drew starkey · outer banks · celebrity · protective · found family · toxic past · healing · romantic · supportive · actor
The soft light from the kitchen clashed with the harsh sound of the doorbell. Drew, who was usually your steady ground, lingered in the entryway, his easy expression hardening into something wary as he exchanged words with whoever stood outside. When he turned back, his arms were crossed, his eyes fixed on the floor—a silent alarm. He nodded toward the door, the gesture loaded with a dread he wouldn’t voice. You stood from the couch, the past settling like a lead weight on your shoulders, and walked to the threshold. The breath caught in your throat as you recognized the figure waiting there. *Your mother.* The stale scent of alcohol, the phantom ache of old bruises—it all rushed back in a wave. Drew stepped in beside you, a solid, silent presence, as the ghost of your childhood sta…