Title: Gravity
by Lauren Runow
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Romance
Cover Designer: Wicked By Design Covers
Release Date: January
24, 2017
Synopsis
Lily
At eight years old, the boy
next door changed my life. He was the force pulling me toward him despite our
differences. It was like magic.
We understood each other,
supported each other and in the process became everything to each other.
But in chasing Trevin’s dream,
I lost myself along the way.
Trevin
Through tremendous
heartache, she was there. Through fame and fortune, she was there. Loving Lily
was the one thing I got right.
Eclipsing her in my shadow,
I took from her until she was empty. Now I must do anything to prove I can be
the man she wants, no, the man she deserves.
EXCERPT:
Lily – Age 12
“Come on, Trev! We have to get home, now!”
I turn to scream behind me as I ride up the hill, watching the sun slowly fade
away into darkness.
He knew we’d
gone too far back in these hills on our bikes, and no matter how much I told
him we needed to turn around, he wouldn’t listen. Now we’re still at least a
mile from home and losing sunlight by the second.
“I’m going as
fast as I can, but it’s kind of hard to push this thing with a popped tire,” he
nags back at me.
“Well, whose
fault is that? I told you not to do that jump,” I yell, looking over my
shoulder.
The boy is
crazy. Anything he can fly his bike off of, he will. I went around a steep
rock, but not him; he went right over it and bent the rim, shredding the tire
in the process.
Grunts of
frustration come from behind me as I stop and turn in his direction. His
irritation level is evident as he reaches down to pick his bike up from a
different angle, hoping it would be easier to carry. The sight of him
struggling has me off my bike, walking it back to where he’s standing.
“Here.” I push
the handlebars toward him. “You peddle and I’ll ride in between your legs.
We’ll just leave yours here and come get it tomorrow. No one’s going to mess
with it all the way out here.”
Without a second
thought, he drops his bike, grabbing mine with a huge smile. “Good idea. Hop
on.”
I straddle the
metal bar, looping my fingers around his forearms and resting my butt and legs
up high on the middle bar. The position is extremely awkward, and I’m already
regretting my suggestion. We met when we were eight years old and he taught me
how to ride a bike. Those memories fly through my head as we take off down the
street together.
“Hi, I’m Trevin. What’s your name?” A boy sneaks
around the fence to where I was hiding from him.
“Lily,” I shyly state, not daring to meet his gaze.
“Lily—like the pad?”
“Excuse me?” My head shoots up.
“You know, lily pad, like what frogs jump on in a
pond.”
My glare in his direction makes him laugh before he
continues. “So, Lily Pad, did you just move in?”
“My name is not Lily Pad, just Lily…and yes, we moved
yesterday.”
“Okay, well, can I call you another name then? Maybe
Turtle? You looked like one the way you were peeking your head out behind the
fence.”
“No, you can call me Lily.”
“Okay, Lillllyyyy…” he drawls my name out, making a
point. “Come on, grab your bike. Let’s go ride.”
“I don't have a bike…” My voice is low, embarrassed by
not having one, but even if I did, I don’t know how to ride one.
“You don’t have a bike?” He seems shocked by my
revelation.
“I lived in San Francisco. You don’t really ride your
bike in the street there.”
“That’s crazy! Well, come here then…you can ride mine,
or I have a scooter if you want.”
“Um, I…um,” I
stutter, not sure what to say.
“It’s cool if you don't know how. I’ll teach you.”
“Uh, okay, I guess so.”
Perched on the bike, he holds the seat and runs down
the street next to me while I try my best not to fall. The wheels wobble and I
almost lose control a few times, but he catches me before I hit the ground. My
heart pounds with adrenaline pumping through me, the joy of riding overruling
the fear of falling.
“Come on, Lily Pad, try to stay upright.”
I glare at him over my shoulder, and he laughs in
response as he pushes me forward again, telling me to pedal faster. Following
his instructions, my little feet push as hard and quickly as they can to pick
up speed.
I’m so focused on trying to maintain my balance and
breathe at the same time, I don’t realize I’m doing it all by myself. It’s not
until I hear him screaming from behind me, celebrating my success, that it
dawns on me he’s no longer by my side.
My attention is thrown off when I see him so far away
and fear instantly sets in. The bike starts to sway from side to side and panic
takes over. I remove my feet from the pedals, slowing my speed down by running them
along the ground yet still straddling the bike. My eyes finally gaze up, only
to see a huge wall of bushes, and in the blink of an eye, I slam right into
them, scraping every inch of my body as the branches bring me to an automatic
stop.
“Lily!” I hear Trevin scream as he runs down the
street after me.
I’m trying my hardest to fight back the tears
threatening to fall, not wanting him to see me cry.
“Are you okay?” he asks, moving branches away and
pulling on my arm to help me up.
“Y–yeah,” I stutter.
“Good because that was awesome!” He celebrates,
throwing both hands in the air and jumping up and down. “Man, I wish I had my
parents’ camera. You should’ve seen yourself going into those bushes!”
Remembering his
excitement from my crash years ago, and knowing how reckless he is on his own
bike, I can’t stop worrying about riding with him now. Fear of falling and
breaking something takes a hold of my chest. That cannot happen. I have a dance
recital coming up and I can’t miss it.
“Here, just sit
on my lap. That way, I can see over you and you’ll be more comfortable than you
would be sitting on that bar.”
“But I’ll crush
you,” I whine, not looking at him.
“Really? You’re
the tiniest thing alive. Have you looked at me recently? I’m the biggest guy in
our class. There’s no way you could crush me.”
I turn to see
his face painted with pride. Even though he says it’s not a big deal, deep down
he loves the fact he’s the “cool kid” in class. His hair is always in the
latest style, spiked up in front and cut close in the back—the same cut other
boys want but their mom’s wont let them have. He’s the only boy I know who
cares about his clothes. Trevin only wears plaid button-ups or skater-looking
shirts with jeans and his Chucks. He’s also the only kid in the class who can
ride a skateboard and can even do tricks on it. The other guys try, but for
him, it just comes naturally.
Most of the
girls in our class are jealous we’re so close, but I don’t get all girly and
giggly like they do when he’s around. They talk about the butterflies in their
tummies and their flush faces when they see him. He’s not just Trev, no, he’s
Trevvvviiin, all long, drawn out, and dreamy-like when they say it.
Sitting back on
his lap, I lean against his chest and adjust my legs so they’re in a more
secure position. “Is this okay?” I ask.
He laughs.
“Yeah, now hold on.”
I turn and our
eyes meet for a brief second as a small smile tilts the corner of his lips up.
They’re so close to my face I can feel the warmth of his breath on my skin, and
instantly, my chest tightens.
Looking forward,
I maintain a death grip on his arms, unsure of what’s wrong with my chest. I
take a deep breath to try to calm the fear seizing my ribs. I mean, it must be
fear I’m feeling. I’ve seen this boy jump off the craziest cliffs, and here I
am, trusting him to ride my bike to safety—with me on it.
Yes, that must
be it. Fear.
Surprisingly, he
maintains a normal pace, and after a few yards, the ache in my chest subsides,
replaced with a feeling I can’t explain. The cool breeze floating through the
summer night relaxes me while his warmth wraps around my body. Without
realizing it, I drop my head to the left, sinking into him, and making this
ride even more comfortable.
His steady
breathing picks up, and I can hear the sudden shakiness in my ear and feel his
heart starting to race as the steady beat taps my back. He isn’t pedaling fast,
but I guess having to exert enough energy to propel both of us must be tiring.
The further we go, the rougher and deeper it gets.
We make it back
to the house just as darkness completely takes over the night, and I lift off
his shoulder when he stops in front of my driveway. Once he stops, I climb off
the bike and turn to face him. The streetlight above cast shadows over his
face, but I catch a glimpse of his eyes when he tilts his hat up, and then…I
feel it.
The butterflies
other girls talked about.
My eyes meet the
street when fear of the unknown takes over my body.
The silence in
the air starts to sting and the hum from the lamplight above us begins to mock
me. Awkwardly, I wait for him to move, to say something, but neither of us does
anything. Stunned, in this frozen state, I desperately want to curl into a ball
and hide. This is not us—we don’t sit quietly or not interact, especially
Trevin. He always has some silly remark or an ease about him that has amazed me
since we first met.
The sound of my
parents running out from our house breaks my thoughts. “Lily, you’re in big
trouble, young lady. Do you see how dark it is?” My dad sternly makes his
point.
I glance at
Trevin, our eyes meeting for a brief second before I turn around, apologizing
to save my life. “I’m sor—”
Trev cuts me
off. “Mr. Pace, I’m so sorry. This was my fault. My tire broke on my bike, and
we finally had to leave it back in the hills or we would have been home much
later. That’s why I’m riding Lily’s.” He jumps off the bike, walking it up to
my garage where my parents are walking toward us.
Join us in celebrating the release of Gravity by
Lauren Runow!
December 27, January 3, 10, 17: Teaser Blitz
January 24: Release Day Blast
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About the
Author:
When Lauren Runow isn't
writing, you'll find her listening to music that speaks to her, at her local
CrossFit, reading, or at the baseball field with her boys. Her only vice is
coffee, and she swears it makes her a better mom!
Lauren is a graduate from
the Academy of Art in San Francisco and is the founder and co-owner of the
community magazine she and her husband publish. She lives in Northern
California with her husband and two sons.
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