Aww Seven Exes Begged Cute Blocked novel Chapter 28

**A Promise Written on the Rusted Edge of Time by Dael Rowan Sire**
**Chapter 28**

The following day, I touched down at our hometown airport, and in a twist of fate that felt almost comical, I stumbled right into Damien’s group as they returned from their trip.

I had been under the impression that they were set to stay away for an entire month, but it turned out they had decided to cut their adventure short by a whole two weeks.

As our gazes locked, I could see the shock etched across Damien’s face.

Madison, standing beside him, blinked in disbelief, doing a double take that mirrored my own surprise.

For a brief, awkward moment, we simply stared at one another, caught in the web of our unexpected encounter, until Damien seemed to shake off his astonishment and walked toward me.

“Nova, you’re flying back today too?” he asked, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

The surprise shimmering in Damien’s eyes was unmistakable, and he couldn’t resist adding, “I almost didn’t recognize you just now. You look… really good.”

“Thanks,” I replied, a hint of warmth spreading through me despite the circumstances.

This was the first significant separation between Damien and me in our entire lives, a gap that felt monumental.

Yet, as I stood there, taking in the familiar yet foreign sight of him, I realized… it really wasn’t as monumental as I had anticipated.

Wanting to avoid any small talk that might lead to deeper conversation, I quickly grabbed my suitcase and made my way toward the exit.

My mom was waiting for me at arrivals, and I practically sprinted to her, relief flooding through me at the sight of her familiar face.

She had just taken my luggage from my hands when I heard Damien’s voice calling out from behind us.

He had actually followed me.

“Nova, why are you rushing off like that?” he asked, a hint of concern lacing his tone.

“Hey, Mrs. Clarke. Nova, you must have gotten your acceptance letter by now, right?” he continued, his enthusiasm palpable.

“My parents are making me come back for this whole graduation party thing,” I replied, trying to keep my tone light. “Oh, and didn’t we talk about having a joint celebration? My parents already booked the venue.”

Mom didn’t respond immediately.

She glanced at me, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sensed my discomfort, and then stepped in to handle the situation.

“Damien, we’ve decided not to do a party,” she stated firmly, her voice calm and collected.

“I’m swamped at work, and Nova’s grandmother is unwell. We’ve got our hands full right now. We’ll just do a small family dinner when things settle down. Please thank your parents for thinking of us.”

Mom’s response was perfectly polite, yet I could sense the underlying tension.

Damien looked taken aback, and I could tell he was wrestling with his thoughts, his expression shifting as he tried to process the news.

He awkwardly inquired about Grandma’s condition, and Mom provided him with vague updates, politely declining his offer to share a ride home.

With that, we turned to leave.

I headed straight to the hospital to see Grandma. The doctors had informed us that she needed surgery at a better facility in New York, and arrangements had already been made.

“You’re seriously going to skip the most important night of my life and use some excuse? What the hell is your problem?

We’ve known each other for eighteen years—not eighteen months, not eighteen days. Do you even remember what that means?”

I stood outside Grandma’s hospital room, feeling utterly drained.

“Damien, congratulations on everything working out for you. I really do have family obligations, so I can’t make it tonight…”

Before I could finish, he began yelling again.

“There’s a limit to how long you can keep up this bratty act! It’s been days! I’ve apologized and tried to make things right—how many times now?

Do you know how much you’re affecting my mood? You ruined my vacation, and now you’re going to boycott my graduation party too?

When we get to campus, don’t expect me to help you move all your stuff. Let’s see who else volunteers to carry your heavy boxes.”

“Whatever,” I muttered, hanging up on him mid-rant.

But then a thought struck me, reminding me of the MIT freshman group chat, where numerous upperclassmen had already offered their help for move-in day.

The world wouldn’t come crashing down without Damien.

Just a few moments later, I received a text from another unknown number:

“[Nova, if you’re going to be like this, don’t come crawling back to me when you get to college. When other girls start chasing me, don’t say I didn’t warn you.]”