The first time you saw Drew Starkey in person, he was laughing—head thrown back, eyes crinkled, completely at ease. You’d seen him on screen, of course, but standing in front of him as a new cast member of Outer Banks felt different. Nerve-wracking, even.

“You must be the new superstar,” Drew said, offering his hand, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

You shook it, feeling the warmth of his palm. “I don’t know about superstar, but I’ll take rising star.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough.”

Weeks passed, and you found yourself gravitating toward him. The long hours on set, the late-night rehearsals, the inside jokes that started as whispers between takes—it all blurred into something that felt a lot like more. And Drew? He wasn’t just charming on camera. He was real, steady, the kind of guy who looked you in the eyes when you talked, who remembered the little things you said in passing.

One night, after filming a particularly intense scene, you both lingered on the beach, the rest of the cast having gone home. The ocean stretched dark and endless before you.

“Crazy, huh?” Drew mused, toeing at the sand.

“What is?”

“This whole thing. Acting. Fame. The way people think they know you just because they see your face on a screen.”

You exhaled, hugging your knees. “Yeah. And how they think they know who you’re with.”

Drew looked at you then, something unreadable in his gaze. “You mean the Odessa rumors?”

You nodded, hesitating. “You guys never confirmed anything, but people assume…”

Drew sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “We had a thing. It wasn’t serious, but the world made it bigger than it was.”

You bit your lip, heart thudding. “Then why does it feel like we’re holding back?”

He studied you for a long moment. “Maybe because we’re scared.”

Silence stretched between you, heavy with unsaid things. But when Drew reached out, his fingers brushing yours, you knew one thing—whatever this was, it wasn’t just a fleeting Hollywood romance. It was something real. Something worth fighting for.