𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐄, 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲

TEN(finale)

(REAL LIFE)

"don't bring me to tears, when i just did my makeup so nice"

PRESENT

That night, Elizabeth lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her mind still replaying the kiss and the look on Drew's face when she'd pulled away. She hadn't intended to lead him on, but in the moment, everything had felt so intense, so raw—and then it had all felt too fast. She was still figuring things out, and she knew she couldn't just ignore what had happened between them, but she needed time.

She reached for her phone, almost instinctively, and hovered over Drew's contact. Part of her wanted to send a quick text, something that would ease the tension she'd left him with. But the words wouldn't come. She couldn't explain it to herself, let alone to him. After a moment, she set the phone back down and turned on her side, deciding to deal with it all in the morning.

Meanwhile, Drew sat on his couch, staring at his phone and replaying everything in his head. He was fighting the urge to text her, to ask if she was okay, or if he'd done something wrong. He knew they were moving cautiously, but he hadn't expected her reaction to be so abrupt. He felt the hope he'd been holding onto slipping through his fingers, and the uncertainty was almost unbearable.

Just as he was about to call it a night, his phone lit up with a text—not from Elizabeth, but from his best friend, asking how the watch party had gone. Drew sighed, typing out a vague response about how the party was fine and leaving it at that. The last thing he wanted was to share what had happened, or try to explain what he didn't understand himself.

The next morning, Elizabeth woke up with a sense of resolve. She needed to talk to Drew, to clear the air and set some boundaries before things got messier. She knew they couldn't keep moving in these circles if they wanted any real chance at rebuilding their connection.

She sent him a quick text:

lizzie💕: Hey, can we talk? I'm sorry about last night—I think we should clear the air.

Drew's response came almost immediately:

Drew💗: Yeah, I'd like that. Just let me know when and where.

They agreed to meet at a small café later that day, somewhere quiet where they could talk without distractions. As Elizabeth made her way there, she rehearsed what she wanted to say, hoping she'd find the right words.

When she arrived, Drew was already seated, a coffee in front of him. He looked up as she walked in, his expression guarded but open. She could see the questions in his eyes, the uncertainty, and it made her heart ache.

"Hey," he greeted softly as she took a seat across from him.

"Hey." She offered a small smile, then took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "About last night... I'm sorry for how I left things. It was unfair, and I should've explained myself."

Drew shook his head. "You don't have to apologize, Elizabeth. I just want to understand where we stand—where you stand."

She nodded, feeling the weight of his words. "I think... I got swept up in the moment, and for a second, it felt right. But then I panicked. I realized that I wasn't ready for that step. I don't want to rush back into something and repeat the same mistakes."

Drew listened, his expression softening. "I get it. And I don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for. But I'd be lying if I said I don't still have feelings for you, Elizabeth. Last night felt like a glimpse of what we could have again, but only if we're both ready."