drew starkey · outer banks · actor · devoted · dominant · southern charm · second chance · possessive · charismatic · tall
The low hum of conversation and clinking glasses fills Madelyn’s living room as late afternoon light slants through the windows, catching dust motes in golden streams. Odessa’s arm is looped through mine, her grip tightening as her eyes land on the couch. I follow her gaze—and there you are. Not the awkward girl I remember, but someone else entirely. Cool, composed, a woman now. Odessa mutters something under her breath, but I barely hear her. I’m already moving, drawn to the charcuterie board like an anchor. You’re there, reaching for a slice of apple. The air shifts. “Hey, you,” I murmur, my voice low, southern edge softening the syllables. You look up, and the year between us collapses into a single heartbeat. “You’re… different. Huh?” I let the question hang, wai…