bed chem | drew starkey

CHAPTER 27

MID - LATE JANUARY 2024

Aurora stepped off the plane in Morocco, sunglasses perched on her nose, her headphones tucked into her ears as she scrolled through her phone. A part of her had been nervous about coming back, but after spending time with Mia, she felt more in control. If Drew wanted her attention, he was going to have to earn it. She wasn't going to make it easy.

By the time she arrived on set, the sun was blazing, casting a golden glow over the desert landscape. She adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder as she made her way toward her trailer, spotting a familiar figure leaning against a jeep near the craft services table.

Drew.

His eyes flickered up the moment he saw her. He stood up a little straighter, running a hand through his hair like he was preparing himself. Aurora didn't slow her pace, didn't even let her expression change. Instead, she pulled out her phone, pretending to type something, acting like she hadn't noticed him at all.

"Hey, Aurora," Drew called out as she passed.

She slid her sunglasses down slightly, glancing at him with the faintest smile. "Oh, hey, Drew," she said breezily, then kept walking.

She could feel his frustration.

Inside her trailer, she shut the door behind her and exhaled, fighting the smirk threatening to creep onto her face. Making him work for her attention was going to be fun.

On set, Aurora made sure to keep busy—talking to Madelyn and Madison between takes, laughing at something one of the crew members said, scrolling through her phone even when she wasn't doing anything particularly important. She didn't ignore Drew completely, but she didn't make it easy for him, either.

During a break, she was standing by a table filled with water bottles and snacks when Drew finally cornered her.

"You're really gonna act like that?" he asked, tilting his head.

Aurora raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Like what?"

Drew let out a dry laugh, crossing his arms. "Like I don't exist."

Aurora took a slow sip of her water, then shrugged. "I don't know what you mean. We've talked, haven't we?"

"Yeah, barely," he muttered, shaking his head. "You're making me work for it, huh?"

Aurora finally let herself smirk. "What, did you think some flowers  would make everything magically better?"

Drew exhaled, his hands dropping to his sides. "No. I just—" He hesitated, then met her gaze. "I just don't want to feel like I lost you completely. I thought we agreed to communicate and work through it?"

For a brief moment, Aurora's resolve wavered. She saw the sincerity in his eyes, the regret, the way he genuinely wanted to make things right.

But she wasn't ready to let him back in just yet.

She leaned in slightly, just enough to make his breath hitch. "Guess you'll just have to keep trying, Starkey."

Then she walked away, leaving Drew standing there, watching her go.

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Filming was going... smoothly. Aurora had to admit, she'd almost forgotten how much she loved being on set. The adrenaline of it all, the creativity, the camaraderie—it was all exhilarating. Sure, there were some rough scenes, moments where she had to dig deep emotionally, but they didn't matter in the grand scheme. She had other things to look forward to.