Disclaimer: I don't own the WWE. I don't own Matt Hardy. I don't own Love Story by Taylor Swift.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Act I: Scene III

'Tap'

What was that?

'Tap, tap'

I wiggled out of the plush chair I'd been sitting in, watching Casablanca for the umpteenth time, and shuffled over to my bedroom window. I was supposed to be finishing up my summer reading since school started in two weeks, but how could I turn off that movie? It's one of my favorites. Only one thing could possibly distract me as far as I'm concerned...

'Tap'

I pushed the window open and saw Matt standing below it, a handful of pebbles from my walkway falling from his hand.

Speaking of that one thing.

It's been almost a month since I met him. I've discretely and secretly spent as many waking hours as possible with him since that night. But what he was doing right now was dangerous. My parents are often on business trips, so it's not difficult to sneak around with him, but they are currently home and asleep right now. This is suicide!

"Matt, what are you doing here?" I whispered down from my open window. I told him it was a bad idea for him to call me or come by this week while my parents were in town before they flew off to Japan or wherever they wanted to go next. I know it's wrong and I'm not embarrassed by the difference in social class between Matt and I, but I honestly just don't want to deal with the drama my parents will cause if they find out about him. Matt said he understood.

"Come outside," he whispered back. I shouldn't. I know that. It's too risky. But when he flashes me that smile and has that hopeful, excited glint in his eyes, I can't say no, so instead I stuff pillows and clothes under my blanket on my bed, turn off the TV and grab a pair of sandals off the floor.

"Catch," I whispered to Matt, tossing one shoe at him. He caught it and then the other and I climbed out my window barefooted, my feet landing on the roof of the porch. I carefully slid on my butt to the edge and flipped onto my stomach, grabbing onto the edge of the roof as I let my legs dangle down until I felt the railing beneath them. Before I could awkwardly get myself down from the rail, strong arms wrapped around my waist and I let go instinctively, being assisted to the ground.

As soon as my bare feet touched the gravel, I spun around and dropped my hands onto Matt's broad shoulders, trying to hide my ecstatic smile. "Hi," I breathed out, excited by the idea of sneaking out to see someone I know my parents would never approve of right under their noses.

Why you ask?

Well, let's see. Since I've been hanging out with Matt, I've found out he's almost three years older than me, comes from the lower middle class and aspires to be a professional wrestler. He dropped out of college, (for a good reason, but that wouldn't matter to my parents) and now he and his brother are off to get their asses kicked for some wrestling school. Not exactly Daddy's dream for me.

But I like him so tough.

Matt threw me one of his award winning grins and stepped back, offering me my shoes. I slipped them on, using his shoulder for support. "So why exactly am I crawling out of my window in the middle of the night?" I whispered, keeping in mind my parents were home.

"Bonfire at the beach. You're comin'," he ordered, walking off down the driveway with my hand enveloped in his large one. I know this is totally a bad idea, but I'm already halfway down the driveway and it would just be too impossible for me to turn around now. "I parked like halfway down the street so your parents wouldn't get suspicious." Smart boy.

We walked the little ways to his rusted pick up and I climbed into the passengers seat, buckling my seatbelt immediately. I've driven with Matt before. It's frightening. He has absolutely no respect for speed limits.

Pearl Jam blasted through the speakers as soon as he turned the truck on and I held on to the overhead handle for dear life as he gunned it towards the beach.

When we got there, Tina was already present, draped over Shane's lap. She was a sucker for the green haired weird-o. Jeff, Matt's brother, and Shannon were both in the water with a few other people I didn't know. There was also a large group gathered around the growing fire, lounging around, laughing and drinking beer.

This kind of thing is so much more real than some silly gala or whatever.

We must've stayed out there until about three in the morning. People finally started to go home and Matt led me back to his truck, but made no effort to unlock my door. Instead, he got in front and reached over the back seat, emerging with a pillow and a big, fluffy red blanket.

"We don't haveta leave just yet, do we?" he asked as he threw the pillow and blanket into the bed of the truck. I shook my head, too intrigued to worry about my parents, for whatever reason, finding the pillows stuffed under my covers. By this time everyone else had abandoned the dark beach and the fire had burned out. "Come up here," Matt said, offering me his hand at the end of the truck where he'd opened the tailgate and spread the huge blanket out. He pulled me up pretty effortlessly into the bed and we got comfortable against the pillow, pulling the blanket over ourselves.

We basked in the comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the lapping waves and staring up at the stars. Matt wedged his arm under me after a while, pulling me closer to his muscled body and I felt my cheeks flushing. I couldn't even explain how attractive he was to me. He could definitely coax me into a lot of things I've been raised to think I shouldn't be doing at this age.

"So, I'm gonna be doin' a lot more wrestling soon. Travellin' and stuff..." My heart sank a little at those words. That means he doesn't think we should see each other anymore, right? Not that we're dating but I was hoping that's where this was going.

"Oh..." I realized how unenthusiastic that sounded and I definitely don't want to discourage him. This is Matt's dream. "That's great."

"Yeah? Cause it sure doesn't sound like you think it's great," he pointed out and I could feel that knowing smile on his face. I sat up and leaned against the side of the truck bed and Matt leaned up on his elbow.

"It's not that I'm not happy for you. I just... thought..." This is embarrassing. Matt pulled himself up into a sitting position, making him face to face with me.

That smile was there, killing me slowly.

His hand pushed some of my loose, beach blown blonde hair behind my ear and he leaned forward, using my chin to tilt my lips up against his.

So that's how our first kiss went. It was slow and sweet. And a lot shorter than I was expecting.

Matt pulled back and brushed his thumb over my jaw. "I'm not gonna stop seein' you. I was just tellin' you because it won't be as often." Matt looked out over the water and my gaze followed, seeing the horizon beginning to get only a little lighter. "I should take you home."

We drove in near silence back towards my neighborhood, the radio being the only noise. Matt parked a few houses away from mine before turning the truck off and getting out of the car. Slowly, reluctantly, I followed, not wanting to leave him at all. I've never felt like this about a guy before.

We made it to my doorstep and I hesitated on the porch. "I guess I'll see you in a week or so?" Matt suggested in a soft voice.

Being bolder, bolder than I've ever been, I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss me. This wasn't like the kiss at the beach, no. This was heated and passionate.

Matt's hands ran up and down my sides, slipping under my shirt slightly, tickling my skin with his fingertips. Has he ever done it? Probably. Have I? Ha, never.

But I want to.

"Matt, I don't want you to leave," I whispered into his ear before kissing his jaw.

"What if your parents catch us?" he asked, clearly catching my drift as I walked backwards, our mouths attached again, into the front door.

"They won't," I assured him as I turned the front doorknob.

Oh how wrong I was.

Matt and I stumbled through the doorway as quietly as we could. My hands rubbed up and down his toned chest underneath his shirt, my manicured nails scraping at his tanned skin. I was ready for this.

"Juliet!" I gasped as the light on the stairs went on and I spun to see my father at the top of the stairs, hair tousled with sleep. My heart almost leapt out of my chest. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Daddy, I—"

"Don't give me that! And you! Who the hell are you? Get out of my house!" My eyes watered when I turned to look at Matt. He looked scared and ready to bolt.

"Matt," I whispered, my eyes pleading with him. God, save me from this life! Stand up to him! Or just take me with you! I wished I could scream those things, but I couldn't. If Matt did something like that, he could end up in a lot of trouble because of the age difference.

"Get away from him Juliet," my father roared, an instinctively, I stumbled up a few steps and sat down, looking at matt through the railing, tears running down my cheeks. "If I ever see you near my daughter again, I'm calling the police!"

Matt glanced at me, looking apologetically into my eyes before leaving through the front door. I began sobbing as the door clicked shut behind him.

My father had probably just scared the man of my dreams away forever.