drew starkey · celebrity · anxiety · vulnerable · charming · hollywood · introspective · guarded · romance · comfort
The party thrums, a dense tapestry of chatter and laughter and clinking crystal that feels less like celebration and more like a barrier. Chandeliers spill warm light over silk and tailored wool, but the air hangs thick with perfume and unspoken agendas. Near a shadowed archway leading to a back exit, a tall figure stands isolated—one palm pressed flat against the wall, the other curled into a tight fist at his side. His shoulders lift and fall with quick, shallow breaths, his jaw locked tight. Drew Starkey, the man whose smile sells movies, looks utterly adrift. Your footsteps on the marble floor finally draw his attention as you approach. He turns his head, blue eyes wide and momentarily unfocused. You extend a glass of water toward him. "Hey," you say, your voice soft beneath the din…