Lacy, a singer, model and actress, sparks a turbulent romance with actor Drew Starkey, while on the set of Outer Banks, despite their age gap. Their toxic relationship ends after two years, Lacy moving on to Brady Noon, who's her same age. Drew harb...
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Lacy woke up to the blinding light of the morning sun streaming through her window. Her head throbbed with a relentless headache, and her stomach churned unpleasantly. She groaned, rolling over and burying her face in the pillow, but the nausea intensified. She knew she had to get up.
With great effort, she dragged herself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. The moment she stepped inside, she was overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness and had to grip the sink for support. Her stomach heaved, and she barely made it to the toilet before she began to vomit.
After what felt like an eternity, the nausea subsided enough for her to sit back, leaning against the cool bathroom tiles. She took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself.
Feeling marginally better, Lacy stood up and caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her reflection was a mess. Her hair was tangled, and streaks of mascara ran down her cheeks from the tears she had cried the night before. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she looked as miserable as she felt.
"Great," she muttered sarcastically to herself, reaching for a washcloth to clean her face.
As she washed away the remnants of last night's makeup, her phone buzzed on the bathroom counter. She picked it up and saw several missed calls and texts from Brady.
Brady: Morning. Hope you're feeling better. Call me when you're ready to talk.
Brady: Just checking in. Are you okay?
Brady: Lacy, I'm worried. Please let me know you're alright.
She sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for worrying him. With shaky hands, she typed out a quick reply.
Lacy: I'm awake. Rough night. Headache
Within moments, her phone buzzed again, this time with an incoming video call from Brady. She hesitated briefly, then accepted the call, Brady's concerned face appearing on the screen.
"Lacy, you look awful," he said, his voice filled with worry. "What happened last night?"
"Good morning to you too," Lacy replied weakly, attempting a small smile. "I feel awful. Head's killing me."
"Yeah, you sound like it," Brady said sympathetically. "Did you drink a lot?"
"Too much," she admitted, rubbing her temples. "And... Drew... I saw him with another girl."
Brady's expression darkened. "I'm so sorry, Lacy. That must've been hard to see. But first, let's get you feeling better. Do you have any ibuprofen or aspirin?"
"I think so," she said, glancing toward her medicine cabinet. "Hang on."
She set the phone down and rummaged through the cabinet, finding a bottle of ibuprofen. She took a couple of pills with a glass of water and returned to the phone.
"Alright, took some," she said, sitting back down on the bathroom floor.
"Good. Now, drink plenty of water today. You're probably dehydrated," Brady instructed. "And if you can manage it, eat something light. Toast or crackers, maybe."
"Okay," Lacy said, nodding. "Thanks, Bray."
He smiled gently. "That's what friends are for. And Lacy, don't let what happened with Drew get to you. He's not worth your tears."
Lacy felt a lump in her throat and blinked back fresh tears. "I just feel so stupid. I thought he liked me."
"You're not stupid," Brady said firmly. "You have a big heart, and you deserve someone who appreciates that. Drew clearly doesn't."
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You'll never have to find out," Brady said softly. "Now, get some rest and take care of yourself. We'll talk more later, okay?"
"Okay," she agreed, managing a small smile. "Thanks, Brady."
"Anytime, Lacy. Feel better," he said before ending the call.
Lacy sat there for a moment, the phone still in her hand. She took a deep breath, feeling slightly better knowing that Brady was there for her.
As she sipped on a glass of water and nibbled on a piece of toast, she reflected on the events of the previous night. The pain of seeing Drew with someone else was still fresh, but she knew that she had to move forward. She had a support system, and she wasn't alone.
Just as she was starting to feel a little better, her phone buzzed with a series of messages from Drew.
Drew: Hey, where'd you disappear to last night?
Drew: Lacy, are you okay? You left without saying anything.
Drew: Seriously, what's going on? Why are you ignoring me?
Lacy glanced at Drew's messages, feeling a mix of frustration and exhaustion. She knew she owed him an explanation, but she wasn't ready to face him just yet. With a heavy sigh, she decided to leave his messages unanswered for now. She needed some time to herself to heal and gather her thoughts.
Setting her phone aside, Lacy focused on taking care of herself, following Brady's advice to drink water and eat something light. With each sip and bite, she felt a little better, a little stronger.
As the morning turned into afternoon, Lacy found herself feeling more like her usual self. The headache had eased, and the nausea had subsided.
Feeling a bit more centered, Lacy decided to hit up her closest friends for some much-needed girl talk. She opened the group chat with her girls and sent out a text.
Lacy: hey babes, got SO much to tell...can we meet up soon?
Almost right away, Kendall jumped in with a reply:
Kendall: OMG! i'll be there next week after the Milan Fahion week...can't wait!!
Olivia: count me in too! I'll be back next week too...can't wait to hear all the deets, lace!
As Lacy was typing out her reply to her friends, the sound of the doorbell pierced through the quiet of her apartment. She frowned, wondering who could be visiting her at this hour. With a sense of unease settling in her stomach, she got up from her seat and made her way to the door.
Her heart sank as she peered through the peephole and saw the last person she wanted to see—Drew standing on the other side. Lacy's mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions—anger, hurt, confusion—all jumbled together like a messy knot she couldn't untangle.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Lacy reluctantly opened the door, steeling herself for whatever Drew had to say.
