Page 84 of Gravity of Love
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“Impossible,” she whispered as a silly smile hitched up one side of her mouth. She already missed him.
After checking the time on her phone, she saw she was due at her mom’s brunch in thirty minutes. She swung her legs off the bed, toes grazing the plush rug, before they hit the hardwood and then the marble tile of the bathroom.
One quick, blisteringly hot shower—because Hope Falls in early fall had a bite to it—she quickly dried her hair with her Dyson. Mascara and a swipe of coral lipstick, and she was done. She dressed in her navy-blue maxi dress that hugged her curves with hopes that Liam might be able to make it homebeforeshe changed for the welcome dinner tonight. She knew if he did, his eyes would scan up and down in a way that would warm her from the inside out.
She was about to head downstairs to raid the Greek yogurt and blackberries that Yaya insisted fortified the soul before the brunch at Sue Ann’s because she was starving and she wasn’t convinced that with her family, who were talkers, she’d get a chance to actually eat, when a sharp knock on the door startled her.Liam, she thought. She yanked open the door, smile primed and ready.
On the other side stood a six-foot-five man with broad shoulders and muscular arms in a pink, turquoise, and green floral-pattern button-down, black tailored slacks, and Italian leather loafers. Short curly hair dyed a shocking lilac color somehow perfectly complemented his razor-sharp cheekbones and warm russet skin. Beside him was a silver Tiffany & Co. collab with Rimowa “Rock Cut” designer suitcase that, at over ten thousand dollars, cost more than most people’s first cars.
Zion Ash was in California.
Frankie blinked, stunned, and then shrieked so loudly she was certain, despite having no neighbors for a mile, the nearest one had heard her.
"Zee!?!" She launched herself into his arms, nearly bowling him over. The two hugged and spun in the open doorway like a pair of drunken figure skaters at the Olympics.
Zion held her tight, face pressed to the side of her head. "Surprise, princess! Did you really think I’d make you give an Oscar-winning performance with your ex this weekend sans a supporting cast?"
He lowered her down to the ground, and she looked him over from head-to-toe and back again. "You look like the illegitimate child of Elton John and a Lisa Frank sticker pack," she said with love.
The sashay he did past her into the room was RuPaul’s Drag Race worthy, suitcase rolling beside him. He dropped his personalized Swarovski crystal Louis Vuitton duffle bag by the bathroom door and spun back to face her. "You know you love it.”
“I do. You know I do.”
Zee did a double take when he saw the bed. One perfectly manicured eyebrow arched as he spoke, slowly and deliberately. "Frankie. My love, is there a reason your sheets look like a Jackson Pollock? Please tell me you did not give in and have breakup sex with?—"
“No!” She rushed to make sure he knew she had not had sexual relations with Tristan.
“Then, honey, I’m confused.” His head spun back to the messy sheets so fast she was surprised he didn’t have whiplash as his finger made a circular motion towards the bed. His jaw dropped, and he let out a scandalized gasp. "You parted your pink sea for someone else."
She could feel her cheeks flushing, which was ridiculous since she told Zee everything, and she’d never been a prude when it came to anything sexual. Usually, she had no issues at all discussing her sex life or lack thereof. But there was something different with Liam. It wasn’t just sex, it wasn’t just a physical act. It was so raw, so vulnerable, so intimate.
He stared at her, eyes narrowing with delicious suspicion. "Okay, pause.” Zee pressed his hands together, as if he was begging her. “Please, for the love of Pedro Pascal, tell me you finally gave up your tragic pining and played hide-and-seek with your lady cave and Liam’s flesh pipe."
Frankie cringed at the creative descriptives Zee used. She’d always found his colorful vocabulary amusing when his giftsweren’tdirected at her or Liam. “Okay, first of all, it wasnottragic pining.”
“Yes! I knew it!” Zion took her pining-correction as an admission and picked Frankie up again, spinning her around several times. “This is like Christmas, my birthday, and Pride all wrapped up in one! It is the best gift you could have ever given me!”
Zion tended to land on the dramatic side of things, which was probably why they were such good friends. The second Frankie’s feet touched the ground again she quickly readjusted her dress.
“Do you know what this means?” he asked.
Yes, she did. It meant that she was even more in love with Liam now and terrified.
“What?”
“This means that—in the immortal words of Queen Taylor herself—you are never,ever,everrrrrgetting back together.”
“I still don’t know why you never liked Tristan. What did he ever do that was so bad?”
Zion tilted his head to the side and looked at her like that was the stupidest question she’d ever asked.
“Okay, yes, I know he cheated, but before that.”
“That man had so many beige flags, he should have worked at Target. He was caught in 4D and still tried to deny he did anything wrong. I’m sorry, but he gave off serious F-BOI vibes. I told you that day one when I met him. And I know that you two had this whole Dawson’s Creek thing going on, where you were best friends and you snuck into his room, but honey, Joey ended up withPacey.”
