𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 , drew starkey

twenty-six

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。
—𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍, 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀

—𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲

Arabella wanted to escape the problem but it seemed like the problem had just followed her.

"You've got to be kidding me," Arabella quietly murmured under her breath as she saw the person she least wanted to see approaching her.

With everyone that was going on, the last thing that could ever provide her calm is him.

"Not here for you," Drew responded, his tone casual as he took out a pack of cigarettes and waved them in her face. "Just for a smoke."

"Can you smoke a few feet away from me?" Arabella groaned, grimacing as she crossed her arms, emphasizing her annoyance.

Drew didn't respond to Arabella's request, nor did he step away from her. Instead, he stood there, lighting his cigarette and placing it in his mouth, the glow of the flame casting a flickering light on his face.

Arabella took it upon herself to take a step away from Drew, which made Drew scoff a laugh.

For some odd reason, there was a comfortable silence between the two. The only sounds were the occasional cars beeping in the distance due to the city of Charleston around them. There was also the soft sounds of Drew's breaths as he took a drag from his cigarette. Arabella found herself strangely calmed by the quiet.

"Why are you out here?"

It was a nice silence. Until Drew decided to break it.

Too exhausted to engage in banter, Arabella simply replied, "Just wanted to get away from it all."

Drew chuckled, "You've always had a tendency to run away from things," he remarked.

Arabella clenched her jaw, a silent effort to keep her mouth shut. She remained quiet, not wanting to say anything that she would regret in the heat of the moment.

Drew started to speak again, "you've also always liked to stay quiet—"

"What is your problem?" Arabella loudly interrupted him.

Startled by the Arabella's sudden reaction, Drew furrowed his eyebrows, then his lips twisted into a smirk.

"You're girlfriend won't like it that you're here with me," Arabella pointed out, her tone laced with annoyance. "Bye." She started with a dismissive wave of her hand, she started making a shooing motion, indicating that Drew should go inside.

"So I was right?" Drew retorted, not bothering to listen to Arabella's request. The blank that had been on his face faded, replaced by a blank expression that Arabella had come to recognize.

It was as if all of the light from his eyes were gone.

She pressed her lips into a thin line, trying her best to suppress a groan, before turning around to face Drew. "What are you saying?"

"I was right," Drew chuckled softly, taking the cigarette out of his mouth, throwing it on the ground and crushing it with his foot. "It was always going to be him."