Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 215

Chapter 215 Meeting Up 

Ava paused for a second, watching Malory dash back to the girls‘ dorm. Once Malory disappeared, Ava finally turned and made her way to her own building. 

As she crossed the quad, she caught sight of someone standing beneath a tree. Familiar face. Her smile came naturally, and she broke into a jog toward him. 

She stopped right in front of him? 

and tilted her chin up. “How long were you out here?” 

“Not long,” Laurent said, reaching for her hand. 

“I stopped by a friend’s place to catch up for a bit. That’s why I got held up.” 

He gave her a nod. “Heard you got d model cadet for your squad. Congrats.” 

She laughed. “Coming from you, it sounds like you’re mocking me.” 

“Mocking you? I’m not mocking you. Your team picked you fair and square. I don’t have the power to mess with that.” 

Ava’s eyes were bright. “I told myself from day one, if I’m doing this program, I’m maxing out every credit I can get. That title comes with bonus points, so yeah–I made sure I got it!” 

He thought she’d start complaining halfway through. But she hadn’t whined once. She’d actually taken to the program better than anyone expected. 

“The first ten days were warmups. Real training kicks in tomorrow. Don’t go sneaking off to cry.” 

She looked up at him just as he looked down. Their eyes locked. 

It felt like her eardrums popped. She jerked her gaze away and stared ahead. “I’m not gonna cry.” 

Laurent smirked. “You never know. Even if you did, though, that’d be normal. I wouldn’t give you crap for it.” 

Bruno was on duty again today. When he saw the two of them walking up, he locked his eyes straight ahead and stiffened like a statue. 

He saluted sharply. “Afternoon, Major!” 

Once they passed, Bruno let out a heavy breath through his nose and clenched his jaw. 

He’d seen enough to know–around her, the iron–blooded major turned into a totally different guy. If he didn’t see it every day with his own eyes, he’d think Laurent had a d*mn split personality. 

When they got to the dorms, Ava typed her door code. One number was off. The door didn’t open. She tried again. This time, the screen glitched, then went nuts with static. An alarm kicked in, sharp and loud. Then came the robotic voice: “System error. System error…” 

The screen flickered one last time, then shut off. 

Ava stared, dumbfounded. Seriously? She should’ve just gone with the iris scan. 

Laurent glanced over. “Try your key.” 

20:37 Tue, Jan 20 W. G. 

Chapter 215 Meeting Up 

She turned and muttered, “It’s inside. I left it.” 

14%2 

Finished 

He looked at the dead screen and said, “I’ll get someone to fix it later. Come nap in my room this afternoon.” 

He opened his door while talking. 

Ava stood at the entrance and peeked in. Same layout as hers. Same desk, same chairs, same everything. But the moment she saw it, she knew it was his. The air felt different. All him. 

She lingered at the doorway, hesitating. He looked back 

That shook her out of it. She stepped inside. 

“You standing guard out there? Get in already.” 

As soon as she crossed the threshold, the vibe shifted. It hit her hard. His scent, the air, the silence. All of it was Laurent. She didn’t know what to do with it. 

“Sit wherever,” he said. Then he noticed she was still standing there and smiled. “What, now you’re frozen? What are you so nervous about?” 

She finally sat in a chair. The room wasn’t packed with stuff, but his presence was everywhere. Her arms prickled. Her back stiffened. 

She didn’t know why it felt so overwhelming. But it did. 

“Want some water?” he asked. 

She nodded. “Yeah, sure.” 

He grabbed a cup, paused, then glanced her way. “You okay using mine? I don’t keep extras. No one really comes here.” 

She looked at the cup in his hand. Same military–issued kind she had. 

“I’m fine with it,” she said. 

He poured her some water and handed it over, eyes fixed on her the whole time. 

She took the cup. The way he was looking at her, it felt like he was silently daring her to drink it. She brought it to her lips, barely took a sip, and quickly set it down on the table. 

Laurent leaned in slightly. “You’re nervous. Is it the room? Or is it me?” 

She’d never felt like this when he visited her place. He’d been in her room plenty of times. But now that it was flipped, now that she was in his space… her heart wouldn’t slow down. 

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20:37 Tue, Jan 20 W G 

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