Aww Seven Exes Begged Cute Blocked novel Chapter 76

76 /107

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

The following morning, as the sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the living room, Avery descended the stairs, her heart heavy with the weight of yesterday’s events. She stopped short at the sight before her: Ethan was sprawled across her couch, his expression dark and stormy, reminiscent of a thundercloud ready to unleash its fury.

“Avery!” he barked, his voice slicing through the air like a shard of glass.

From across the room, she could feel the palpable tension radiating off him, but truthfully, she was too exhausted to let it bother her. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain composed. “Oh. Hey,” she replied, her tone deliberately nonchalant. “Sorry, but I’m heading out to meet my boyfriend, so… the door’s that way.”

At her words, Ethan shot up from the couch as if jolted by an electric shock. He seized her wrist with a grip that was almost painful, his eyes wide and frantic. “What fucking boyfriend?”

Avery held his gaze, a hollow ache blossoming in her chest. Even now, after everything they had been through, he still believed he had some sort of claim over her heart.

His grip tightened, and she winced at the pressure. “Hello? Avery! Are you deaf? Answer me!”

She struggled to pull away, feeling the sting of unshed tears threatening to spill over, but she steeled herself against them. “Why do you insist on policing my love life? Just back off.”

Just as it seemed Ethan was on the brink of an explosion, her mother bustled down the stairs, her presence a welcome distraction. She wedged herself between them, her hands raised in a gesture of peace. “Oh, stop it, you two! She doesn’t have a boyfriend—she’s just being dramatic. She’s far too busy for a boyfriend right now! If she decides to date, it’ll be later. You two have grown up together since kindergarten—whatever this is, just stop fighting!”

With their mother’s authoritative tone hanging in the air, both Avery and Ethan reluctantly backed down, retreating to their respective corners of the room.

Once her mother had disappeared back upstairs, Ethan’s demeanor shifted. He seemed to come to some realization, his expression softening as if he were processing a complex puzzle.

“So… there’s no boyfriend?” he asked, his voice tinged with an unexpected relief.

Avery glanced at him from her corner, the weight of two decades of unreciprocated love pressing heavily on her heart. “What do you want, Ethan?”

He recognized her attempt to deflect, but he chose to let it slide for now. “Why aren’t you coming to my birthday?”

“Busy,” she replied flatly.

The simplicity of her response seemed to ignite a fire within him. “Can’t or won’t? What’s suddenly more important than my birthday? You used to start planning for it months in advance!”

Avery took a deliberate sip of water, using the moment to steady herself, to gather her thoughts. “Things change. You have Sophia now. Why don’t you have this conversation with her? I’m just… nobody.”