Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 185

Posted by ADMINMMADMIN, ? Views, Released on January 17, 2026

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Finished

Rion, feeling the pressure, leaned in while explaining the skiing moves to Ava and whispered, “Miss, tell your husband to ease up a bit. I can’t handle this.”

Only then did Ava look at Mason. He stood there like a tall, solitary pine, completely alone. Not a single person was around him, and even this whole area seemed to fall into an awkward silence. Compared to the buzz everywhere else on the rink, she could really feel how tense it was here.

She waved him over. Mason skied up and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Beginner stuff, you know? Everyone falls at first. I’m okay.” Ava reached out and brushed her hand over the cold line of his brow. “Don’t get mad. How are other people supposed to have fun if you’re all tense? Keep it chill, especially in public.”

Mason held her fingers against his brow, his eyes locking onto hers. His voice had a hint of uncertainty. “Ava, you’re… slowly starting to accept me now, right?”

Ava nodded lightly. “Yeah. I used to let some old thoughts hold me back. But I can’t keep living in the past. I shouldn’t let it trap me. You’re incredible, no question about it. I just need to be braver.”

The cold edge in Mason’s expression melted instantly, his eyes sparkling with warmth. “Ava, thank you!”

Her gaze softened, and she coaxed him quietly, “Go ahead and do your thing for now. Once I get the hang of this, I’ll come find you, okay? If you stay here watching, it makes everyone

tense. Me too.”

Mason ruffled her hair. “Alright, I’ll head over there first. Take your time. Be bold and trust yourself…”

Once she got him to back off, Ava finally exhaled, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted.

Rion laughed. “Okay, let’s get started.”

With Mason gone, Ava realized Rion had seriously stepped up his teaching game. She lost track of time, but eventually she was wobbling along on her own, actually moving forward.

She was thrilled. She made up her mind–next winter break, she was coming back to Pluto.

Mason had gone a few more laps on his own, but his mind kept drifting back to Ava. He wrapped up quickly and went over to find her.

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16:49 Sat, Jan 17 M..

Chapter 185 His Past

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Finished

He spotted Ava in her purple ski jacket, practicing alone. Compared to before, she’d made a lot of progress. For a beginner, she was doing pretty well.

Mason skied up next to her and glanced her way.

Ava noticed him and called out, “Done playing around?”

Mason grinned. “This slope isn’t really challenging. Not much of a fit for me.”

“Oh… so that means you’re some kind of ski pro?” Ava said, a little surprised.

Mason’s smile lingered. “Eh, nothing special. Back in school, I just won a few championships at interstellar competitions.”

Interstellar competition… champion… just that…?

Ava’s expression was starting to crack. She shot Mason a few glances and finally got why Jane had been so speechless when she looked at her that day.

Living out on the remote outer rim, Ava knew exactly what winning an interstellar competition meant. It was like being the champion of the Grand Games back on Earth.

Ava raised an eyebrow. “Wow, never would’ve guessed. You’re actually a champion!”

Mason tapped her forehead. “Watch your tone. You’re picking up that sarcastic vibe, too.”

“I’m not being sarcastic! I’m clearly complimenting you.” Ava covered her forehead with her hand. “You tapped too hard, and it actually hurt.”

Mason rubbed her forehead gently. “I’m helping.” As he did, he said, “Back in school, I wasn’t exactly a good student. Teachers used to call my parents all the time. They thought I embarrassed them and didn’t care. By the time I was seven or eight, I got hooked on competitive sports. I learned skiing. By seventeen or eighteen, I got into racing. Then I fell in love with rock climbing and bungee jumping. All of it was stuff I genuinely enjoyed. It made me feel alive.”

Ava froze when he mentioned his past. She reached out and held his wrist, the one still on her forehead, and tilted her head to look at him. “You must’ve been really sad as a kid, huh?”

Mason met her gaze. Her eyes seemed full of sympathy, but maybe not.

It felt like someone had jabbed him with a needle. He’d never thought about it before. He couldn’t even remember if he’d actually been sad. It was too long ago, buried too deep. No one had ever asked him if he had been.