophie suddenly remembered their last banter session when Gavin was shamelessly fishing for compliments, and she had jokingly told him, "Yes, you're the absolute best, the most irresistible man in the world."

The man was possessive even over compliments. Sophie realized she had definitely been spoiling her fiancé lately, letting his ego soar a little too high into the clouds.

"You're not the only one in my heart, you know. There's my mom, Gwen, my boss, and plenty of other people," she teased.

"Plenty of other people?" Gavin gently pinched her chin, putting on his best brooding, dominant CEO expression.

"They're all just background noise. You're the only man who holds my heart."

Sophie played along flawlessly, melting against his chest with a soft, affectionate sigh.

Being with Gavin brought out a playful, mischievous side she never knew she had.

When Sunday rolled around, Mr. Grayson's home health aide had the day off. Jason and Mia drove over to pick up Gwen and her father for an afternoon at the park.

The park was just a short, fifteen-minute walk from their neighborhood, but given George Grayson's limited mobility, Jason insisted on being their designated chauffeur.

Upon arriving, Jason carefully helped George out of the car and supported him as they made their way to a paved promenade to practice his physical therapy steps.

Mia glided around a nearby plaza on her rollerblades while Gwen kept a watchful eye on her. Every so often, Gwen's gaze would drift from the little girl over to the promenade, watching Jason patiently support her struggling father.

Whenever their eyes met across the distance, a warm, silent affection passed between them.

George was still recovering and exhausted quickly, needing to sit on a nearby bench after only a short stroll.

Mia skated over, digging into her little backpack to hand out cheese sticks to everyone.

Commuting by subway was convenient enough, and the money she'd save on gas, insurance, and maintenance would perfectly cover her dad's physical therapy bills.

She kept this plan a secret from Jason, too. The moment she showed even a hint of financial struggle, he would immediately insist on paying for everything. She refused to play the role of the helpless damsel with her hand out.

She waited until the car was officially sold before dropping the news on him.

To her surprise, Jason was completely supportive. "I'll be your designated chauffeur from now on. It just gives us more time to be alone together."

It was true—they hadn't had a shred of privacy lately.

Gwen was entirely consumed with caring for her father, while Jason was busy helping Mia adjust to her first-grade homework assignments. Any romantic banter had been strictly limited to late-night video calls right before they fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Sophie received The Court Notice in the mail that morning, followed swiftly by a call from Luke Lawrence that afternoon.

"I'm flying into the city tomorrow," Luke said over the line. "I need to go over the final trial details with the lawyers. I'd like you there with me."

"Alright," Sophie agreed softly. A part of her desperately wanted to ask how he was holding up, but she forced the question down.

Ever since Luke had sent her that single text message before he left, there had been absolute radio silence between them. Naturally, she hadn't reached out to him either.

But they couldn't avoid each other forever. This trial meant everything to both of them, and it was finally time to face the music.