bed chem | drew starkey

CHAPTER 17

EARLY DECEMBER 2023

aurora stared, completely stunned at what she had just witnessed. madison bailey had just used her stunt double... to hug rudy pankow. how? what? she didn't know things had gotten so weird between them that they couldn't even do their job without involving the off-screen drama. it was bizarre.

as she continued to gape at the scene in front of her, lost in thought, she didn't notice drew sneaking up behind her. leaning in close, he whispered right into her ear, "boo."

aurora jumped, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest. "drew, what the hell!" she spun around, glaring at him with wide eyes, her hand clutching her chest like it would stop her heart from racing.

drew smirked, completely unrepentant. "what? i couldn't pass up the opportunity."

aurora rolled her eyes, still trying to catch her breath. "you're ridiculous," she muttered, turning back to look at madison and rudy.

"what are you staring at?" drew asked, stepping closer to her, curiosity written all over his face.

aurora gestured toward madison and rudy, who were now standing about 6ft apart as if covid just hit. "madison just used her stunt double to hug rudy," she explained, her voice still tinged with disbelief. "a stunt double. to hug him. like, how does that even happen?"

drew raised his eyebrows, glancing at the pair. "huh. yeah, that's... too bad," he said, his voice thoughtful.

then, without warning, he draped his arm around aurora's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. aurora blinked but didn't pull away, letting him guide her into his side.

drew glanced down at her, his expression a mix of playfulness and something softer. "i couldn't imagine... not, like not, like you know—ugh, i don't know what i'm trying to say," he mumbled, clearly frustrated with his own words.

aurora tilted her head up at him, her lips curving into a small smile. "it's okay, baby, i understand" she said softly, her tone carrying a teasing edge but also warmth.

drew froze for a moment, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips before he chuckled, shaking his head. "you're something else, you know that?"

"yeah, i get that a lot," aurora replied, nudging him lightly as the two of them stood there, comfortably close.

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drew paced back and forth in his trailer, his long legs making the confined space feel even smaller. his hands ran through his hair for what had to be the hundredth time, and his phone sat on the table like a ticking time bomb.

"drew, you're stressing for no reason," aurora said softly from her spot on the couch, her eyes following his every movement. her voice was calm, soothing, but he didn't seem to hear her.

"i'm not gonna get it," he muttered, his tone laced with frustration. "there's no way."

"drew," aurora repeated, but he kept pacing, too lost in his spiraling thoughts to listen.

with a quiet sigh, aurora stood up and moved to stand in front of him, placing herself directly in his path. "drew," she said again, more firmly this time.

his footsteps faltered, and he finally stopped to look at her. his expression was tense, his jaw tight.

"come sit on the couch," she said, her voice gentle but steady. "don't stress yourself out like this."

after a beat of hesitation, drew let out a sigh and allowed her to guide him to the couch. they sat down together, and before he realized what was happening, aurora wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a sort of half-hug. his head rested against her, and for a moment, the tension in his body began to melt away.