I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 171

Sophie sat by Luke's hospital bed for a while, but Eleanor and Arthur Lawrence had yet to return.

She quietly watched Luke sleep, her gaze tracing the line of his eyelashes, down to his nose, his lips, memorizing the contours of his face.

Eight years ago, she had stared at his sleeping face with the exact same focus. Back then, she'd felt the secret thrill of stealing glances, giddy just to be so close to him.

Now...

Looking at this face from such a close distance again, Sophie only felt a deep, suffocating ache.

His head was heavily bandaged, leaving only his face exposed.

The years had left their mark on him. His features were much leaner than before, faint lines creasing his brow, his lips pale and bloodless... Time had slipped past them, quietly changing so much.

Back then, when he had suddenly opened his eyes and caught her staring, she had been flustered, embarrassed, and completely at a loss. But now, she desperately wished he would open his eyes, hoping to see that familiar, teasing smirk resting on his lips.

"Luke, please... wake up soon." Tears slid down Sophie's cheeks, dropping one by one onto the back of his hand.

Hearing voices at the door, Sophie hastily wiped her face.

Eleanor and Arthur walked in, followed closely by Harold and Victoria Harper.

The moment Sophie saw Victoria, she turned her head away.

"What's wrong?"

Eleanor noticed the tear tracks on the back of Luke's hand and the small damp patch on the bedsheets. She looked at Sophie's eyes, her lashes still wet—obvious signs she had just been crying.

Sophie hurriedly grabbed a tissue and dabbed at Luke's hand. His fingers were ice-cold. As she touched him, his fingers seemed to twitch.

Sophie gasped, cradling his palm in hers to look closer. Eleanor noticed her reaction and immediately locked her eyes on Luke's hand.

Slowly, Luke's fingers curled inward, gently squeezing Sophie's hand.

"He moved! His fingers moved!" Eleanor instantly slammed the call button at the head of the bed. "Doctor..."

Sophie pulled her hand back, instinctively stepping aside.

Eleanor rushed forward, grabbing Luke's hand. "Luke, it's Mom," she said, her voice shaking with emotion.

She waited with bated breath for her son to respond.

Luke slowly opened his eyes. He stared at Eleanor for a moment before croaking out, "Mom." His voice was incredibly raw.

"Luke, you're finally awake..." Eleanor's tears spilled over uncontrollably.

The doctor quickly entered the room, leaning over to check Luke's pupils.

Outside the CT room, Arthur was gently wiping Eleanor's tears.

"Luke is awake, why are you still crying? I told you, he's the toughest kid out there. He always pulls through."

Sophie and Harold stood on opposite sides of the hall, waiting in silence. Harold looked like he wanted to say something a few times, but Sophie refused to make eye contact. She didn't want to hear a single word about Eileen.

When Victoria finally walked over, Sophie's expression turned even colder.

The nurses rolled Luke out, and the doctor handed the CT scans to Eleanor and Arthur, explaining the results.

Sophie didn't step forward. She stood a few feet away, quietly watching Luke on the gurney.

She caught snippets of the doctor's explanation—his condition was stable, but they needed to observe him for potential memory loss.

"Thank God he's okay." Eleanor wept tears of joy.

Sophie's heart finally settled.

"Mrs. Lawrence, since Luke is awake, I'm going to head back," Sophie said, stepping forward to excuse herself.

"He just woke up. Don't you want to stay with him?"

Eleanor wanted her to stay. But seeing Sophie's conflicted expression, and then glancing over at Victoria, she let it drop.