‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

DREW'S HOME
los angeles, california
wednesday
july 3, 2024
11am

i woke up in bed, an unfamiliar bedroom. i sat up and looked around. my head was pounding from the aftermath of too much wine and a lack of sleep. groggily, i rubbed my eyes as i took in my surroundings. it took a moment for the previous night's events to flood back to me.

i was in drew's house, lying in his bed. i vaguely remembered stumbling to bed in a tipsy daze, drew not far behind me.

a wave of memories washed over me as i remembered our late night endeavors, sending a shiver through my body. i looked over, expecting to see drew lying beside me, but the spot next to me was vacant.

i sat up fully in bed, the sheets falling away from me, the cool air causing goosebumps to rise on my bare skin.

i listened for any signs of drew, but the house was eerily quiet. i swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet touching the cold hardwood floor.

my stomach churned, a mixture of anxiety and regret taking over me. what had we done last night? i couldn't remember all the details, but i knew it had gotten heated between us.

i stood up, my legs wobbly from the night before. i grabbed my discarded clothes from the floor, quickly pulling them on. i needed to find drew and clear the air between us.

i took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for whatever might come, and headed towards the bedroom door.

exiting the bedroom, i padded down the hallway until i reached the living room. there i found drew, sitting on the couch scrolling on his phone.

the sight of him brought back more memories from the previous night, the heat and passion that had filled the air.

he seemed to sense my presence and looked up from his phone, meeting my gaze.

i smiled at him but he didn't return the smile. instead his expression was full of worry.

"you okay?" i questioned.

he sighed, lowering his phone and resting it on his thighs. "not really." he replied, his voice lacking his usual lighthearted tone. the look on his face was somber, making my stomach twist with anxiety. "i need to talk to you about something." he said, his gaze falling from mine and focusing on a random spot on the floor.

those words filled me with instant dread. whatever he needed to talk about wasn't going to be good news. i swallowed hard, my heart racing.

"okay..." i said tentatively, making my way over to the couch. i sat down next to him, leaving a small gap between us.

he sighed and handed me his phone which was now opened to an article. "read through it." he mumbled.

~~

ARTICLE
posted july 3, 2024 by tiffany lexington

actress, azaria parker and actor, drew starkey are rumored to be dating after being seen exiting the dolce & gabbana party together just july 27. now following that unexpected event, the two were seen in a cooking video posted by the one and only, drew starkey.

titled 'cooking with us vlog,' you can find drew and azaria cooking a margherita pizza together while sipping wine and making light yet flirty comments throughout the process.

given how drew is known to keep his personal life private, fans are very surprised by his openness to post azaria, though many are far from upset about this unexpected duo.

new couple? new friendship? coworkers? whatever it is, we're here for it. we hope to see more vlogs from the two in the future.

~~

as i read through the article, a pit started to form in my stomach. the article was painting a picture of something intimate between us, something that obviously hadn't been planned for the public eye.

my heart thudded against my ribcage as i finished reading, my mind racing with panic. i glanced up at drew, his expression tight, his gaze fixed down at his lap.

"you posted the video?" i managed to stammer out, my voice shaky.

he nodded, a grim look on his face. "i guess." he responded curtly. "i was drunk and i guess i posted it last night. i mean, i don't really remember posting it. but when i woke up and saw that it was posted, i immediately deleted it, but it was too late. tabloids, fans, so many people saw it."

my heart felt like it was in my throat. the thought of the video out there, for the whole world to read into, was overwhelming. "what do you mean by too late?" i asked, a hint of panic in my voice.

"i mean we are now titled 'hollywood's newest couple.'" drew said as he took his phone back.

"oh god..." i said, burying my face in my hands. i felt a rush of anxiety wash over me as i thought about the implications of this. now, everyone would be speculating about us, about our 'relationship'. it was a nightmare.

drew continued, his voice low and serious. "now the whole internet is talking about us, about how we were flirty in the video and how we were so cozy."

my heart sank further as he spoke, the reality of the situation really hitting me. "oh god, this is a disaster..." i whispered, more to myself than to him. i then paused and looked up. "is it really that bad? i mean, we've been seeing each other for a bit now and after last night..." i said referring to the intimacy taken place. honestly, i was hoping he'd want to take the next step with me, especially with all of this.

draw rubbed his forehead, the stress of the situation evident on his face. "i know, it's not that bad...but it's not that great either. we've been seeing each other and we've been getting along great and everything but...i wanted to call you my girlfriend before the entire world thinks you are when you're not." he must've noticed the confused look on my face because drew said, "and i do want you to be my girlfriend. i just wanted to be the one to actually hard launch and it not be a cooking vlog from when we were drunk."

i was shocked by his confession. the fact that he wanted to call me his girlfriend, to be official, floored me. i was sure we were on the same page when it came to our feelings, but this was a confirmation.

but i didn't have a chance to respond before drew continued talking. "but now because of my decision to share that stupid cooking video...the entire world is wondering what we are. i'm sorry."

i shook my head, taken aback by his apologizing. "don't apologize, drew. it's not your fault. we both were drunk. we both were dumb." i took a deep breath and reached out, taking his hand in mine. "so what do we do now? what do we tell people what we are? or do we stay quiet?"

drew squeezed my hand, his grip firm and reassuring. "i don't know." he said honestly. "there's so many different options. we could just say we're friends, that the article is just clickbait. we could ignore the tabloids and hope the hype dies down on its own. or..." he trailed off, his voice quiet.

i could sense his hesitation and i leaned in a bit closer. "or?" i prompted, desperate for him to finish his sentence.

he took a moment before answering, his gaze fixed on our intertwined hands. "or we just say we're together. officially."

my heart skipped a beat at his words. officially? together? that was everything i had hoped for and more. a rush of excitement and nervousness washed over me at the thought. "you mean it? you'd want to be my boyfriend? like, publicly?"

he gave my hand another gentle squeeze, a small smile appearing on his face. "of course, azaria. i want to show the world how much i like you." he then leaned in a bit closer, his voice low. "so, what do you say? do you want to be my official girlfriend?"

i didn't even have to think about it. i looked up at him, nodding enthusiastically. "yes, yes. i'll be your official, public girlfriend." i agreed, a wide smile on my lips. i was more than happy to show how much i liked him too.

his smile grew wider and he pulled me into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around me. "thank god." he said, his voice a mixture of relief and joy. "hey, i enjoyed last night...the cooking, the video, us."

i smiled and buried my face in his shoulder, his familiar scent filling my nostrils. as we continued to hug, i thought about the intimacy of the previous night, the way his touch had set me on fire. i decided to go for it and say exactly what i had been thinking. "i liked last night too...a lot."