Drew Starkey Imagines

Don't Marry Him

The lace of your wedding dress felt heavy on your skin, but not as heavy as the doubt pressing down on your chest. You were standing in front of the full-length mirror, staring at your reflection, but all you could see was uncertainty. The kind of uncertainty that made your stomach twist and your hands shake.

You were getting married today. To a man who was good—kind, stable, everything you had convinced yourself you needed. But your heart had never truly belonged to him.

It had always belonged to Rafe Cameron.

You had spent years running from that truth, telling yourself that loving Rafe was dangerous, messy, and unpredictable. That he was reckless, and you couldn't afford to be reckless. That he could break you in a way no one else could.

And yet, standing here, moments before walking down the aisle, you couldn't stop thinking about him.

A knock on the door pulled you from your thoughts, and when you turned, your mother stood there, a small, knowing smile on her face.

"There's someone here to see you," she said, her voice gentle.

You frowned. "Mom, I'm about to get married."

She stepped aside, and that's when you saw him.

Rafe.

Your breath caught in your throat. He looked almost the same as he always had—tall, broad, sharp blue eyes that saw right through you. But there was something different in the way he stood. He looked like a man who had something to say, and he wasn't leaving until he said it.

Your mother gave you a soft squeeze on the shoulder before slipping out, leaving you and Rafe alone.

"You shouldn't be here," you whispered, even though you weren't sure you meant it.

He let out a breathless laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah? Well, I had to try."

You turned away from him, staring at the bouquet in your hands, willing yourself to keep it together. "Try what?"

"To stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life."

Your head snapped up, eyes locking onto his in the mirror. His gaze was intense, unwavering.

"Rafe—"

"Don't marry him."

His voice was raw, filled with something desperate, something real.

Your heart pounded. "You can't just—"

"Yes, I can," he cut in, stepping closer. "I can because I know you. And I know you don't love him."

Your breath hitched. "You don't get to tell me who I love."

"No, but you do." He exhaled sharply. "Tell me, right now, that you love him. That you want to spend the rest of your life with him, and I'll walk away."

Silence filled the space between you.

You opened your mouth, but the words wouldn't come out.

Because you couldn't say it.

Rafe scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

Tears burned at your eyes as you spun around to face him. "Why are you doing this? Why now?"

"Because I'm in love with you." His voice cracked, his jaw clenching. "I've always been in love with you. And I was a coward for never telling you. But I'm telling you now, even if it's too late."

Your whole body went still.

Rafe took a step closer, his hands twitching at his sides like he wanted to reach for you but wasn't sure if he was allowed. "I know I've messed up a lot of things in my life. I know I've hurt people, and I know I don't deserve you, but I don't care. I love you. And I know you love me too."

Tears slipped down your cheeks.

"Tell me you don't love me," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "And I'll let you go."

But you couldn't.

Because Rafe was right.

You had loved him for as long as you could remember. And maybe you had convinced yourself that it would be easier to be with someone safe, someone simple. But love wasn't supposed to be easy. Love was supposed to be consuming. And no one had ever consumed you the way Rafe did.

"Say the word, and I'll leave," he murmured.

But instead, you took a shaky step forward. And then another. Until you were right in front of him.

Until you could feel the warmth of his body, the way his chest rose and fell unevenly.

Your fingers trembled as you reached up, pressing your hand against his cheek. His breath hitched, his eyes fluttering closed at the touch.

"I can't," you whispered.

His eyes snapped open. "You can't what?"

"I can't tell you that I don't love you."

A sharp exhale left his lips, and then suddenly, his hands were on your waist, pulling you flush against him. His forehead dropped to yours, his grip on you tight, like he was afraid you would slip away.

"You're really gonna do this?" you whispered.

"Yeah," he breathed. "Yeah, I am."

A knock sounded at the door again, and you both jumped apart as Sarah, Kie, and Cleo poked their heads in.

Kie smirked. "So, are we stopping this wedding or what?"

Sarah grinned. "Because we've got an escape plan if you're up for it."

Your heart raced as you looked between them, then back at Rafe. He was looking at you with so much hope, so much love, and for the first time in a long time, you didn't feel like running away.

You felt like running toward something. Toward him.

A smile tugged at your lips. "Let's get out of here."

⸻

It was chaos from the moment you stepped out of the room.

JJ and John B were waiting outside, and the second they saw you and Rafe together, JJ let out a loud whoop. "Hell yeah, I knew it!"

John B shook his head with a grin. "Let's move before someone tries to stop us."

Pope was the lookout, making sure no one spotted you as you slipped through the back entrance of the venue. "The getaway car is around the corner," he said, tossing you a knowing look. "Good choice, by the way."

You laughed, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you clutched Rafe's hand, your wedding dress bunched in your other hand.

"What about my fiancé?" you asked breathlessly as you slid into the back of the car with Rafe.

Sarah smirked. "Oh, don't worry. Cleo's handling that."

You didn't even want to know what that meant.

Rafe pulled you into him as the car sped away, his arms wrapping around you like he never planned to let go. "You're really mine now?" he murmured.

You looked up at him, heart swelling. "I've always been yours, Rafe."

A slow, satisfied smile stretched across his face before he leaned down and kissed you, sealing everything—every unspoken word, every suppressed feeling, every ounce of love you had ever felt for him—into that single, perfect moment.

And this time, you weren't running.

You were exactly where you belonged.