Aww Seven Exes Begged Cute Blocked novel Chapter 69

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

Ethan found himself enveloped in a heavy silence, the kind that pressed down on him like a weight he couldn’t shake off. His lip throbbed painfully, bruised and swollen, a testament to the force behind the punch he had just received.

In the distance, he could hear Lily’s voice floating up from the upstairs—soft, sweet, a melody that once brought him comfort. “Are you hurt?” she called, her concern evident yet somehow distant.

A wave of realization washed over him, stark and cold: Lily no longer cared about him. The thought pierced through him like a knife.

He remembered a time when, after a fight with someone, he had sought refuge at her house, fearing the inevitable scolding from his mother. Back then, Lily had been his healer, meticulously tending to his wounds with cotton swabs, her gentle touch soothing his pain. “Does it still hurt?” she had asked, her eyes filled with genuine concern. In those moments, he had believed wholeheartedly that if he turned around, she would always be there, steadfast and unwavering.

He had been so certain of that bond, so confident in their connection. But as time slipped through his fingers like sand, he realized that after leaving West High, Lily had moved on completely. She had found someone new—someone who was not him.

The memory of her leaving West High lingered like a haunting specter. He could picture her stubbornly marching away, her car bearing the bruises of a basketball game, a symbol of the life they had shared. His friend had watched her go, a sigh escaping his lips. “Aren’t you afraid she won’t come back?” he had asked, skepticism lacing his tone. Ethan had scoffed inwardly, dismissing the thought.

After all, Lily’s father worked at his family’s company, and their families lived just a stone’s throw away from each other. Everything about Lily’s life seemed to intertwine with his own, almost as if fate had woven their stories together.

But now, as he scrolled through his phone, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of irony. “Aww, Seven Exes Begged. Cute. Blocked.” The screen flashed back at him, a stark reminder of the distance that had grown between them.

“Just a school transfer,” he muttered to himself, a bitter taste lingering in his mouth. How could she not return to his side?

As the sun dipped below the horizon that day, casting a warm glow over everything, his friend had turned to him with a grave expression. “Ethan, your childhood sweetheart might become someone else’s destined love,” he had said, the weight of his words hanging in the air. But Ethan had brushed it off, convinced that their bond was unbreakable.

Looking back now, it felt almost cruelly ironic. He had once boasted that childhood sweethearts couldn’t compete with the spark of love at first sight. Yet, here he was, watching his childhood sweetheart slip away, becoming someone else’s destined love.

Meanwhile, Lily’s life had taken a turn he hadn’t anticipated. “Chase and I got engaged during the summer before our junior year of college,” she recalled, the memory flooding back with a bittersweet clarity. On their engagement day, Chase’s parents had come to meet her, and it was the first time she was introduced to them since they had started dating.

Chase had always mentioned that he grew up with his grandparents, sharing only snippets about his parents, like the fact that they had divorced when he was just seven. But today, his mother had returned from abroad, dressed to the nines, elegant and poised. His father had been unable to take his eyes off her, a look of longing etched on his face.

It was a strange gesture, one that left her feeling uneasy. After she had started at Harvard, Ethan had tried to reach out to her multiple times, but with Chase acting as a protective barrier and her own refusal to see him, Ethan had been left waiting outside her dorm, night after night.

Rumors had circulated that he went abroad and was injured in a shooting incident, leaving him with a hurt leg. Vanessa, a mutual friend, often brought up Ethan in their group chats, her curiosity piqued. Her own academic struggles had led her to a southern arts school on a dance scholarship, and she had cycled through a string of wealthy boyfriends, each relationship ending in disappointment.

“Have you heard from Ethan?” she would ask, her voice filled with concern. But Ethan had never responded to her attempts to reach him.

Just then, Chase emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, his presence commanding the room. Catching sight of the agreement with Ethan’s signature, he let out a derisive snort. “Never gives up, does he?”

Lily felt a twinge of discomfort as she held the agreement in her hands. What was Ethan thinking? She tossed it into the trash, wrapping her arms around Chase’s waist, seeking solace in his warmth.

Chase looked down at her, his eyes darkening with an intensity that made her heart race. “Ready for more, babe?” he asked, a playful grin spreading across his face.

In that moment, as the past collided with the present, Lily felt the weight of her choices pressing down on her, a reminder that some promises, no matter how deeply etched in time, could never truly be forgotten.