Starlet

(but let me know if you want it on here as well)

Here's the description:

When 17-year-old Y/N moves from her small hometown to Staten Island for her father's cancer treatment, she clings to the familiar by joining the local theater. There, she meets four mischievous boys who welcome her into their world, but one of them captures her attention like no one else. As friendships deepen and the years pass, Y/N's feelings for him grow-until she's forced to confront them before wedding bells ring for the one she's never quite let go of.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/381470064?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details&wp_uname=starletemi

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝙵𝚕𝚞𝚏𝚏 

𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚈/𝙽 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚀𝚞𝚒𝚗𝚗 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚊𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗. 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢’𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝—𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

The car hummed softly as we cruised down the empty stretch of highway, the orange glow of the setting sun spilling over the horizon. Brian was behind the wheel, his left hand resting lazily on the steering wheel while his right hand drummed against the console in rhythm with the playlist I’d queued earlier.

“You’ve got good taste,” he said, nodding to the song.

“Of course I do,” I teased. “I had to balance out your eclectic taste.”

He glanced at me, his lips quirking into a smirk. “My taste is perfect. I just appreciate variety.”

I rolled my eyes, leaning back in my seat. The road stretched endlessly before us, and for the first time in weeks, it felt like we had a chance just to breathe. No cameras, no crew, no chaos. Just two friends and the open road.

I turned my head to watch him, his face softening in the glow of the dashboard lights. His hoodie was slightly wrinkled from the long day, and his hair was tousled in that effortlessly messy way that always made him look annoyingly good.

“You’re staring,” he said without looking at me.

I jolted, turning quickly to face the window. “I am not!”

“You were,” he teased, a quiet laugh escaping his lips.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

We’d been driving for hours, heading back to the city after a small day trip together, just the two of us. It was comfortable—easy, even. But occasionally, I caught myself overthinking how his arm brushed mine when he adjusted the radio or how his voice dipped when he laughed at one of my dumb jokes.

The car jolted suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“What was that?” I asked, sitting up straight.

Brian frowned, his hand tightening on the wheel as the car sputtered and lurched again. “Uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh? What do you mean, uh-oh?”

“I mean…” He guided the car onto the shoulder of the road, its engine coughing one last time before dying completely. He sighed, throwing the gear into park. “That.”

We both stared at the now-silent car, the headlights cutting through the growing darkness.

“Well,” I said after a beat. “This is… inconvenient.”

Brian chuckled, though it sounded more exasperated than amused. “You don’t say.”

He reached for his phone, tapped the screen, and dialed a number. He talked quickly about the situation and, with a simple “thanks,” he hung up.

“Triple A?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” he said, wiping his phone one last time. “It won’t be for a few hours until they arrive.”

“Great. Stuck in the middle of nowhere. This feels like the start of a bad horror movie.”

“Relax,” Brian said, flashing me a grin. “If a creepy guy with a chainsaw shows up, I’ll protect you.”

“Good to know,” I said, rolling my eyes.

The night settled around us, the quiet pressing in. We both sat in the stillness for a moment, waiting. There was no sound except for the occasional rustling of leaves and the hum of distant traffic far off the highway.

“You know,” Brian said after a while, his voice quieter than before. “I don’t hate this.”

“Being stranded on the side of the road?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He chuckled, glancing at me for a brief moment. “No. Just… being here. With you.”

I felt my heart skip, but I tried to play it cool. “Well, I’m excellent company.”

“That you are,” he said, his tone softer now. His eyes flicked to mine, lingering for a moment longer than usual.

I swallowed, the tension between us palpable. It was as if the world outside the car had faded, leaving just the two of us in this little bubble of silence. His gaze felt heavier as if he were waiting for something.

“I like you,” he said, his voice low but steady. “Not just as a friend or someone I work with. I like you, Y/N. A lot.”

The words hung in the air, and I felt my heart race. For a moment, I couldn’t find my voice. When I did, it came out soft and hesitant.

“I had no idea,” I said quietly, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Because I like you too. I have for a while.”

His eyes lit up, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” I said, feeling a warmth spread through me.

He reached over, his hand brushing mine gently on the console. I turned my hand over, letting our fingers intertwine.

“Well,” he said, his voice a little lighter now. “Guess this breakdown wasn’t so bad after all.”

I laughed softly, squeezing his hand. “You’re unbelievable.”

“You like me anyway,” he teased, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand.

“Yeah,” I said, leaning back with a contented sigh. “I do.”

The quiet stretched on as we sat there, waiting for help to arrive. The space between us felt charged now, like something had shifted. I could feel his gaze again, pulling me back from my thoughts. He leaned closer, his face just inches from mine.

I didn’t pull away. Instead, I let the moment, my breath catching as I realized how badly I wanted this.

He closed the gap between us without another word, his lips brushing against mine in a slow, hesitant kiss. It was soft at first, just a whisper of contact like we were both testing the waters. But when I kissed him back, a little more sure this time, the kiss deepened, slow and sweet.

When we finally pulled away, we both breathed a little heavier, smiles tugging at our lips.

“Well,” Brian said, his voice barely above a whisper, “that was a nice distraction.”

I laughed softly, still feeling the warmth of his lips against mine. “Yeah, it was.”

A flash of headlights broke the moment, and we both turned toward the sound of approaching vehicles. Help had arrived, and with it, the reality of our situation. But as we pulled apart, I couldn’t help but think that the night wasn’t so bad.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚜/ 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝙵𝚕𝚞𝚏𝚏, 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚋𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚎/𝚑𝚎𝚛.

𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚢 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚠, 𝚈/𝙽 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚌𝚔. 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚙𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙, 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗. 

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

The sun shone brightly over the park, casting its warm golden glow across the bustling set. Joe cracked jokes, Sal and Murr bantered over the next challenge, and the crew rushed around with cameras and clipboards. I was battling a losing war with the wind somewhere amid the chaos.

Strands of my hair whipped relentlessly across my face, defying every attempt to tuck them behind my ears. The guys noticed my struggle—Joe nudged Sal, both grinning as I cursed under my breath and pushed another rogue strand away.

Then there was Brian.

He stood a few feet away, leaning against a table with his arms crossed, his lips curled into a knowing smirk. His eyes sparkled as they followed my futile attempts, his amusement radiating off him.

“Need some backup there, Y/N?” he called, his teasing tone flushing my cheeks.

“More like a full rescue operation,” I replied, trying to sound playful though my nerves betrayed me.

Brian’s smirk widened as he pushed off the table and strolled toward me. Every step sent my heart racing faster, especially when he stopped just close enough to make the space between us feel suddenly too small.

“Let me see what I can do,” he said, scanning the set before heading toward the crew. Moments later, he returned, triumphantly holding up a black hair tie. “Problem solved.”

“You’re kidding,” I said, half laughing, half mortified. “You’re actually going to help me tie my hair?”

“Of course,” he said, a playful edge in his voice. “Don’t tell me you don’t trust me?”

“I don’t know,” I teased, crossing my arms. “Should I?”

“You’ll see. I’ve got skills,” he said with a grin, gesturing for me to turn around.

I hesitated, the weight of the moment settling on me. Letting Brian, of all people, fix my hair felt strangely…intimate. But his smile was disarming, and a warmth in his gaze made it impossible to say no.

“Fine,” I relented, turning my back to him. “But if I look ridiculous, I’m blaming you.”

“Noted,” he replied, stepping closer.

As his fingers gathered my hair, his knuckles brushed the nape of my neck, sending a jolt of electricity through me. I tried not to react, but every touch heightened my awareness of how close he was.

“Hold still,” he murmured, his breath warm near my ear.

I huffed a soft laugh. “I am holding still. Don’t mess it up.”

“I would never,” he said smoothly. Then, with a wicked grin I couldn’t see but could feel in his tone, he added, “Though if I pull too hard, just yell out the safe word.”

I froze for half a second, my cheeks blazing.

“Excuse me?!” I managed, spinning my head slightly to look at him.

His face was pure mischief, his grin wide and unrepentant. “What? I’m just saying. It’s important to communicate.”

“Brian!” I hissed, mortified, though I couldn’t stop the laugh bubbling up.

“Hey, I’m just here to help,” he said innocently, though the devilish glint in his eyes remained. “You’re the one with your mind in the gutter.”

“Unbelievable,” I muttered, shaking my head but unable to stop smiling.

“Relax,” he said, chuckling as he carefully tied the hair tie. His fingers brushed my neck one last time, sending another spark through me before he stepped back. “There. Perfect. And no safe word needed.”

I turned around, my heart racing as I regained my composure. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“And yet, you let me fix your hair anyway,” he said, grinning.

I reached up to touch the newly tied ponytail, laughing softly. “You’re surprisingly good at this.”

He shrugged, but his eyes stayed on mine. “You look great,” he said, his tone sincere and his gaze steady.

My breath caught. I wasn’t sure how to respond, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us felt charged, the world around us falling away.

“Hey, you two!” Joe’s voice shattered the moment, loud and obnoxious. “We are ready to shoot!”

Brian stepped back quickly, his easy grin snapping back into place. “Coming!” he called, his tone light, but the flush on his cheeks gave him away.

As we walked back toward the group, I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He avoided my gaze, but the small smile tugging at his lips told me he wasn’t upset about the interruption.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

The rest of the day flew by in a blur of challenges and laughter, but the memory of Brian’s fingers in my hair lingered like a secret I wasn’t ready to share.

I caught him looking at me more than once, his eyes softening when our gazes met. Each time, I felt the same flutter in my chest, a hopeful thrill that maybe—just maybe—he thought it too.

As the sun descended below the horizon, Brian found me again, and the crew started packing up. He stood close, his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets, his expression unreadable.

“Hey,” he said, his voice quieter than usual.

“Hey,” I replied, feeling warm in my chest.

It seemed like he wanted to say something more for a moment, but instead, he just smiled. “You did great today,” he said.

“So did you,” I said, smiling back.

As we stood there, the park bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the beginning of something more.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

https://www.wattpad.com/1490370750?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_writing&wp_page=create_writer&wp_uname=starletemi