42| Dear Thisbe

IT was so fucking dumb.

It was so fucking dumb that all I could think of as the elevator dinged and I got back to the penthouse floor was Theo and the fact that he showed up at my family's annual Halloween party to tell me that he loved me. And to read his note, which he said I'd know where to find. I totally knew where to find it and I walked into the apartment with the intention of going straight to my room.

But my mother got to me first and stopped me with her hand on my arm.

"Juliet," she said, and when she called me by my real name, it was just annoying. Nothing like when Theo opted to call me Juliet rather than Ava; he spoke my name and it didn't annoy me, it just made me long for him a bit more. He spoke my name, my actual name that I'd grown up detesting because of everything it associated with, and he made it seem like less of a harrowing detail and more of a sweet sentiment.

"Where were you?" she asked.

I made up a lie quickly. "Someone was trying to be buzzed in, so I went to check it out. Turns out they were just some kids pulling a prank." I shrugged and backed away from my mother's hand.

"I expect you will be out soon," my mother said. "Your father has business inquiries that have arrived and he'd like it if his wife and kids were present." I knew she was just saying that as an excuse to keep an eye on me. She hardly peeled her focus off of me these days after she caught me and Theo at The Met even though I'd lied and told her it was nothing.

I smiled to reassure her even though I didn't care to. "I'll go find Will." It was a half-truth.

So I slipped away from my mother to look for Will. Really, I went to look for Will and Matteo and Nic. I knew he was here, too, I'd seen him when he took off his mask as the elevator doors closed. That's when I knew it was Theo in the elevator with me. I mean, I should have guessed.

We had a thing for elevators.

Also, I couldn't believe the irony that he was dressed up to look like Leonardo Dicaprio's Romeo. It made things just a thousand times more ironic that I happened to be dressed with angel wings. Like that wasn't the biggest fucking coincidence of all time. I wanted to hate it because the tale of Romeo and Juliet was so tired, but I couldn't bring myself to. For some reason, I liked the irony. Because we didn't take it seriously and think of ourselves as a real manifestation of Shakespeare's play, we took it and laughed about it. Theo could joke about being Romeo all he wanted and I wasn't bothered.

I walked through the apartment trying to sneak past anyone and everyone who knew me, family friends I couldn't waste time talking to right now. I had to find Nic. But I didn't see him or my brother and Matteo anywhere.

After not being able to find any of them for over 15 minutes (I'd gotten sidetracked at one point by a family friend who refused to stop trying to talk to me even when it was obvious I was in a rush), I slipped away into the hallway where my room and Will's were. Will's bedroom door was shut and I decided that it would be decent to knock considering Matteo was probably in there, too. It was still weird to think of them together even though they weren't really... together. At least that was where they were at. So I knocked.

Matteo opened the door still fully dressed as a peach just seconds later. His grin was his normal Matteo grin and I had to say, it was nice to see him doing better. Will was behind him in the room sitting criss-cross on his desk chair.

"AC! Back from the elevator of kinks so soon!" Matteo exclaimed.

"Ha-ha," I mused, then looked over his shoulder (or I guess really just the curve of his peach body) at Will. "Where's Nic?"

"He left with Theo," Will told me.

"Wait, they actually left?" Theo hadn't come back upstairs, that was true. He'd exited the building but I didn't expect him to leave so quickly. Same with Nic. And especially after what he just admitted...

"It was written in Nic's plan," Matteo said with a shrug. "Get in, put the note somewhere, get his moment with you, and get out."

I must have looked visibly disappointed because Will stood up and came to the doorway, resting his hand on my shoulder. I mean, of course I was a little disappointed. Because I came up here to read Theo's note and then...

I don't know what I expected. To see him again right afterward? I had a Halloween party I was supposed to be focusing on and Theo certainly couldn't have stayed for long without my mom probably figuring out that he was here. But already after hearing Theo say the words, that he loves me, I wanted him to come back. And I didn't want to let him go.

He wasn't fully grown out of his childishness, I knew that. But it wasn't so easy and it wasn't a one-step process. The fact that he didn't know about his future when I had mine entirely thought out didn't matter because what mattered was that he loves me. Maybe it would matter in the future, but it didn't right now.

"I need to read the note," I said, pulling away from Will and running across the hallway into my own room.

"Go get your note, girl!" I heard Matteo exclaim as I got into my room and flicked on the switch.

I knew where the note was, that was true. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together of everything Theo said to me, the time we'd been in my room together, and just simply by knowing who Theo was (not to mention his damn costume, the son of a bitch). I knew where to find the note, which was why I crossed my room towards the bench beneath my bookshelf.

Sitting on the bench was a leather jacket, obviously Theo's. I picked it up and held it close to my chest and, as stupid as it was, it smelled like him. Stupid boy with a stupid amazing scent of sandalwood and cedar, just a dash of something sweet like cinnamon. I sat down on the bench and kept the jacket in my lap, my eyes flickering up to the bookshelf. Reaching up, I took my mini copy of Romeo & Juliet.

The note was tucked behind it. The same white envelope with googly eyes. This time with a red heart drawn in the top right corner. My heart was beating out of my chest. The thumps were coming like a suspenseful movie and you would have thought I was being chased by a murderer. When in reality, no, there was no murderer. I was just overcome by the feeling of love and the fact that Theo felt it for me, too. And the fact that I'd never felt something like this before, yet it came so easily with Theo, gave my heart all the more reason to freak out in a good way.

I slowly opened up the envelope and slipped the piece of paper out, unfolding it cautiously. When I finally unfolded the paper, written in Theo's unmistakable bold and flawless handwriting, was the message:

Dear Thisbe,

If it weren't for the wall between us, I don't think you'd be able to stay away from me.

Love, Pyramus

I stared at the note for a while, knowing it was Theo who wrote it, knowing it was me who he was writing to, knowing he'd slipped it into my copy of Romeo & Juliet because of that last time he'd been in my room, and knowing, very well and very clear, that he loved me just as much as I loved him. I didn't know Thisbe or Pyramus, and I certainly didn't know their story. I could only assume this was another one of his historical things. A story of star-crossed lovers; another mock-up of Romeo & Juliet. I could also be sure of one thing: I wanted to hear the story, to learn about it, by listening to Theo's voice.

It was hard to tear my eyes away from the note, but when I finally did, I got up and went to change. There was no hesitancy in my actions. I didn't even spare a second thought to how my mother would be pissed if she caught me leaving. She would be pissed regardless when I didn't come back out to the party in costume ready to put on the "perfect united family" act for my dad's next business clients because that was something my mother liked to do and my dad just went along with it. He had never felt the need to prove that we were a close family. I didn't think about my mother because everything, absolutely everything, was irrelevant right now besides this:

I'd never been in a relationship, never wanted to, never loved anyone. But then there was Theo. And we hadn't been in a relationship, but we never needed to label what we had and we claimed it as "friendship." It was more than friendship. I wanted to be with Theo, and I couldn't deny the jolt in my heart any time I thought of him, was around him, or heard him speak, or read his notes, or knew that he was close by (but not close enough). I loved him and I was choosing him. Nothing of the past Friday and the party mattered anymore. He couldn't tell me that he loved me then because he wasn't ready, and I could understand that now. But the fact that he'd said it...

It meant something huge that I wasn't going to let pass me by.

I changed into something more casual and threw on Theo's leather jacket. Just to feel the warmth of him closer, almost as if he was hugging me, as I whipped out my phone and called him as fast as I could. It had been just over 30 minutes since he'd left. He might have been all the way back home by now.

He answered on the first ring.

"Juliet," he said, sounding relieved.

"Come get me," I told him, going to stand by the windows in my room, staring out at the dark night sky and the lit-up New York City.

"What about the party?"

I groaned. "Fuck the party," I said and heard him chuckle. "I don't give a shit about the stupid party if you're not here, Theodore Montgomery. I am tired of pretending that we're just friends and pretending that I want to push you away and pretending that we're supposed to ignore each other just because our families – or, my family mainly – have said so. I'm so tired of pretending, Theo. I just want to let go and I need you to come and get me."

"I haven't even left yet," Theo admitted.

This made my smile grow wider and I stepped out onto the balcony, looking down towards the front of the apartment building. There was a car and I could barely make out a figure standing up against it in front of the entrance. It could be Theo.

"I'm coming down soon," I told him. "Don't leave."

"Yeah fucking right," was what he said before I hung up.

I wasted no time and quickly ran inside, then straight to Will's room. The door was left open and he and Matteo were sitting facing each other: Matteo on the bed and Will in his desk chair. I had to remind myself to comment on Matteo's peach outfit later when I texted him or something. It was too good to not joke about.

Both of them immediately looked over at me as I entered breathlessly. The note was in the pocket of Theo's jacket that I was now wearing. I was going to keep it just like I'd kept every one of his notes before it. Besides, I wanted to know the story. As per usual.

"Theo didn't leave, only Nic did," I told them, unable to suppress my grin.

"You're going to get your mans," Matteo said, smiling back and kicking his foot out to nudge Will's shin. "Your sister's whipped."

Will threw an eraser at Matteo, but it just bounced off the roundness of his peach costume. "Go get him," Will said. "But sneak out carefully. I'll make up some excuse for you if she comes searching. And as for Matteo, I'll just say he's helping me study."

Matteo coughed out a laugh. "Study is a good word for this, William."

Will threw another eraser and sent me a proud smile. "Go on, now. Don't waste your time."

I nodded and slipped out of Will's room. I knew that I needed to be quiet and cautious as I passed the living room and kitchen and snuck out of the apartment. If my mother caught me, she would have me skinned. Or, she'd probably just throw a fit and poison me with one of her disgusting green juices.

The party was still bustling as I found my way through the crowds and discreetly made my way to the front door. Turning back once to check, I quietly opened the door, then walked out towards the elevator, pressing the button to take me down. It took less than a minute for the elevator to arrive and I stepped into the small space that reminded me of Theo for more than one reason now. I'd kissed him first on an elevator; he told me he loved me on one, too.

I pressed the button for the Lobby and as the doors were shutting, a hand slammed in between to stop the doors. They reopened and my mother (whoop-dee-do) was standing there looking displeased. She stepped into the elevator, the doors closed, and it started to slowly descend.

Fucking great.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, arms across her chest. "And why are you not in costume? Your father has clients he wanted us all to meet as a family."

"I'm going out," I told her, standing my ground and refusing to look at her.

"Well, certainly you're coming back. A friend is arriving, I suppose? And again, why aren't you in the costume I picked for you?"

I gritted my teeth. "I'm not coming back because I'm going out. And I'm not going out dressed as an angel."

"Honey, you can't leave!" my mother exclaimed. "I just told you–"

"I know what you just told me," I snapped, meeting her gaze. I could see the screen with the floor names listed as we went by in my peripheral vision: 8th floor. Almost there.

"I don't like your tone," she said. "Tell me where you're going, at least."

"Why mother?" I asked. "I'm 18 and I'm almost 19 and I'm in college. I'm not living permanently under your roof, wait no! Dad's roof, anymore. You can't just control me."

My mother looked baffled. "Juliet Ava Cunningham. You do not talk to me like that," she said, pointing her finger at me. Out of the corner of my eye: 3rd floor. "Tell me where you are going."

"Fine!" I yelled, throwing my arms up.

If she was demanding it, I would tell her. I knew the consequences, and I knew what she would say, but I was going to tell her the truth, anyway. Not even she was going to keep me from Theo. Not anymore. I might have let her influence what I said that night at The Met, and I may have taken her unkind words and warnings about the Montgomery's and pretended that they mattered to me, but they didn't. And like I told Theo, I was done pretending.

"Theo's here to get me."

I swear I could hear my mother's heart stop. Out of the corner of my eye: Lobby.

The elevator doors opened and I stepped out, my mother following suit. Instead of running straight for the exit, I waited for her and faced her. She looked like she was trying to shoot bullets from her eyes right now in an attempt to kill me or something. Fucked up but true.

"Juliet," she warned dangerously, "if you leave for that Montgomery boy, you will regret it."

"Will I? And why is that?" I asked. I wasn't afraid to speak up and even now, thinking of going outside and meeting Theo was all the motivation I needed to push my mother further.

"I have already told you about that family. By going to that stupid boy, you are betraying my trust. And your father's! You're betraying Will's trust, too," she raged. I held back telling her that Will didn't give a flying fuck.

"I'm not betraying anyone! You have stupid opinions of Theo and his family because of something that happened over a decade ago!" I yelled. "The Montgomery's aren't out to get us, mother! You only make it seem that way because you have a vendetta against them!"

"I have no vendetta, and I am shocked that you're speaking to me like this!" she cried and stepped forward, pointing her finger at my face. "If you know what's best for you, you'll come upstairs right now. We can pretend this never happened."

"I'm not coming upstairs."

Her jaw clenched and I backed a few steps away, ready to leave. "If you leave for that Montgomery boy," she spat out his name as if it was a sin to speak it, "you will never have shot at being anywhere close to the family business!"

For a second, everything halted.

The threat was something I'd never expected from my mother. I had never thought her to be vicious and manipulative up until now. We'd never got along or been particularly close, and I knew she could get crazy at times. But this was a step I hadn't thought her to cross. She, just like my dad, knew my ambitions. They both knew that I would keep fighting to prove to them I was worthy of owning Cunningham & Co. one day despite their strong hesitance. Now, she was using it against me. A threat that made my heart stop. And now I was faced with a choice:

I had to choose between the Ava who would have let her mother influence her decisions – the Ava who would have stayed at the Halloween party to appease her mother and their clients – and the other Ava who didn't want to listen to the bullshit anymore, who was in love with Theodore Montgomery, and who wanted to for once let go and be with him.

So I let go.

"You wouldn't have ever given me a shot anyway," I muttered, then backed away and spun around, running for the doors. I could hear my mother in the background screaming my name. The faint Juliet was merely an echo as I tuned her out and pretended that she didn't exist as the doors opened for me and I ran up to Theo on the pavement. He stood up when he saw me, a wide smile on his face. I was panting and he noticed, placing his hand to my cheek.

"Are you good?"

"Oh yeah," I said breathlessly. "Just ran away from my mother who asked me where I was going and I told her, 'Mom I'm going out with Theodore Montgomery', which is the biggest open act of rebellion, and she told me I'd never have a shot at the family business now, so I said I never did in the first place, and then I ran out here because I'm just so fucking tired of the bullshit and you aren't bullshit."

Theo just stared at me with the biggest smile as his thumb pressed gently into my cheek and he looked at me with those stupid Theo eyes. Those stupid Theo eyes that kind of captured me in the wildest way. Those stupid Theo eyes that kind of made me want to roll my eyes and at the same time made me want to keep him closer and hold onto him for as long as I could.

"So... I'm not bullshit?" he teased.

That's what made me roll my eyes but the gesture was filled with so much love that I just could have exploded.

I chuckled. "You're so far from bullshit, Theodore."

"Well, thank god. So, you're openly rebelling now, are you? How would you feel about a motorcycle ride?" he asked.

And I don't know if it was the adrenaline of rebelling against my mother, the new wild feeling inside because I knew Theo loved me, or just the simple fact that I loved him and was letting go of myself and taking every risk needed to just be with him, but I said:

"Yes, please."

❥❥❥

Yes, it is romantic, Niall. ROMANTIC AS FUUUUUCK

ANYWAY. I had to do it with the cute Theo note. Thisbe and Pyramus y'all, we gon learn about it in the next chapter but I die a little every time because Theo's note is so cute.

Anyway. Heheh I said it wouldn't go drama-less and trust me it WONT. Because Ava has rebelled against her wack ass mother and is running off with Theo.

Y'all. You already KNOW their first motorcycle ride together has gotta be MOMENTOUS and ADORABLE. I don't play around.

We're entering a fun stage. Interesting shit, cute shit, FUCKING ADORABLE MELTY SHIT, and some dramatic shit. Stay tuned. But you have to wait until tomorrow for the really adorable shit... Sorry bout it