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chapter THIRTEEN obvious tensions .
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the days on set started to blur together, each one more awkward than the last. the once playful banter between starr and mason had evaporated, replaced by a tense silence that settled like a heavy fog over every scene they filmed together.
whenever mark would yell cut, mason would be the first to leave the set, barely acknowledging starr before hurrying off to his trailer. it wasn't like before, when they would linger, sharing a laugh or two, joking about the scene they just shot. now, there was only the sound of his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he left her behind.
starr felt the weight of his avoidance every time. she tried to ignore it, to pretend that it didn't bother her, but it did. the guilt gnawed at her, making it hard to concentrate, hard to even enjoy the moments when she wasn't working.
dylan, on the other hand, had become a constant presence. he'd show up to set with coffee for both of them, walk her to her trailer after a long day, and even sit with her during breaks, talking about everything and nothing. it was nice to have someone around, especially with mason's cold shoulder, but it didn't make the guilt any easier to bear.
one afternoon, they were sitting outside her trailer, the sun warming the cool breeze that blew through the lot. dylan had brought her favourite snack, and they were talking about old movies, something light and easy, when starr saw mason across the lot. he was heading toward his trailer, but then he saw them. their eyes met for just a moment, and she saw the flicker of something—anger, hurt, or maybe disappointment—before he turned away, quickening his pace.
starr's heart sank, the familiar guilt washing over her again. she tried to refocus on what dylan was saying, but her mind was elsewhere, replaying that brief exchange with mason.
"you okay?" dylan asked, noticing her distraction. he reached out, gently touching her arm.
starr forced a smile, nodding. "yeah, i'm fine. just tired, i guess."
he didn't push it, just nodded and leaned back, stretching out his legs. "well, if you ever need to talk, you know i'm here, right?"
she appreciated his kindness, even if it felt a little hollow. "thanks, dylan. that means a lot."
they spent the rest of the break in relative silence, just enjoying the warm weather. but even as she sat there, listening to dylan talk about his plans for the weekend, her mind kept drifting back to mason. every time she saw him on set, he was either avoiding her gaze or walking away the second their eyes met. it hurt, more than she wanted to admit.
later that day, they were filming another scene together. it was a simple one, just a few lines exchanged between their characters, but the tension in the air made it feel like a mountain to climb. starr could sense the difference in mason's performance too. he was professional, yes, but there was a stiffness to him, like he was holding something back.
when mark finally called cut, mason didn't even look her way. he mumbled something to one of the crew members and then headed straight for his trailer, his shoulders tense. starr watched him go, feeling more lost than ever.
over the next few days, this became their routine. they'd film, he'd leave, and she'd be left with a hollow feeling in her chest. dylan was there, offering support and friendship, but it wasn't the same. she found herself missing mason's sarcasm, his teasing, even the way he would smirk at her whenever he was being annoying, she missed him.
— 🎬 —
after another long day of shooting, dylan and starr were sitting in her trailer, going over her lines for the next day. it was comfortable, easy, but there was a part of her that couldn't shake the thought of mason, of how she used to run lines with him.
"so, are you doing anything this weekend?" dylan asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
starr shook her head. "not really. just the usual, i guess."
"we should do something," he suggested, his tone casual. "you know, take a break from all this for a bit."
starr hesitated, unsure. "maybe. i'll think about it."
dylan smiled, leaning back in his chair. "no pressure. just thought it might be fun."
she nodded, but her mind was elsewhere again, replaying the moment when mason had walked away earlier. the look in his eyes had stayed with her all day, and it made her feel more confused than ever.
as dylan started talking about something else, starr couldn't help but wonder how long things would stay like this between her and mason. she missed him, missed what they had before everything got so complicated. and she couldn't shake the feeling that things would only get worse if they didn't find a way to talk, to clear the air between them.
but with each day that passed, with each time mason walked away without a word, it felt like that chance was slipping further and further away.
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