Ruthless

Chapter 26

Theo Point of View

I bang my fist on the bathroom door. "Ruth, come on! We're gonna be late!"

She's been in the bathroom for a little over an hour. She said she was going to start getting ready early so we'd be at the premiere on time. I said okay.

I have to bring her. There's no way that I can't bring her. I dont want to, but I have to.

"In a minute," she yells back.

I sigh loudly. The car is parked outside the hotel, at the back though, so no paparazzi or fans see us. It;s just easier that way.

"Ruth, you're not even walking the carpet! Can we just go?"

I hear her slam something against the bathroom countertop. She opens the door and pops her head out. "And whose fucking fault is that?!"

I'm taken aback by her outburst. "Wha-mine?" She nods. "How the fuck is it my fault?"

She crosses her arms and walks towards me. I involuntarily take a step back. And then two forward. I'm not afraid of her, she doesn't intimidate me.

"If you hadn't been so lovey dovey with Shailene, none of this would be happening! People wouldn't hate me, and I could walk the red carpet with my boyfriend!" she screeches.

"Ruth-" I say, but it's too late. She's already slammed the door and is back in the bathroom. I sigh and sit down on the floor with my back against the wall.

This is going to be a long night.

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"Right, so you know what to do right?" Kate, my publicist says once we're in the car. Me, Ruth and Kate.

I nod. She turns to Ruth. "Ruth?"

She nods too. "Yeah, I get it. You and Theo get out here and go inside to the carpet, I stay in the car till they drive me to Nicole and then I walk in with her straight into the theater. I got it."

Kate nods and then starts typing away on her phone.

I look outside the window and see that we're getting close. I can see the venue from here. I turn to Ruth. "Do you remember what we talked about?"

She's not looking at me, she's busy fixing her makeup . She's staring into the mirror. "Ruth."

She closes her eyes and sighs. She looks at me. "What?"

"Oh I'm sorry, was I interrupting something important?" I say sarcastically.

"You think you're real funny, huh?"

"Ruth I don't have time for this!" We've pulled up to the entrance. Hundreds of fans scream and wave their hands behind the barricades. Security holding back some of the more ambitious ones.

"Theo, come on. We have to go." Kate says. She grabs her handbag and waits for me.

I nod at her and grab Ruth's hand. "Do you remember? Ruth come on!"

She starts blinking rapidly. "Yeah, yeah, Yes. Yes I do."

Kate steps out from the front and closes the door. Someone opens my door, the back one, and the screaming intensifies. "Promise me," I say to Ruth.

I don't have time to hear an answer. Kate pulls me out by my hand and slams the door shut. The car drives away.

I turn to the crowd and as I'm walking inside the venue I stop every now and then to sign a book or poster or pose for a photo with a stupid grin on my face.