Cover reveal: Gravity: Lauren Runow
Check out the cover for Lauren Runow's GRAVITY!
Don't miss the excerpt below!
Don't miss the excerpt below!
Gravity
Lauren
Runow
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Wicked
By Design Covers
Release Date: January
24, 2017
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.
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
January 24-29: Review Tour
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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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