Chapter 112: Choosing James Over My Boyfriend
As she stepped out of the hospital room, she found Michael standing a few paces away, his eyes crinkling with a warm smile.
A smile tugged at Sophia's lips. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into his chest.
The steady rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her instantly.
For once, she'd been the one to protect him—the boy who had stood by her through every hardship.
Michael pulled her closer, pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. "Baby, want to catch a movie next weekend?"
With his parents awake and recovering well, the crushing weight he'd carried was finally beginning to lift.
"I promised James I'd study with him at the library."
"The weekend after that?"
"Library."
"Next month?"
"James has dibs on every weekend until his exams are over."
She'd made the promise before James's birthday party yesterday—every weekend at the library with him until exams wrapped up.
Michael's smile faltered. Suddenly, Sophia being reunited with the Johnsons didn't seem like such a win for him. Between work, school, and family time, he'd become the afterthought.
They used to see each other several times a month!
"So you'd rather spend time with James than your boyfriend? That's just cruel!"
"I'm working toward my future. Would you really interrupt my study time? Want to see me fail out of college?"
"Don't give me that. You could get into any top university with your eyes closed. You're just choosing James over me." His tone was wistful and resigned, but never accusatory.
Then again, Sophia had been deprived of family for seventeen years. Now that she finally had people to fill that void, spending time with them to strengthen those bonds was only natural.
"The second you finish your last exam, I'm seeing you. I'll be waiting right outside. And if you stand me up, you'll—"
"I'll what?"
Sophia arched an eyebrow, genuinely curious what threat Michael—who never so much as raised his voice at her—could possibly come up with.
The words stuck in Michael's throat. He couldn't think of a single consequence. After a moment's thought, he tilted her chin up and kissed her lips softly.
Feigning seriousness, he added, "I'll carry you to my car and kiss you senseless!"
Sophia froze. Her face turned scarlet. "Michael! Could you please think of something appropriate for once?"
"What's wrong with kissing my own girlfriend?" Amusement threaded through Michael's voice. Every time Sophia called his name in that flustered tone, he found her impossibly adorable.
The way her lovely face flushed pink, her brow furrowing in mock anger—it was intoxicating. He could never get enough.
"I'm not talking to you anymore!" She'd noticed that ever since they'd made things official, Michael had become increasingly shameless. Was this how all guys acted when they were dating?
"Ignoring me again?" Michael hooked a finger under her chin, teasing, "My Sophia's so haughty. Always threatening to stop talking to me."
"You're impossible!"
"Right, right. I'm impossible." Michael chuckled. Sophia was so good at acting cute without even realizing it.
Sophia's embarrassment deepened. She had no comeback left. "If you keep this up, I'm leaving!"
"I surrender. I'll behave." Still grinning, Michael pulled her into a tighter embrace.
Sophia felt the heat spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Great. Michael was rubbing off on her. She was losing all sense of rationality.
About ten minutes later, Matthew—who'd been kicked out by Sarah earlier—wheeled himself back to fetch his wife for lunch. Spotting Michael and Sophia wrapped in each other's arms outside the hospital room, Matthew averted his eyes.
"Where the hell did you get that personality from, son?"
Michael arched an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious?"
Matthew rolled his eyes and wheeled himself inside to find his wife.
Moments later, Ella emerged. Her eyes were still red-rimmed, but her joy was unmistakable. She made a beeline for Sophia and threw her arms around her.
"Sophia!"
Technically, Michael was a year, three months, and seven days older than Sophia. And Sophia was only six months older than Ella.
Yet in appearance, demeanor, and temperament, Ella seemed far younger than Sophia. She'd clearly been sheltered—a genuine, innocent high school girl who'd been spared life's harsher lessons.
They'd only met a handful of times, but Ella adored Sophia and was always effusive when they did see each other.
"Sophia, thank you so much. If you hadn't brought in Dr. Wright, Mom and Dad might never have woken up."
Ella understood that Brandon had only agreed to treat Sarah as a favor to Sophia, which made the gratitude all the more necessary.
Sophia lowered her gaze briefly. She did owe Brandon an enormous debt this time. Unfortunately, the rift between them remained unhealed. She doubted he'd even open the door if she showed up to thank him in person.
She turned to Michael, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. "If you're free this afternoon, maybe we could pick up a gift and go thank Dr. Wright at Solstice Haven?"
Whether Brandon wanted to see her or not, she had to go. It was a matter of sincerity and respect.
At noon, they grabbed lunch together. That afternoon, Ella stayed at the hospital to spend more time with her parents, while Sophia and Michael headed to Solstice Haven with a carefully chosen gift.
Andy answered the door again.
"Dr. Wright still doesn't want to see Sophia. Mr. Green, you can come in."
Sophia exchanged a glance with Michael and offered a gentle smile. "Go ahead. I'll wait in the car."
Michael sighed inwardly. He could tell Sophia genuinely wanted to reconcile with Brandon. Even though she had no interest in medicine, Brandon had been one of the few people who'd truly cared for her during those years. Despite her reserved nature, Sophia never forgot a kindness.
Michael followed Andy inside. Brandon sat in the main hall, writing something.
"Dr. Wright." Michael greeted him politely and handed the gift to one of the students waiting nearby. "We owe you a tremendous debt for intervening. I wanted to thank you in person. Sophia chose these rare medicinal herbs herself—she knows you don't care for trivial gifts. I hope they meet your standards."
Brandon sipped his tea and let out a haughty huff. "She only came to me because of you. She doesn't actually care about me anymore."
Michael chuckled softly. He'd known Brandon was all bark, no bite. "Mr. White has been trying to take her as a student for four or five years now. She keeps refusing. You're the only mentor she's ever acknowledged. How could she not care? But she knows you don't want to see her, so she doesn't dare impose."
"I won't see her. She's not my student anymore. Tell her she doesn't need to worry about what I think!" Brandon rose from his wooden chair and swept his sleeve dramatically, clasping his hands behind his back as he ambled toward the inner chamber. "I'm going to rest now. I'll accept the gift. You should go."
Michael couldn't help but smile. Brandon's rest time clearly hadn't arrived yet. He was obviously worried about Sophia waiting outside too long.