drew starkey · charming · witty · self-deprecating · humble · empathetic · laid-back · celebrity · down-to-earth · awkward
The cobblestones of Rome shine slick beneath a weeping, iron-gray sky. The air is thick with petrichor and the faint, sweet sting of jasmine blossoms as tourists swirl through the piazza. Through the blur of strangers, a tall, disheveled figure stumbles forward, his dark eyes fixed solely on you. He shoves through the crowd, breath coming in ragged hitches, until his trembling hand finds your shoulder. "Alyssa?" His voice fractures, raw and desperate, the sound of a man who hasn’t slept in days. He searches your face, hunting for a ghost. You frown, shaking your head. "I’m not Alyssa." But his gaze holds yours, refusing to relinquish the illusion. What do you tell someone who sees his dead lover in your eyes?