𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 , drew starkey

twenty-eight

__

𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄

𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆

aves
hey babes

aves
new day means new
publicity stunt

val
so soon?

val
i thought it would be
like another month till
i would have to do a new
one

aves
you never fail to make
me laugh val

aves
anyways today it's just going
to be you guys taking a walk
or something

aves
no dogs though because fans
know that when dogs come in
the picture it's most definitely
planned

val
can we push it to maybe next
week? i don't know if i can do
it today

aves
and what's possibly on your
schedule?

val
mads, bails, and kens want to
have a movie night today

aves
well good thing that the movie
is at night and the stunt is going
to be during the day

val
i need the whole day to prepare

aves
look valerie i get it, it's awkward
working with your ex but please
trust me that this is going to make
your career go higher than it was
before.

val
okay fine but how many more of
these stunts are left

aves
i don't know val it's up to
how each of them go

val
okay fine

—𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍, 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀

—𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲

11:56am.

Valerie's heart pounded with each step she took, and her pace was deliberate—so slow that people around her instinctively chose to walk on the other side of the sidewalk.

The weight of the upcoming meeting with Drew scared her, adding to her nervousness. She had agreed to meet him by the stores at 12:00, and even though she arrived early, she couldn't shake the nervousness that gnawed at her.

She also did not want to face Drew after the last interaction.

"Val?" Drew's voice broke through her thoughts, and she turned to see him sitting on a bench nearby. His concern was evident in the furrow of his eyebrows.

"Hi," Valerie exhaled, trying to appear composed despite the tornado of emotions she felt inside of her.

"Are you good?" Drew questioned, observing her carefully. "You looked lost and you were walking really slow."

"Do you pay attention to everything little thing I do?" Val joked, a smile playing on her lips.

Valerie couldn't even believe it herself. She was joking around with Drew? Who saw the day.

A genuine smile graced Drew's lips at the sight of Val smiling, "Sometimes."

Her anxiety eased slightly, feeling comforted by the ease of their conversation. The good vibes between them seemed to overshadow the awkwardness of their previous interaction

They were so caught up that they didn't even realize the clicks that came from the paparazzi.

"Well, there they are." Drew said making Val stop in her thoughts as he motioned to the cameras.

The sight of the paparazzi made Valerie's heart sink. She knew this was an inevitable part of their meeting—a reality they couldn't escape, especially since the meeting had been planned.

She glanced at her reflection in her phone's camera, ensuring she looked presentable before tucking the phone away.

Here it was. The somewhat awkward part. The part where Drew and Valerie had to look like they were doing something or else it would be deemed as fake.

Drew knew that Val hated paparazzi and would always try to ignore them.

Drew, trying to break the tension, asked "Do you want to see some funny pictures of the cast?" he asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Valerie nodded, grateful for the distraction. She scooted closer to Drew as he took his phone out of his pocket and started swiping through his camera roll.

"Is Chase still learning how to do a backflip?" Valerie chuckled as she saw a video of Chase in one of his many failed attempts.

"Yup," Drew confirmed, laughter lacing his voice. "But you won't believe it. He actually learned how to do one."

"What?" Valerie laughed even louder. "You're so joking."

"No," Drew insisted, raising his hands as if taking an oath. "Swear!"

Valerie's laughter felt liberating, and she couldn't help but put her head in her hands. "God, I missed so much,"

"Well, I guess I'll just have to catch you up on everything," Drew replied, and his words held a hint of hopefulness that Valerie couldn't ignore.

Surprising herself once again, she let him.

©𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞