Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 36

Chapter 36 The Painting 

Keith watched as her delicate fingers traced the outlines of the oil painting, as it gently touching the unave of his younger self. His heart skipped a beat, a pang of bittersweet emotion spreading through bin inged with just a hint of sweetness. 

“Is this you?” Ava suddenly turned to look at him. 

Keith met her gaze, noticing the sadness lingering in her eyes. His lips moved, but he only spoke after a moment. “How did you figure it out?” 

Looking at the man in front of her, Ava saw, at first glance, a refined and well–mannered young gentleman Though he came from a wealthy family like Ethan, his demeanor was very different–less restrained, and more complicated. 

“You give off a sense of contradiction,” she said softly. “I can’t really explain it, though. Maybe it’s just intuition.” 

“Well, your intuition is pretty accurate,” Keith replied, glancing around the room. “When I was young, I dreamed of being a painter. Even an interstellar wanderer would have been fine. 

“But then some things happened, and I gave up on becoming a painter.” 

“Don’t you regret it?” she asked, 

Keith’s 

gaze 

shifted back to Ava. “In life, people always have to make choices, don’t they?” 

On Cering tender time of his youth. Even for 

Ava remained silent. Standing there, she seemed to witness tha someone born into a prestigious family, there were destinies one could not escape. 

At this moment, she could not bring herself to speak what sho 

wanted to say. 

Keith took down the unfinished painting. “Some things, when persisted, amount to much.” 

Won’t 

He placed it on the floor and lowered his gaze, surveying the room full of his past works. “I just want to hold onto these memories.” 

“But giving up doesn’t mean you have to completely sever yourself from the past,” Ava whispered, watching him bend over. “You have so many choices. Why lock yourself into just one?” 

Keith’s body trembled slightly as he crouched, his hand steadying the canvas. 

He was silent for a long moment before he answered in a low, hoarse voice, “Before this, no one’s ever told me that giving up doesn’t equal cutting ties with the past. My upbringing taught me that to give up was to bury the past completely.” 

Ava didn’t know what kind of childhood this young gentleman–so polished and composed–had endured. She furrowed her brows and stayed quiet. 

After a moment, Keith turned to her, tilting his head upward. “What’s your choice, then?” 

“Does my choice matter to you?” 

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Chapter 36 The Painting 

“Of course.” 

He looked like a prisoner facing judgment, eyes fixed on her. A hope he had never dared to feel stirred in 

his heart. 

In the dead–still, monotonous life he had always known–where the future stretched out like a dry, endless plain—he suddenly longed so desperately 

something vibrant, something alive. 

He felt like a reckless gambler, stubbornly putting everything on the line, yet in this gamble, the power to decide had never been in his hands. 

Ava was startled by the sudden, all–consuming madness that flared in his eyes. She stepped back half a pace. “I don’t know. I don’t want to lie to you, but I also don’t want to hurt you.” 

Keith approached her slowly while she retreated, stepping back until she was up against the wall. 

“Do you hate me, then?” 

Ava met his alluring eyes, unable to lie. “No,” she replied in a shaky voice. 

Keith lifted his head, locking his gaze with hers as if he could peer straight into her heart. “In that case, be the light in my life.” 

The light in his life? 

Ava felt dazed, her eyes unfocused. Her head throbbed while her temples pounded, and her chest felt weighed down by a massive stone. 

“Is that alright?” 

His voice was like a siren’s call, drifting from the distant depths of the sea, intoxicating and impossible to resist. 

It seemed she could hear her own voice carried from afar. She clearly heard herself say, “Yes, I’ll be your light…” 

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a small, childlike voice broke the intimate moment. “Keith, are you and Ava inside there?” 

Ava snapped back to reality. She felt as if she had been dreaming. 

Keith stood, responding gently, “We’re in here, Lila.” 

Lila twisted the doorknob but couldn’t open it. “Keith, hurry up and open the door! Mom and Dad told me to look for you guys. Why did you lock the door? There’s nothing inside you need to hide.” 

Ava touched her nose, feeling a little embarrassed. 

Keith briefly squeezed her hand, then let go. “Kids say whatever comes to mind. Don’t mind her.” 

He walked quickly to the door and opened it. “Lila, we were just looking at some paintings.” 

Lila pouted. “But you don’t paint anymore, right? What’s so interesting about those paintings? Come on, Ava. Let’s play in my room! I have so many fun things there, and it’s way better than Keith’s paintings.” 

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Chapter 35 The Fausting 

tha 

Ava, now even less inclined to stay alone with Keith, straightened her clothes and followed the laule l “Alright, let’s go.” 

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