bed chem | drew starkey

CHAPTER 37

EARLY MAY 2024

the morning after her birthday party, aurora boarded a plane to new york city.

she was still half-asleep when they took off—hoodie over her head, sunglasses on, and her hand loosely tangled in drew's until he had to turn around and fly back to LA for work. they'd said goodbye at the gate, quietly, her pressed smile betraying how much she already missed him.

now, nestled in the back of a black car winding through the city, she watched the skyline come into view like it was a movie. new york had that effect on her. it was loud and fast and dazzling and exhausting—and today, it was all about fashion.

the met gala was just five days away.

the second she checked into her hotel, her team had her in a car to the place her dress was. inside the store, racks of dresses lined the walls, fabrics she couldn't pronounce shimmered in the light, and her stylist was already two oat milk lattes deep and mildly panicked.

but once aurora stepped into the dress—the one they'd chosen weeks ago, finally tailored to perfection—everyone in the room just... paused.

the bodice was elegant black, structured and soft all at once, cinching at her waist before falling into a dreamy, cloudlike skirt in a mix of whites and pastels. it was romantic, a little surreal, and entirely her. it made her feel like a painting.

"jesus christ," mia whispered when she arrived halfway through the fitting. "drew's gonna pass out when he sees you."

aurora laughed, smoothing her hands down the skirt. "he's not going."

"what?" mia blinked.

"we talked about it," aurora shrugged. "it'd be too obvious if i brought him. plus, you're already going on your own. i'll just go solo. keep the internet guessing."

mia raised an eyebrow. "you really think showing up alone in this dress is going to make things less chaotic?"

"yes," aurora said, lips twitching. "or at least... confusing in a fun way."

they both burst out laughing.

still, when she got back to the hotel that night, she couldn't help but text drew a mirror selfie from the fitting with the caption:

"you still gonna help me take this off after?"

he replied in less than thirty seconds.

"i'll fly if i have to."

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the night before the met gala, new york felt electric. it always did before a big event. the city buzzed with nerves and last-minute fittings and paparazzi camped outside hotels. aurora, however, was curled up on the couch in her hotel suite, barefaced in sweatpants, eating cold pasta straight out of the takeout container.

her dress was hanging in the corner, swaying ever so slightly from the air conditioning. it looked like a dream even in the dark.

she had just finished her third facetime call of the day—this one with her glam team—when her phone buzzed again.

drew: open your door

she blinked.

aurora: wait what
drew: surprise. open it.

she nearly tripped over her blanket as she ran to the door, flinging it open—and there he was. baseball cap, hoodie, tired eyes and all.

"hi," he said, shrugging sheepishly. "i missed you."