Aww Seven Exes Begged Cute Blocked novel Chapter 34

**A Promise Written on the Rusted Edge of Time by Dael Rowan Sire 34**

It was the second day of pre-season, a time when fatigue clung to everyone like a heavy blanket, and most of the team had succumbed to early exhaustion. Yet, there was Bryce, with a spark of mischief in his eyes, sneaking out under the cover of night with River, eager to chase adrenaline on the streets. He didn’t bother to check his phone—not once.

Earlier, we had a fight that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I tried reaching out, calling him repeatedly, but each ring echoed in silence, met with indifference. My heart raced with worry until a chilling notification caught my eye. A Snapchat story flashed across my screen, showing footage of a devastating motorcycle accident near I-94. My stomach twisted into knots, panic surging through me like a cold wave.

I barely parked the car properly, my mind racing as I stumbled out and hit the pavement hard. The rough asphalt scraped my knees and palms, but the pain was nothing compared to the dread gnawing at my insides. When I finally looked up, my heart shattered at the sight before me: Bryce, cradling a shaken River in his arms, murmuring sweet nothings to calm her. In that moment, something deep within me fractured.

I was done.

Maybe, just maybe, nothing lasts forever.

Fast forward two weeks, and there I was, pushing around a sad, wilted salad on my plate in the bustling South Quad dining hall. My mind was elsewhere, lost in thought until a notification blinked on my phone.

“UK Student Visa Application Approved.”

Mom’s text followed almost immediately: *[Passport’s in the mail. Flight’s booked for January 15th. You leave in 3 weeks.]*

A tight knot formed in my chest. This was real; it was happening.

Just then, Bryce and River strolled into the cafeteria, their presence like an unwelcome storm cloud. Of course, they chose the table right in front of me. River, in her typical girlfriend fashion, began dumping her unwanted food onto Bryce’s plate, and he let her, a resigned smile on his face. But his eyes—those familiar, piercing eyes—kept flickering in my direction, waiting, as if he expected me to crumble and rush over to him, begging for his attention.

For two weeks, I had maintained my silence. No calls, no texts, not even a glance in his direction while walking through the Diag. So today, like every other day, I picked up my tray, walked past their table with my heart pounding, and dumped my leftovers in the trash without sparing them a single look.

That night, to my surprise, a photo of me from the cafeteria appeared on the Michigan Confessions Facebook page.

“20:24 Aww, Seven Exes Begged. Cute. Blocked.”

It was a cruel twist of fate. Someone had posted it with the caption: *”Who’s the quiet girl at the corner table? Is she single?”*

I couldn’t help but comment: *”Yep.”*

Then, almost as if on cue, Bryce’s account chimed in: *”Since when, babe?”*

In that instant, I realized we were still following each other on Instagram. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

Moments later, Bryce slid into my DMs: *”Two weeks over a water bottle? Drama queen sure knows how to hold a grudge. Miss me yet?”*

There was a time when that message would have sent my heart racing, my fingers trembling as I typed a response. But now? I felt nothing but a hollow calmness enveloping me.

I typed back: *”Got something to say? If not, I’m unfollowing.”*

*“Fine, delete away,”* he replied, as if dismissing my feelings with a wave of his hand.

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