The Gravity Between Us (New Adult Contemporary Romance) (32 page)

“Oh my god, it’s not my fault I’m not as inherently beautiful as you.”

She slinks up behind me, snakes her arms around my waist and rests her chin on my shoulder. “Oh
please
. You’re stunning, and you
know
it.”

“Sure, I do.”

“For real though. We’re running late. Lauren’s already in the lobby. She just texted me that our car is here along with the
paparazzi
,” she sing songs. “By the way, I had no idea there were paparazzi in Georgia.”

I gurgle. “Like, eight months into dating me, and you’ve yet to learn there are paparazzi everywhere?”

“I guess not. But I wore my sexy vest just in case.” She pops her collar and does a little jig. “It won’t matter how desperately they want to capture a photo of ‘MusicTube’s
hottest celebrity couple’
if we never get out of this room though. So, brilliant strategy—I adore the way you think.”

“Okay, okay. Let me put on lip gloss, and we can go.”

❄ ❄ ❄

“It took you guys long enough,” Lauren says as we enter the lobby.

“I’m starting to miss the days when we didn’t talk to each other, Lauren.” I impishly stick my tongue out at her.

“And I’m starting to miss the days when the two of you avoided going out in public together. Let’s go get this meet and greet over with.”

Payton smirks and slips her hand into mine. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

We push through the revolving door and head out into the muggy night air. Once we’re a few steps into the courtyard, camera flashes begin to light up the darkness.

“Hi guys,” Lauren waves at the front line of photographers. “How are y’all doing tonight?”

The paparazzi respond with pleasant retorts and flattering comments on her outfit. If there’s anything I’ve learned from Lauren’s unflappable southern temperament, it’s that you definitely catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. The more cooperative you are, the less they get in the way. It helps that I don’t have any secrets left to uncover. They don’t get on my nerves as much anymore.

“Kendall!” A guy with a video camera beckons for my attention. “I’ve heard you and your mom haven’t been getting along since you came out. Is that true?”

Okay, I might be more comfortable with these guys than I have been in the past, but that doesn’t mean I want to discuss my family problems with them. “All families hit a rough patch now and then, but we’re working through it. I’m sure you’ve butted heads once or twice with your parents, right?”

“You bet I have,” he replies with a snigger. “I’ve got one more question for the two of you and then my buddies and I will get out of your hair.”

“All right,” I concede.

“Payton, seriously, when are you gonna put a ring on it?”

“Dude,” Payton says. I see her cheeks flush pink. “You seem like you’re good at your job, you’ll probably know when it happens. But I think you’ve got a while to wait.” The whole group of photographers chuckle at her answer. And then, as promised, they back off into the dimness with a few friendly ‘have a good night’s.’

“You’ve gotten so good at dealing with unwanted attention,” Payton says as we slide into the limo.

“Yeah, I’m impressed,” Lauren concurs. “I know paparazzi can be annoying, but they can also be kind of amusing if you’re cool to them.”

“I’m figuring out it makes my job easier if I talk to them with a little bit of respect.”

“Baby, I’m so proud of you,” Payton says. She kisses my cheek and nuzzles into my neck

“Okay, if you two are going to be this adorable the entire ride to the restaurant, I’m going to get out and walk.”

Payton and I look at each other and crack up.

❄ ❄ ❄

We make it to the restaurant by 8:35. Payton is delighted that we’re only five minutes late instead of the usual fifteen. The Maître D receives us with a smile, and we follow him into the dining room.

I stop short when I notice the table we’re being directed to already has people seated around it, and then a second time when I realize who those people are: Sarah, Jared, and my parents. “Surprise!” They yell in chorus. I hurry over to the table to greet everyone. Jared hugs me so hard that my back literally cracks. Sarah kisses my cheek and ruffles my hair. I throw my arms around my dad; he lifts me off the ground like he used to when I was a kid. My mom smiles at me blearily until I make the first move to hug her.

“I’m sorry, Kendall,” she says as she embraces me. “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters—and I can see how happy you are with Payton.”

“Thanks, Mom. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

She releases me and gently pats my cheek.

I’m still in utter disbelief by the time Payton finishes introducing Lauren to everyone and takes her seat beside me. I hardly catch the bit of conversation between my dad and Lauren where he talks about Payton flying them all out here for my birthday.

“Wait,” I grab Payton’s hand, “You flew them out?”

“You’re not the only one with a big Hollywood job anymore,” she wiggles her eyebrows. “Lawrence will be here later. He said something about having a conference call or whatever with some director. My mom really wanted to make it down, too. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get off work. She sent you a birthday gift though. I’m not allowed to give it to you until your actual birthday, so you’ll have to wait until at least midnight. You’ll have to wait until we get back to the hotel for the rest of your presents as well.”

Tears spring to my eyes, “All of the most important people in my life are either here in this room, or keeping me in their thoughts.
That’s the best birthday present ever.”

With a smile, she recalls the words I said to her on her birthday last year. “No crying on your birthday. Not even happy tears.”

Letter from Kristen

Thank you so much for reading
The Gravity Between Us
—I hope that Kendall and Payton’s story touched your heart as much as it did mine. If you did enjoy
The Gravity Between Us
, I’d be eternally grateful if you would write a reviewon Amazon or Goodreads. Getting feedback from readers is amazing and also helps to persuade other readers to pick up one of my books for the first time!

If you’d like to be notified by e-mail when my next book is
released, just sign up for email notifications at
authorkristenzimmer.com
. For regular updates on my
writing process, or if you fancy saying hello, feel free to follow me on
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or
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.

Thanks again!
-Kristen

facebook.com/authorkristenzimmer
@kristen_zimmer

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE