Aww Seven Exes Begged Cute Blocked novel Chapter 21

**A Promise Written on the Rusted Edge of Time by Dael Rowan Sire**

**Chapter 21**

From the moment Madison stepped into our school, it felt as if the very air had shifted. She was a whirlwind of effortless charm, a girl who seemed to float through life with an enviable grace that left everyone, especially the boys, utterly captivated. I mean, how could they not be? She had this magnetic allure, the kind that made it seem like she had just walked off the glossy pages of a high-fashion magazine.

Meanwhile, I was buried under piles of textbooks, my nights stretching into all-nighters, and I was perpetually clad in oversized hoodies that swallowed me whole. It was a stark contrast, and sometimes I wondered if I even stood a chance.

Damien and I had clashed over her more times than I could count. Each argument felt like a replay of the last, with me convinced that he was developing feelings for her. There were moments when I seriously considered stepping back, thinking perhaps it was time to gracefully bow out of this complicated triangle. But every single time, Damien would find me, his expression earnest, and he would insist, “You’re just being paranoid. Madison and I are just friends. I’m helping her out because her family situation is complicated, and people talk behind her back while they butter her up to her face.”

I wanted to believe him. After all, Madison’s family drama was no joke, and Damien had always been straight with me throughout the years we’d known each other. So, I let it slide when I noticed her getting closer to him. He swore there was nothing romantic between them, and I took him at his word.

But, unbeknownst to me, while I was busy drowning in my own insecurities, Damien had begun to weave a web of secrets—secrets that were substantial enough to alter his entire future for her.

I felt like a fool, a puppet dancing on strings I didn’t even know existed.

Just then, my phone vibrated violently against the table, startling me. An unknown number flashed on the screen, and I hesitated before opening the message:

“[Nova, you’ve got some serious balls blocking me, huh? Get your ass home and wait for me.]”

It was Damien, using one of his friend’s phones to reach out to me.

Without a second thought, I blocked that number too.

After glancing at the clock, I gathered my belongings and made my way to school. Our guidance counselor had insisted that all seniors come in for one last application check, and I didn’t want to miss it.

The traffic was relentless, and by the time I arrived, I found Damien and Madison already settled in our classroom. Madison was perched in my usual seat beside Damien, a self-satisfied smirk plastered across her face as she caught sight of me entering.

Damien, on the other hand, was pointedly avoiding my gaze, as if he were waiting for me to come crawling back, begging for forgiveness.

He could wait all he wanted.

We locked eyes in a silent battle of wills, and for a few tense moments, it felt like the world around us faded away. But eventually, Damien broke the silence, his patience wearing thin.

“Whatever. I’m done trying to reason with a drama queen. Keep up the act—just don’t come crying to me later when you realize how foolish you’re being.”

With that, I turned away, dismissing him completely, refusing to let his words affect me.

I thought he had finally given up and walked away, but instead, he surprised me by grabbing my face gently, forcing me to meet his gaze once more. “Today’s the deadline. You better double-check your application. Don’t screw this up…”

He opened his mouth as if to say more, but just then, Madison appeared with her laptop, her eyes wide and innocent as she batted her eyelashes at him. “Damien, I’m having some issues with my application. Could you take a look?”

Damien nodded, that familiar squeeze on my cheek returning as he turned his attention to her, adding one last piece of advice. “Why didn’t you bring your laptop? Make sure you get to the computer lab later and check everything one more time. This is your future we’re talking about.”

And just like that, my heart sank a little deeper. I was left standing there, feeling as though I were fading into the background of my own life, a mere spectator to their unfolding drama.