Things You Can't Take by Erin Lockwood - Book Tour + Giveaway
Things You Can't Take
by Erin Lockwood
Genre:
Contemporary Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
How far would you go for your best friend....
Abigail and Kessia shared a childhood bond that couldn't be broken.
Challenged, yes—but never broken.
Challenged, yes—but never broken.
Born into Hollywood lineage, Kessia understood the risks and pressures of
celebrity life and willingly dedicated hers to serving and protecting
her best friend’s rise to stardom. But when Abigail learns of
Kessia’s own behind-the-scenes battles with a predator, her sense
of friendship drives her down a path that blurs the lines between
loyalty and revenge at all costs.
celebrity life and willingly dedicated hers to serving and protecting
her best friend’s rise to stardom. But when Abigail learns of
Kessia’s own behind-the-scenes battles with a predator, her sense
of friendship drives her down a path that blurs the lines between
loyalty and revenge at all costs.
We unpack our
bags in the City of Light. Kessia hangs up a
sundress and
finds a note under it. I smile, knowing it’s from
my mom, and
there’s one for me in my suitcase, too. She
grabs the paper
and slowly walks to the short balcony
overlooking the
Eiffel Tower.
Every time we
travel, Consuela packs our bags, and my
mom slips in a
note for us. I push a shawl aside and find
mine. We’ve
been here for only a few hours, but I’m already
feeling
homesick. I pick up the handwritten note and walk to
the balcony
next to Kessia.
We’re sixteen,
and we’ve been let loose in one of the
biggest cities
in the world. I know my mom is writing to me
to tell me to
enjoy myself here, but I have a job to do. I need
to focus on
that. The only fun thing about working is that
Kessia is
always with me.
When I finish
reading my mom’s note, I lean over the
balcony and
feel the slightly cooled night air on my face.
“I love how
it’s prettier at night,” Kessia says about the
Eiffel Tower
lit up in front of us. “I think we have three days
off in a row,
so we should go to Amsterdam!” She widens her
eyes, excited
about the possibility.
I just smile
and shake my head, remembering my mom’s
note about
having fun. But being irresponsible doesn’t sound
like fun to me.
“No way.”
Kessia gives me
a sarcastic smile. She’s more
adventurous.
But that’s not a very fair comparison because
I’ve always had
a lot more responsibility.
“Come on.” She
nudges me. “We’re sixteen. Even your
mom says we
should have a little fun.” Kessia waves her note
in the air.
I give her a
wry look. “I don’t think Amsterdam is what
she had in
mind. Fun, yes. But I can’t afford to be reckless.”
Kessia nods. I
know she understands.
After we
unpack, we head downstairs to the lobby,
crossing the
white stone tiles to a plush brown and red lounge
area.
Everything is different in this old-world atmosphere—
the smells, the
flowers, the taste in the air. Even the wood
and paint on
the walls seem different than what our buildings
are made out of
in America.
Most of the
cast and crew have arrived, and they’re all
gathered
together, occupying the entire lounge area. We only
have one day to
acclimate ourselves to the new time zone
before shooting
starts. Kessia and I go make the rounds,
hugging and
saying hi to everyone. They’ve always treated her
like part of
the show’s family. She’s a part of everything I do.
“Mason, how was
your flight?” I ask him when I can’t
think of
anything else to say. I’ve known him since the show
started, but
some time in the last year, I’ve become so
nervous around
him.
“Can I have
your autographs?” a girl asks behind us,
holding a
notepad and pen. She has an English accent and
must be a fan
of the show.
I see her
parents standing off to the side, waving excitedly
for her.
“Of course.” I
bend down and say, “Are you here on
vacation?”
She nods and
can’t stop smiling, looking up at Mason. He
joins me,
taking the pen from my hand when I’m done.
“Do you want a
picture, too?” he asks the little girl.
She squeals and
says, “Yes, please.”
We scrunch
together with the little girl between us. When
Mason’s arm
reaches around to pull us closer, he rubs my
side. I can’t
help but overanalyze his touch. Does
he like me? I
smile
anxiously, but the little girl thinks I’m smiling at her.
She thanks us
and walks away. One side of Mason’s face
lifts, and for
a moment, I wonder if we’re staring into each
other’s eyes.
He twists around and grabs a brown bottle from
one of the
lobby’s side tables.
I can feel my
forehead cave down on my eyes. “You’re
drinking?” I
ask cautiously. You’re
only nineteen.
He casually
places his free hand in his pocket and shrugs.
“Yeah, it’s
legal here.”
I try not to
shake my head at him, disappointed. It’s
not
legal
for your underage fans back in the United States. I look around,
knowing that
anyone could be watching.
“What’s wrong?”
he asks.
I step back.
“Nothing. I just forgot to tell Kessia
something.”
Spinning on my heels, I spot her only a few feet
away.
“Hey, Kessia.”
I grab her arm and turn her away from
Mick, one of
the writers. “We should go back to the room,” I
say just low
enough for her to hear me.
“Why? Everyone
is getting in. We slept on the plane; we
can’t sleep
now.”
I move my hands
in a circle in front of me, trying to find
the right
words. “There’s this thing with our bodies. If we
don’t lie down
right away when we get to a new country, we’ll
get sick.”
Kessia stops
and tugs at my arm. “You’re telling me this
now? We’ve been
out of the country several times before.
What’s the real
reason you want to leave?”
I take a
breath. “It’s Mason. I like him.”
“Duh. Who
doesn’t?”
I purse my lips
together and swallow. “He’s drinking beer.
I can’t be seen
near him. What if someone takes a picture and
assumes that
I’m drinking with him?” What
would my fans
think?
Kessia leans
back on her heels and tilts her head. “Isn’t
that a little
bit of a stretch?” She reaches down and holds
both my hands.
“Just because he has a beer doesn’t mean you
do. People
aren’t stupid.”
“I know. You’re
right. I’m overreacting. But remember
when I got that
henna tattoo? It was in the tabloids the next
day.”
“It was fake,”
she says with an even tone.
“Yes,” I agree,
“but that’s not what the tabloids said.”
“But they were
wrong,” she argues further, not taking me
seriously.
“Come on.” Kessia smiles at me and starts to turn
back toward the
lobby.
“But”—I stop
her—“I still don’t feel like being down
here. Let’s
just go upstairs and watch a movie. Pete’s going to
be here for the
shoots, and I really want to be rested, so I do
my best work
when he’s around. Tammy says he has a big
project coming
together. He could be considering a spin-off
show just for
me.”
Kessia tries to
smile but looks uneasy.
“That’s good
news.” I shake her arm, trying to loosen her
up. Why aren’t you happy for me?
“Yes, that’s
great.” Her eyes open wide. “Of course. Let’s
go upstairs.”
She looks sick to her stomach.
It must be the
jet lag.
Erin Lockwood grew up in Castro Valley, California and attended the
University of Oregon, where she graduated in 2003 with a degree in
journalism. From there she moved to Denver and spent the next seven
years searching for the love of her life and building the family of her dreams.
University of Oregon, where she graduated in 2003 with a degree in
journalism. From there she moved to Denver and spent the next seven
years searching for the love of her life and building the family of her dreams.
It wasn’t long until, with children starting preschool and more time
on her hands, Erin refocused on her career, beginning with a
successful entry into the world of residential real estate as a
Realtor. Free time was spent reading book after book (and
binge-watching the subsequent films) in the New Adult genre. Feeling
hopelessly in love with her husband, she wrote him a short story
leading up to their fifth wedding anniversary. That’s when she
discovered her tireless passion to share her experience of falling in
love through fictional characters. That story evolved into the first novel in the Angles trilogy.
on her hands, Erin refocused on her career, beginning with a
successful entry into the world of residential real estate as a
Realtor. Free time was spent reading book after book (and
binge-watching the subsequent films) in the New Adult genre. Feeling
hopelessly in love with her husband, she wrote him a short story
leading up to their fifth wedding anniversary. That’s when she
discovered her tireless passion to share her experience of falling in
love through fictional characters. That story evolved into the first novel in the Angles trilogy.
Erin still lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Phil, and their three children.
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