by Lizzie James
“Who was that?” I asked him.
He leaned back and placed his arm around my shoulders, squeezing me against his side. “That was James. He and I used to work together.”
“At Dominic’s?” I asked. “I can’t remember meeting him.”
“He wasn’t there for long,” he said, shaking his head. “He left to go and work at his brother’s bar. Alex’s. It’s further in towards the city. About a twenty-minute walk from here.”
“Oh.”
He pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it before placing it back down on his leg. “He, uh, about two years ago, a girl he was sweet on—a friend of his—she died. Pretty horribly, I heard.”
“That’s awful,” I whispered.
“Yeah. He stayed for a bit but last year he left and travelled to Europe.” He seemed nervous now. “He’s uh, he’s living in Paris now.”
I widened my eyes up at him in surprise.
“I asked him what it was like living and working out there.” He stared down at our clasped hands.
“Why?” I asked.
I could feel the hope beginning to rise in me. Did he want to be with me as much as I wanted him to be with me? Was he considering moving with me? I could never ask him to give up his life, but I couldn’t lie and say that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. It felt like I had waited for him for so long and the idea of leaving him behind scared me. I trusted him completely, but the thought of him being with another girl while I was in Paris… It made me angry. It made me question if I was doing the right thing by leaving. If it was a choice between having my dream of drawing possibly becoming a reality or him? It would always be him.
I wanted him with me.
Now. Tomorrow. Always.
No matter what happened, I knew that we could be stronger together than alone.
“I’ve been thinking about coming with you,” he whispered. He gazed into my eyes and he looked so scared. “I want to come with you.”
I could feel my eyes filling, and I hated that I was being so weak but I couldn’t stop it.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered. He turned to me and took my face in his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. “I know me following you to another country is terrifying,” he joked.
We both laughed.
“Do you mean what you’re saying?” I asked him. I reached up and placed my hands over his wrists. “Do you really mean it?”
He stared at me with a serious expression, nodding his head. “I do. I am, yeah.” He slowly lowered his face and kissed my lips softly, gently. “I want everything with you.” Another kiss. “You ground me, Lauren. You’re my gravity.”
“I love you,” I whispered. “So much.” I leaned up and kissed him passionately, tangling my hand into the back of his hair and holding him to me.
“I love you, too, Lauren.” He moaned against my lips before he pushed me back, pouring his passion for me into the kiss. He moved us, positioning our bodies so that we were laying on our sides on the sofa, facing each other.
“So, we’re going to do this?” I asked, needing to hear him say it again.
“Yeah.” He reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear. “James said he could get me a job at the bar he works at.”
“That’s excellent!” I enthused. “Where does he work?”
“He works at a place called The Labo Bar Club. It isn’t far from your college, and he said it’s a popular place.” He grinned down at me, waiting for my reaction.
“That’s amazing!” I grinned up at him. “Is this really happening?” I asked, staring at him in wonder.
“It looks that way.”
“How is Luke ever going to survive without you?” I giggled, unable to stop from teasing him.
“Please.” He rolled his eyes at me. “He’ll probably be flying out every month to see us.”
“Probably. So, uh, we need to plan where we’re going to live.”
“Well, as you already have your accommodation arranged?”
“I do, yes. It’s a shared apartment with three other girls. I’m sure they’ll be nice.” I sounded positive but it didn’t stop me from being worried.”
“I’m sure they are great.” He rubbed his hand over my arm. “How about you go out as planned and I’ll come out a little later? Maybe a few weeks after?”
I stared up at him, concerned.
“I want you to do the college experience. These people are going to be your friends for the next couple of years. I don’t want you to sacrifice any of that.”
“But I want to be with you.”
“You will be,” he whispered. “You go over first and find a place for us. I want us to have a home, baby. I want us to be together, but I also want you to enjoy your experience and not miss out on anything just because I am there.” He stared at me for a moment. “Okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“It’ll give me a chance to finish my job here and to let the landlord know that we won’t be renewing our tenancy. Okay?”
“Okay.” I nodded my head. “That sounds like a mature decision.” I paused. “When did you become the mature one?”
“Hell knows.” He laughed at me. “So, we going to do this, then? You go out after Christmas and I’ll follow later. Maybe in February.”
“Deal. Now, kiss me. I think we have some celebrating to do.” I tightened my fist in his T-shirt and pulled his lips down to mine, losing myself to his touch.
“Yes, mademoiselle,” he joked, putting on a French accent before he kissed me, covering my body with his.
23
Thomas
Christmas Day had finally come.
The five of us—me, Lauren, Christopher, Luke and Mum—had opened our presents that morning after they had all arrived. We never went mad with gifts, but we always made sure there would be at least one gift off each of us beneath the tree.
We were a bit of a dysfunctional family: Lauren and Luke didn’t have any family that they were in contact with, so coming together at Christmas and being our own little family was the norm for us. Christopher’s mum lived in Spain and he’d be flying out to see her the next day.
I was luckier than them. I still had Mum and she treated us all the same.
“Open mine,” I said, handing the small box to Lauren. I was suddenly nervous that she wouldn’t like what I had gotten her. It seemed perfect when I had picked it but now that I was waiting for her to unwrap it, I was nervous.
She ripped the paper off and tossed it aside, gasping when she opened the box.
“Thomas!” She looked up at me, tears in her eyes before she gently took it out of the box. “It’s so beautiful.”
I reached over and took the bracelet from her, smiling when she held her wrist out for me to clasp it.
“Now you’ll have a piece of me,” I said, bending down and kissing over her pulse point on her wrist, “wherever you’ll go.”
She leaned forward and threw her arms around my shoulders before planting her lips on mine.
“Thank you, Thomas,” she said against my lips before she pulled back. “I have something for you but it’s not very…”
“What is it?” I asked. My curiosity was piqued now.
She slipped her hand beneath the gap of the bottom of the sofa and the floor and pulled a small, thin wrapped present out and handed it over to me.
“I made this before I knew you were coming with me,” she rambled. “And I…”
I quickly ripped the paper off, smiling at the look of embarrassment that was on her face before I looked down. It looked like a scrap book and as I opened it, I couldn’t stop my eyes from filling. She had filled a scrap book with memories of us from when we were little to where we were now.
As I flicked through it, I chuckled when I saw that she had included images from every year of our life together. It was pretty much a Thomas and Lauren journal. She had even included an image from a few nights ago of us both cuddled in her bed. I was sleeping in it and s
he had her head on my chest.
“Do you like it?” she asked hesitantly.
“I love it, baby.” I looked up at her, not even bothering to hide the tears in my eyes at the thought that she had put into this gift. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers firmly before pulling back. “Thank you.”
“I left some pages for us to include some pictures from our time in Paris.”
I looked over at our audience, groaning when I saw that they were all gawking at us.
“So,” Luke said as he uncapped a bottle of Budweiser that had been sitting at his feet. “I have some questions.”
“Okay.” Lauren sat across my lap. “This should be interesting.”
Everyone laughed knowing how right that she was.
“Okay. One,” he said, taking a seat next to Mum on the sofa. “When the hell are we getting food? I’m starving here.”
“In twenty minutes.” Lauren rolled her eyes. “You’ve stuffed half a tube of Pringles since you have been here, and don’t think I haven’t noticed you stealing the chocolates hanging on the tree.” She pointed her finger at him.
“Guilty.” He held his hands up in a defeated gesture. “Two,” he said, holding his two fingers up. “Why the hell have you,” he said, pointing his finger at me, “been grinning like a loon since we arrived?”
“I haven’t!” I quickly defended.
“Can we tell them?” Lauren asked.
I smiled at her, leaning up to kiss her before nodding my head. “Go on. Tell them.” I rubbed my hand up the outside of her leg, feeling a bit of excitement shoot through me. I wasn’t afraid of their reaction. I knew Christopher would be happy for us and Luke would be over the moon. Mum would miss us, but this move wouldn’t be a permanent one. We’d come back home. This was something we had to do for Lauren. She was always the one that put everyone first, and now, finally, she was putting herself first.
She stood and reached for my hand, clasping it in hers tightly as she took a deep breath. “Okay,” she started. “So, you all know I’ll be leaving after Christmas and jetting off to Paris.” Another deep breath. Her eyes flicked down and stared at her new bangle on her wrist. She looked back up at me, her eyes shining bright. “Thomas has decided to come with me.” She stared at Mum, and I knew she was most likely a little worried at what her reaction was going to be.
Luke had a smug grin on his face, and I looked at Christopher, smiling when he nodded his head at me.
Before either of them could say anything, Mum stood and came towards us with her arms wide open. “You’ve made me so happy!” She bent down and pulled Lauren into a tight hug. She kissed her cheek and slowly stepped back. “So happy!” She turned to me and did the same with me. “I’m so proud of you, my darling boy.”
“Yeah?” I grinned at her.
“Yes.” She took mine and Lauren’s hands in each of hers. “I’m so happy that you are both starting a life together.” Tears slowly leaked out over her eyes. “So proud,” she sobbed. She rocked us slightly from side to side before she stepped aside for Luke and Christopher to congratulate us.
“Guys!” We were both tackled by Luke and pulled down into a hug. “I’m so happy for you both!” He quickly moved aside for Christopher.
He shook my hand and hugged Lauren, giving her a small peck on the cheek. “Congrats, both!”
“So, are you moving there for good or what?” Luke asked.
“No.” Lauren shook her head. “Just for my college. We’ll be back for Christmas and stuff.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
“Well, I propose a toast,” Christopher said. He raised his bottle in the air. “Here’s to you both. I hope you get everything you both want and I wish you all the happiness!”
Mum and Luke both raised their drinks, toasting us.
I grinned at Lauren and bent down, kissing her passionately. As I looked down at her, I knew that whatever was waiting for us in Paris, was going to be worth it.
She was my world. My gravity. I’d spend forever making sure that I was hers.
Our Christmas passed slowly, and I spent as much of it with her as I could. I had a few shifts, but Luke had let me book the days off before Lauren left. She voted against a leaving party and instead, we had everyone round for dinner.
As I stood at the airport, watching our little family say goodbye to her, I smiled when I saw her crying as Luke hugged her. She was nervous with the move and saying goodbye to everyone and it had turned her into an emotional wreck. Christopher hugged her and they both stood on either side of me.
“We’ll give you a few moments.” Luke clapped me on the shoulder and they both walked back a little and began people-watching, doing their best not to be so obvious.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye.” She sniffled, staring down at the floor.
“Only for now.” I grasped her chin and tilted her face up to mine. “I’ll be out in a few weeks. James is going to send me some places to look at and I’ll be with you soon.”
“Okay.” Another tear trickled down her cheek. “I’m going to miss you.”
“You’d better,” I teased. “I’m moving to another country for you. I’d expect you to miss me a little.”
“Funny.” She lifted her hand and stroked her fingers through the side of my hair. “Take care of yourself,” she whispered.
“I will.” I wiped my thumb across her cheek, hating the sight of her tears. I bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you, Lauren.”
“I love you, too.” She slung her arms around my shoulders and leaned up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to mine. She thrust her tongue into my mouth, moaning against my lips as I grasped her ass cheeks and pulled her towards me.
“You gotta go,” I whispered, pulling back. “Call me when you land.” I took her face in my hands and kissed her lips again.
“Bye.” She gave me a small wave before she turned and began walking toward the Departures area.
I held my hand up, smiling when she turned to face us. Seconds later, she slipped through the gate and disappeared from my view. I stayed standing there for several moments, wishing like hell I had gone with her.
“Come on, man.” Luke clapped me on my shoulder, pulling me away. “She’ll be okay.”
“I know.” I walked to the exit but stopped when my phone vibrated in my pocket with a text message from Lauren.
I love you. Going to miss your kisses. I can’t wait to experience everything with you. Thank you for being my forever.
I smiled, sending her a quick reply back.
You’re my gravity. Always will be. Love you more.
I slipped my phone back in my pocket and followed the boys back outside, already counting down the days until I would see her again.
Sitting in the back of Luke’s car as we drove back home, I knew that there were only two things that were for certain in this life: gravity and forever were the same thing. You couldn’t escape either, and I was blessed to have found mine in not only a beautiful, amazing woman but also my best friend.
My soulmate.
My world.
Epilogue
Thomas
FIVE YEARS LATER
It had been three years since we had returned from Paris. Lauren had done amazingly well in art school, and she now ran her own little company making book covers and logos for authors. She had just branched into website design and I couldn’t have been prouder.
On our final night in Paris, I had taken her to the Eiffel Tower and proposed to her near the grassy area beneath the lit-up tower. It was a perfect night and we had tied the knot when we came home.
We bought our first home with a room for Luke, and he and I had just opened our first bar and restaurant. Lauren was four months pregnant, and as I lay there, holding her in my arms on Christmas Day, I was grateful for Luke and his interfering all of those years ago.
Right now, I had everything: a business, a family, a wife and a baby on the way. As I thought back to mi
ne and Lauren’s first kiss, I knew that as I held her in my arms, that our forever was only just beginning and I couldn’t wait for whatever else was waiting for us to experience.
As long as I had her, I had everything.
Also by Lizzie James
Tangled Series
Tangled Web
Tangled Lies
Tangled Truths
Tangled Pieces
Kindred Series
Missing Piece
Perfect Fit
Rough Love
Winter’s Rose Series
Safe With You
