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  Falling from Gravity

  Copyright © 2019 by K.K. Allen

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked and copyrighted status and owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these works is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Cover design by Sarah Hansen | Okay Creations

  Cover photography by Perrywinkle Photography

  Edited by Red Adept Editing

  Book design by Inkstain Design Studio

  For more information, please write to [email protected]

  Dear Reader,

  In an effort to give you an interactive experience, YouTube links have been included throughout this book with no copyright infringement intended. All links point to their rightful owners, and all owners have been contacted regarding the use of video in this publication. Viewing the videos is not required to read, however, my intention is to bring you the inspiration that went into creating this story while you follow along.

  Enjoy!

  K.K.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  About K.K. Allen

  CHAPTER 1

  Amelia

  A loud hiss shot through the air as I exited my car and stepped onto the shoulder of Latigo Canyon Road. I groaned as my eyes made contact with the damage. I wasn’t even five minutes away from my home when my silver Miata found its way into a pothole. Just my luck.

  I crouched slowly, staring at the deflating tire as a slew of curse words flew through my mind. I scolded the punctured rubber with a shake of my head. “You had one job.”

  I had approximately an hour and a half to get to Los Angeles, and with traffic, I was already cutting it close.

  Looking around, I debated who I could call to get me out of this mess. My parents would call for a tow then a car service to drive me straight home, where I was certain to get a lecture about being aware of my surroundings. Or I could contact my best friend and neighbor, Trinity, who I knew was in the middle of studying for her big chemistry exam.

  As much as I hated myself for choosing to interrupt Trinity, it was my only true option. Her response was instant.

  Trin: Help is on its way!

  My next breath was a deep one, whooshing out of me along with the tension I’d felt moments earlier. Trinity was the kind of friend who didn’t hesitate to help her bestie out in a jam, no matter what was going on in her life. I would buy her Starbucks and convince her to drive me to LA. She could study there.

  Ugh. My gut twisted at my selfish thoughts, but I couldn’t stay another day in Malibu. Everything I loved was in LA. Well, besides Trinity. She was the only reason I stuck around as much as I did. But with us both graduating in a few months, I couldn’t hang back while she studied to pursue her dreams. I had my own dreams to fulfill. Big dreams. And they all started with Gravity Dance Complex.

  Stuffing my disappointment deep into my chest, I crawled into the passenger seat of my car, turned up the volume of Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake,” and slouched in my seat, propping my heel on the open door.

  Not even a minute later, I started at the familiar sound of an approaching engine. No. My eyes widened, my cheeks burned red, and my chest immediately filled with panic. She wouldn’t. That wasn’t the sound of just any engine, and one glance through my windshield confirmed my suspicion.

  The newly restored white 1966 Chevrolet C/K was practically a celebrity in our town, always causing a stir wherever it appeared. And it was owned by none other than Tobias James—otherwise known as Trinity’s brother and Malibu’s quintessential heartthrob.

  “Malibu Gold” was what the locals called him: a star in the making. He was known best for his high school basketball shooting record, but that wasn’t the only thing we all found impressive. He’d also maintained a perfect GPA throughout school.

  Athletic, smart, and good-looking—that was Malibu Gold. Beyond the white sandy beaches and being home to a Pepperdine University campus, Malibu had Tobias to give the locals bragging rights.

  At least that had been the case until he’d bailed halfway through his first season of playing college basketball for the Pepperdine Waves with no explanations or apologies. He’d simply dropped out of school before winter quarter and stayed gone for months. No one could find him, and the police wouldn’t do anything since he was no longer a minor.

  When he’d finally returned a few months later, he didn’t try to go back to school, and the Waves had already ended their basketball season with a losing record, which—of course—they blamed on Tobias. He was the obvious easy target since he hadn’t even tried to defend himself, but it was still wrong. All of it.

  The once social butterfly was now a recluse, a drifter who came in and out of town as he pleased, picking up odd jobs at the local body shop or working on his truck. He was stoic, quiet, and disgruntled. The drastic change made me wonder how much of what Trinity had told me was true. She’d said her brother’s behavior was all for nothing. Or maybe there was something she was hiding. My gut, and Trinity’s inability to look me in the eyes, told me it was the latter.

  Trinity had mentioned he was in town again, not that she’d had to tell me with the way gossip in our neighborhood worked, but I didn’t understand why she would send him to rescue me. Tobias and I had barely spoken a word to each other since elementary school. Not only that, but every time I was around him, my senses jumbled into a big, tangled ball, triggering every inch of awkwardness I owned.

  He slammed the door of his truck, snapping me to attention as his long strides brought him to me. The slight angle to his jaw appeared hard as a rock, and there was a deep crease between his brows as he eyed the tire that had failed me.

  “What happened here?” he grumbled. My imagination was strong, but the utter annoyance in his tone was one-hundred-percent real.

  “Pothole.” I stepped out of the car and stood near him, folding my arms across my chest. “Shredded my damn tire.”

  His frown deepened before he knelt to inspect the damage. “Shredded would be the correct word.” He wiped his hands on his jeans and stood up. “Got a spare?”

  I pointed at the trunk. “Be my guest.”

  I watched him work in silence since I assumed that was how he would want it. While he did, I looked at him up close for what felt like the first time. His dark hair curled just below his ear lobes, and his wide shoulders stretched the white fabric across his back. His legs were so thick, I could see that even through his jeans, they carried a definition that could only be built by an athlete.

  I’d gotten good at pretending he wasn’t around when he very much was, because avoidance was better than the repercussions would be. Trinity would never approve of my attraction to her brother. She’d said as much when we were fourteen and mock-cheerleading a basketball game in o
ur neighborhood park.

  “You can’t date my brother, you know?” Trinity had said, her eyes narrowed on me as I executed a perfect toe touch.

  I faltered slightly on my landing before doing a double take. Her stare was so accusing, like she knew about the crush I’d always had on her brother.

  “That would just be weird.” She let out a breathy laugh before rolling her eyes. “And we could never be friends again.”

  Why she’d decided to speak up in that moment was beyond me. Had I been staring? Probably. But it was her idea to show up in those damn miniskirts.

  When she jumped back into the cheer, like she hadn’t just crushed my soul, I’d made my decision to let whatever feelings that had been festering for Tobias go. My friendship with Trinity was too important, and I would never let a boy come between us.

  When he spoke again, my eyes jumped in his direction, locking on his grayish-blue ones. They appeared almost silver with the way the sunlight hit them, matching the key that dangled from a chain he wore around his neck. I was so busy staring, I completely missed what he’d said.

  “Do you have far to go?” he repeated, irritation seeping into his tone.

  “Um.” Where am I headed again? “Yeah. LA, actually.” My eyes caught on his grease-stained hands. “Thanks for taking care of this. I might actually make it in time.” I stepped around him and toward the front of my car, relief filling me in a rush.

  “Whoa.” His arm shot out, blocking my path. “You can’t drive to LA on that tire. You need to get it replaced with a real one.”

  My face fell, and I groaned, crossing my arms to hug myself as the weight of disappointment crushed my chest. I’d only waited my entire life for this audition. If I didn’t get to LA that day, my dreams were over. I couldn’t let that happen. This was my chance, and I could feel it so deeply, it reached my bones. My entire body ached at the vision of what waited for me by the end of the day. I just had to get there.

  When I peered up at him again, a thought struck me. “Can you take me?”

  His gaze snapped to mine so hard, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it triggered whiplash. “Take you where?”

  “To LA.”

  His chest rose, and lines began to gather on his forehead. “That’s an hour away, Amelia.”

  “An hour and a half with traffic,” I corrected. Probably not the best move on my part.

  He blew out a breath and shook his head. “Look, I promised Trinity I’d help you get home. She said nothing about driving your ass to LA. Don’t your parents have a driver or something?” He shook his head and shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  Panic quickly replaced the relief I had felt only seconds before. There was no way I could trust one of my parents’ staff to take me to LA without it starting up the dreaded conversation about my future.

  Ideas clicked through my mind until one fell from my mouth. “I could buy you dinner after.”

  The look Tobias gave me was tortured with disbelief. “What makes you think I’d want to go to dinner with you?”

  I swallowed my embarrassment then scrunched my face in frustration. He was right. There was no enticement in forcing him to eat dinner with me on top of it all. But I was getting desperate.

  “Then how about an I-O-U? If you ever need anything from me, just say the word.” He didn’t fight back immediately, so I widened my eyes, letting him know I was serious. “Anything.”

  He let out a frustrated growl, and that was when I knew I had him.

  I jumped in again. “Look, I know it’s an inconvenience, but I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. I need to get to LA. Will you please help me get there?”

  He looked away then raised his hands over his head in surrender. “Fine. But you’re going to owe me. Big.” He enunciated the last word as he hovered over me, most likely trying to intimidate me. That wasn’t hard considering his body doubled mine in size. “And you can’t tell Trin about this. She’ll murder me if she finds out we went to LA without her.”

  I squealed and jumped in my spot. “Deal.”

  He was right about Trinity murdering someone, but I knew that someone wouldn’t be him.

  CHAPTER 2

  Amelia

  I’d never been so nervous in my life, not even the time I auditioned for a leading role in our community theater’s performance of Moving Out—which I nailed, by the way. But knowing I would be riding in Tobias’s truck, alone with him and his questionable temperament, I had no clue what I’d gotten myself into.

  Luckily, he turned up the volume on some Nirvana song as soon as I hopped in. I took it as a silent warning to not give him a reason to turn it down. And like a good girl, I sat there, buckled tight, eyes glued out my window, and sweaty palms pressed against my black leggings.

  His deep rasp broke the silence thirty minutes later. “You been thinking about college?”

  I swallowed back my shock at hearing his voice before repeating his question in my head.

  “No,” I said, turning toward him. “No college for me.” I timidly watched him, sure judgment would follow my answer as it always did with my parents. They believed in my dreams, but they wanted what most parents wanted for their children—for them to get a degree to fall back on when, not if, their dreams failed.

  I didn’t need a fallback plan. I had dance, and dance was it for me.

  But his expression didn’t fill with judgment. He exhibited a patience that was actually comforting.

  My pulse sped when I caught his eyes flick from my lips to my attire.

  “What kind of dance do you, uh, do again?”

  Of course he had to ask. I didn’t expect him to remember the talent show he’d attended with his sister last year. In it, I had dressed up like Britney—in the full “I’m A Slave 4 U” ensemble, complete with a yellow plastic snake wrapped around my neck—and lip-synced my way to my first-place trophy.

  “Everything,” I said. “But mostly contemporary jazz and hip-hop. I dance at this studio in LA…” I blushed, catching myself and cringing at my need to overshare. When it came to my passion, it was hard not to.

  Tobias’s nose flared. “Please don’t tell me I’m taking you to a dance class right now.”

  Everything inside me heated with embarrassment. I turned toward the passenger window, folding my arms across my chest. “It’s important. I don’t expect you to understand.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  I shook my head while my jaw clenched so tightly, my cheeks burned. My thoughts were unkind. It wasn’t fair for me to compare his dreams to mine. I couldn’t begin to assume what would make him throw everything away like he had.

  “I bailed on my plans to take your ass to LA. You owe me an explanation. Why am I taking you to a dance class on a Saturday? Why now? Why today?”

  I suppressed the scream of frustration building in the back of my throat. “It’s not a dance class. It’s an audition for an NBA halftime performance. I can’t just go another time. The Lions Dance Squad only has one performance like this a year.”

  “The Lions?” He threw me an incredulous look. “You’re auditioning for the LA Lions Dance Team? The season’s almost over.” He stated it like he was informing me of something I didn’t already know. Then he laughed condescendingly. “Never mind that. Aren’t you a little young to be dancing for them anyway? News flash. You’re still in high school, kid.”

  My eyes blazed, and I could feel the blood boiling in my chest. “I’m old enough,” I said through gritted teeth. “It’s just a halftime performance. If I can secure a spot for this, then I become an instant finalist in team auditions this summer. I need to make that team.”

  He had no idea how big this dream was or how easily I could visualize myself on that court with a squad full of talented dancers in front of a pumped-up crowd.

  Silence descended upon us for the next few minutes, and I didn’t dare glance his way again. He was either amused by my dreams or piss
ed off by them. I didn’t want to acknowledge either.

  “Why LA?” he finally spat out. “Why the Lions? There are teams all over the country.”

  My shoulders lifted with my breath, and I let it out in a sigh before turning back to him. “I don’t know. My dad loves the Lions. I love the Lions. And I’ve always pictured my dance career starting and ending in LA.” I shrugged. “It’s as simple as that.”

  “It’s as simple as that, huh?” He asked the question like it made him angry. “Dreams never come true that easily, Amelia. It takes time, effort.”

  I focused on him with stern eyes, enraged that he would dare test my passion or the reality of my dreams. “I know, Tobias,” I said, making sure to enunciate his name with as much flair as he’d spoken mine. “I’ve been training at Gravity since I was a kid. I know my odds in the world of professional dance, and they’re good.”

  “Gravity?”

  “Gravity Dance Complex. It’s a huge dance center, and I don’t just mean in size. Well, it’s that too. But Gravity is affiliated with the A-Listers of Hollywood. Producers, casting agents, singers, actors, stage directors, cruise ship entertainment—you name it.”

  “So you’re telling me with all that opportunity at your fingertips, your dream is to dance professionally for the NBA?”

  I nodded. “Yes. To start.” My eyes curiously flickered over his profile. I wanted to ask him what had happened to his dreams. We’d always had basketball in common. And while we’d never been close, just that simple dream had made me feel like we were connected in some strange way.

  “I just want to dance. And making a living is a necessity since I don’t plan to get help from my parents. I need to do this on my own so I don’t feel like I owe them anything.”

  “Let me guess—they want you to take over the family business.”

  My parents owned a production company in Malibu, which had grown to be pretty successful. They’d expanded since the beginning, investing in a plethora of sports and entertainment franchises. My father loved to have his hands in all the pies, and my mom supported that, but her focus was on their original investment at Quinten Clark Entertainment.