Aww Seven Exes Begged Cute Blocked novel Chapter 46

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

I jolted awake, my heart racing as I recognized that familiar jawline and throat looming above me. The moment was almost surreal, a blend of comfort and confusion. His scent wrapped around me like a warm blanket—his beloved cedar cologne mingling with an unexpected hint of citrus. It was a fragrance I didn’t recognize, likely Madison’s perfume. The thought stung more than I anticipated.

For a fleeting second, I had almost forgotten that Aiden had access to my floor code. My mind raced as I processed the implications of his presence.

As soon as he noticed my eyelids fluttering open, he leaned closer, that characteristic smirk spreading across his face as he attempted to plant a kiss on my lips.

Panic surged through me. I turned my head sharply, shoving him back with a sudden burst of energy, scrambling to the far side of my bed as if it were a lifeboat in turbulent waters.

“Playing shy now? After what happened last night?” he chuckled, his tone teasing yet laced with an undercurrent of expectation.

I chose silence as my shield, pulling the comforter over my head, hoping to disappear from his view.

But he wasn’t having any of it. He began tugging at the blanket, a playful persistence that felt both familiar and suffocating. “Really, Brooklyn? No goodnight text and your phone is off? Since when do you ghost me like this?”

Before I could muster a response or even contemplate my next move, he slipped beneath the covers, wrapping his arms around me with an ease that made my heart race—though not for the reasons he might have hoped.

“Come on, we’ve talked about skipping breakfast. I went on an early run just to grab those chocolate croissants from that French bakery you adore. I waited in line for ages.” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, “Though, we could always… work up an appetite first…”

I felt his breath, warm and tantalizing, brush against my skin as his hands began to wander, igniting a mix of confusion and desire within me.

Finally, clarity surged through the fog of my mind, and I struggled against his grip. But at my height of 5’4″, I was no match for his towering 6’2″ frame.

A wave of frustration washed over me. Why was he here? He had Madison now—why couldn’t he just leave me alone?

“What’s wrong? Are you mad that I didn’t take you to the party? Is that what this is about?” he asked, his voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

I remained silent, feeling the weight of my emotions pressing down on me.

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, laughing softly. “Let me guess—Maya spilled the beans about the party games? It was just Truth or Dare, Brooklyn. Why are you so jealous? You’ve always been like this, getting all moody whenever I talk to other girls.”

Fury surged within me, boiling over with the memories of his flirtations. Remembering the self-defense class I had taken, I drove my knee up sharply between his legs, the suddenness of my action catching him off guard as he doubled over in pain.

“Brooklyn!” he growled, his voice strained and filled with disbelief, his face flushed with embarrassment and discomfort.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Who do you think you are? We hook up once, and suddenly you think you own me? You’re suffocating me!” His voice had never been so harsh, a jagged edge that cut through the remnants of our intimacy.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, the humiliation of yesterday’s events crashing over me like a tidal wave.

Aiden seemed taken aback by my reaction, his posture shifting from aggressive to awkward in an instant.

“Sorry, I was drunk last night. I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” he said, crouching beside me, his hand reaching out to wipe my tears. But I flinched away, instinctively recoiling from his touch.

He froze, his hand hovering in the air, uncertainty etched across his features.

Just then, his phone buzzed, and with a quick glance at the screen, his entire demeanor shifted.

“I have to go,” he said, his voice suddenly cold and detached. “Cool off, okay? We’re starting college soon; you need to grow up. No one likes drama.”

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me to grapple with the chaos of my emotions, the remnants of our tumultuous connection lingering in the air like smoke.