by Twyla Turner
“Oh, don’t you even worry your pretty little head about that. I’ll hire moving guys. The paparazzi won’t even know it’s you that’s moving. So get that sweet ass moving, before I have to turn into a caveman and resort to the ‘clunk and drag’ method.”
Sunny fell over on her futon, laughing hysterically. “I love you, but you’re crazy man!” She used her best Will Farrell in Old School impersonation.
“So anyway, what would you like to do for lunch tomorrow?” Gabe asked not giving up on the subject.
“Let’s go to Rock Bottom. It’s right across the street from my place. I’ll meet you there.” Sunny suggested.
“I can come get you.”
“I know that. But the two of us together would cause a media frenzy, and I just don’t want that outside of my building. The other tenants are already freaking out.”
“Alright, I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay, go get some sleep Mr. Wolf, you sound exhausted.”
“Yes, ma’am. I love you, Madison Stone.” Gabe said softly.
“And I love you Gabe.” Sunny sighed before hanging up.
~~~
Sunny threw on some jeans, ballet flats and a pretty coral top that complimented her skin. She wanted to be comfortable, just in case she had to make a quick dash from the cameramen. She had no idea how right she was.
Stepping out of her building, what felt like hundreds of flashes exploded in her face, blinding her. They all converged on her at once, and she realized that not having Gabe meet her was a bad idea. All she could do now was head in the direction she knew Rock Bottom should be. If she’d have been thinking rationally, she would’ve just stepped back inside her apartment and called Gabe to come get her or cancelled all together. But she continued to walk with her head down, while the men jostled her and asked her questions.
“Do you know who that was on the tape with Gabriel?”
“There’s a rumor that’s saying its Sophia Morales. Is that true?”
“Are you devastated that he cheated on you?”
“Have you broken up?”
“Do you have an open relationship?”
“Do you get to watch when he has sex with other women?”
The questions continued, on and on, overlapping until it all sounded like a jumbled mess, and she couldn’t understand any of it. She stopped at the corner of the intersection across from the restaurant. The men in the back were pushing forward to try and get their chance at her, which pushed the men in front onto her.
Sunny raised her hands to her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. “Please, just leave me alone!” She shouted and without thinking stepped into the street to get away from them.
All she saw next was the flash of a silver grill in the sunlight coming at her. She raised her arms to protect her face, and felt a crack of pain, followed by blackness. Before the blackness swallowed her whole, she heard one last thing…the anguished scream of her name. Then her world went black.
~~~
Gabe realized that he had gotten to the restaurant first. He asked the hostess to be seated at a table on the patio facing the street, so that he could watch for Sunny. The hostess and a waitress politely asked for his autograph and a picture with him on their cellphones, before she took him to his table.
By the time he had gotten to the table, Sunny was directly across the street, surrounded by paparazzi. She had a panic stricken look on her face. Gabe’s heart started pounding. He went to the railing of the patio and leaped over it with little effort, adrenaline pounding through his veins with the need to help her.
But before he could get to her, he watched in horror as she stepped out into traffic, and right in front of a full-sized pickup truck. The guy in the truck tried to slam on the brakes, but it was too late. Sunny instinctively lifted her arms to protect her face and the truck hit her right arm and body, throwing her back onto the pavement, her head cracking against the asphalt.
Gabe heard himself scream her name, but the sound seemed so detached and faraway that it took him a moment to realize it was him. Traffic stopped instantly, realizing that something was wrong. And he bolted out into the street.
The fucking paparazzi just stood over her, surrounding her limp unconscious frame taking pictures instead of making sure she was okay. Once again, blinding rage filled Gabe and he ran over with fists flying. He smashed his fists into two of the men and crushed three cameras, before they realized they should back off.
Once clear he dropped to his knees in front of Sunny, wanting to touch her, but knowing that if he moved her he’d probably only cause her more damage. So instead he just clenched and unclenched his shaking hands at his sides.
“Someone call 911…NOW!” He screamed into the gathering crowd.
“I already did. Someone is coming.” The man that was driving the truck said shakily. “I’m so sorry man; I didn’t mean to hit her.”
“I know.” Was all Gabe could get out, as he heard the distant sounds of an ambulance siren getting closer.
Gabe felt her neck, trying to check for a pulse. He found it, but it felt faint to him. Please God, don’t let her die.
Gabe bent over Sunny with his face buried in his hands, while tears ran silently down his face and into his palms. One car accident had altered his life nearly thirty-eight years ago, it couldn’t possibly be happening again.
The ambulance pulled up and the paramedics jumped out and came over with a stretcher and neck brace, making Gabe stand and backup. He stood helpless as they worked on her. Cameras flashed around him from paparazzi and bystanders, but Gabe didn’t register any of it. All he could think of was how his life would never be the same if she didn’t make it.
Once they had her in the neck brace and on the stretcher, they loaded her into the ambulance. Gabe got in the back without question, not willing to be separated from her.
“Is she okay?” He asked the paramedic that was in the back with them.
“Yeah, for now. She hit her head pretty hard and it looks like she broke her arm. It’s hard to tell if anything else is wrong, until we get her to the hospital.” The paramedic explained with grave seriousness.
Gabe just nodded, trying to keep it together. When they got to the hospital, they rushed her into the ER, then a doctor working on her told Gabe that they needed to get her to surgery, because she had internal bleeding. For the first time since he was a kid, Gabe began to sob.
When he finally pulled it together, he called Alyssa to tell her what had happened. And then he called Kyle to let him know that he wouldn’t be back on the set today.
A short while later Alyssa, and then Kyle with a few other film crew members that adored Sunny, showed up at the hospital to see how she was doing and to give Gabe support.
Gabe could only sit for a few minutes at a time, before he was up and pacing back and forth again. He wanted to scream at every person he saw that passed by in scrubs, to let him know if she was okay. Instead he just kept quiet and scowled at everyone, as he screamed in his head. What the fuck is taking so long?!
Finally a doctor in his late forties, in green scrubs with those little booties that covered their feet during surgery, came around the corner. Gabe rushed up to him with Alyssa and Kyle on either side of him, just as anxious as he was to know if Sunny was okay.
“Mr. Wolf, I’m Dr. Victor Stevenson. Ms. Stone is doing well.” He smiled at them. They all released the breath they had been holding. “Ms. Stone suffered a broken forearm, concussion and a pretty nasty gash on her head that we had to stitch up. But the worst of it was from a ruptured stomach. We had to go in and sew her up, she’s going to be a little sore, but should make a full recovery.”
“Oh thank God!” All three said at the same time.
“Can I see her?” Gabe asked.
“She’s in Recovery right now, but as soon as she’s settled in her room, that should be fine.”
“I want her in her own private room. I want her as comfortable as possible. I’ll pay for it.”
Gabe’s tone brooked no argument.
“Yes, Mr. Wolf. I’ll talk to the nurses and have them set it up.”
“Thank you, doctor.” Gabe shook the doctor’s hand, and then collapsed in a chair, breathing a huge sigh of relief.
About a half an hour later, a nurse gave them the okay to see Sunny. She directed them to the right room and told them Sunny should be awake any moment.
Gabe walked into the hospital room first, his heart stuttered when he saw her little body in the bed, with tubes coming out of her. Her head was partially wrapped in gauze temporarily, in case her stitches bled a little. She had scrapes and bruises on her left arm, hands and face. And her right arm was in a cast, from hand to armpit. Even her beautiful bottom lip was split.
Gabe reached out a shaky hand to gently brush her face. His other hand holding hers and stroking it with his thumb. Alyssa pulled up a chair for him to sit in next to the bed. He sat down and laid his head on the hand he was holding next to her hip, silently crying. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
He vaguely felt a hand squeeze his shoulder, and then it was completely quiet. He realized that Alyssa and Kyle must have decided to give him some privacy, because the room was empty when he looked up a moment later.
“Wake up whenever you’re ready, Sweet Girl. I’ll be here. I’ve got you.” Gabe whispered to Sunny.
~~~
Sunny woke up to the sound of incessant beeping that was driving her nuts. And then pain…excruciating pain. The pain radiated all over her body. But it was mainly concentrated in her head, right arm and stomach. What the hell! Sunny’s eyes fluttered opened and she groaned from the pain.
The moment she realized she was in a hospital room memories bum-rushed her; the paparazzi, the chaos, and the flash of a truck. Her heartbeat picked up speed and so did that stupid beeping sound. She looked down as Gabe’s head that had been resting on her hand, popped up. His eyes were red-rimmed and his cheeks were wet from tears. He looked distraught. She tried to lift her hand to touch his face, but couldn’t find the strength.
“Aw God, Sunny you’re awake!” Gabe sounded relieved.
“Yeah.” She croaked like she’d swallowed a frog.
“Are you thirsty, baby?” He grabbed the pitcher of water that was sitting on the tray at the foot of the bed, and poured it into a cup with a straw. He brought it to her lips, holding it while she drank.
“Thank you.” Her voice sounded only a little better than before. “What happened?”
“Well, the paparazzi freaked you out and you stepped into traffic. A pickup truck hit you. You blocked your face, which is why when the truck hit you, it broke your arm. And it also hit you hard in your mid-section, so it ruptured your stomach. And finally, after it hit you, you fell back and slammed your head on the pavement, which is why you have a stitched up gash on the back of your head and a concussion.” Gabe’s face looked haggard, his blue eyes troubled and cloudy.
“Dear Lord! I’m a mess!” Sunny groaned.
“Are you in pain?” She gave him a ‘look’. “Of course you’re in pain. Let me get a nurse. I’m sure they can give you something to make you feel better.”
Sunny just nodded and closed her eyes. She heard him leave and then a few minutes later, she heard the bustling of a nurse, as she came in the room. She checked Sunny’s vitals and then administered some liquid pain meds that went straight to Sunny’s bloodstream. She felt like she was on Cloud-nine instantly. Mmm…that’s nice.
Sunny woke up a while later, right before dawn, if the light outside was any indication. Gabe was in a chair, his head lying on the bed next to her hip, his face turned towards her.
He looked so beautiful and relaxed in sleep. Almost like a little boy. She softly touched his dark silky hair, he didn’t even move. He must have been exhausted.
Now that Sunny’s muddled thoughts were a bit clearer, she started to think about the last three weeks. She was completely head over heels in love with Gabe, and apparently he was with her too. Though, being with him had been some of the best times of her life, loving him was obviously detrimental to her health and his as well. He had been a wreck. And evidently, there were people that didn’t want them together. She couldn’t go on like this, just waiting for the ball to drop.
With the decision made, she needed to talk to Gabe now, before she lost her resolve. So she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to gently wake him up. Her heart pounded with the stress of what she was about to do. He stirred and looked up at her.
“Hey, Sweet Girl. Are you okay? Do you need anything?” His sleepy voice, combined with his pet name for her, nearly undid her.
So with a voice thick with emotion, she began what she needed to say.
“Gabe, I need to talk to you. I…we can’t do this anymore.” Her eyes filled with tears and he stared at her in disbelief.
“What are you talking about?” He asked warily. “We can’t do what anymore?”
“We can’t be together. It’s just too much. And it’s apparent that people don’t want us together.” The tears spilled over her eyelids onto her cheeks.
“I don’t give a fuck what anyone else wants! I want you. I love you. You mean everything to me.” Gabe pleaded.
“Then if that’s true, you’ll walk away from me. They practically killed me yesterday, Gabe!” The tears were streaming down her face now. Her eyes so blurry, she could barely see his face, which was a good thing since the look of devastation on it would have killed her. “If you love me, you’ll let me go.” Sunny knew that was a low blow, turning his love against him.
“Sunny, please don’t do this!” Gabe started to beg.
“I’m sorry Gabe. I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t see you anymore. I want a normal life, and I can’t have that with you.” Sunny stared down at her hands, unable to look at him.
“Sunny-”
“Please just go.” Sunny interrupted.
Gabe slowly stood up, and looked down at her with the most loving expression she had ever seen in her life. She died a little inside in that moment. He leaned over and kissed her forehead softly.
“I will always love you, Sweet Girl.” He whispered against her skin.
Then he straightened quickly and walked out of the room and her life. Sunny turned her head into the pillow, her composure fully breaking and she sobbed uncontrollably. This pain far surpassed the physical pain of her injuries from the accident.
Lost in her own sorrow, she missed Gabe glance back into the room, tears coursing down his face unchecked. Then he turned and with head bowed walked away.
###
Sunny and Gabe’s story continues in the exciting conclusion, Awe-Struck.
Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won’t you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer?
Thanks!
Twyla Turner
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank my parents for supporting me, creatively and financially during the process of writing my first novel.
I’d also like to thank my friends and beta-readers/editors Sue, Randi and Tori; for taking the time out to be the first to read my novel.
Sue thank you for being my biggest writing fan. Since college, you have read my poems and stories and encouraged me to continue writing.
Thank you Randi; for taking the time to read Star-Struck and being the first to let me know that you loved my characters and story; and sitting over the phone with me to edit my typos page by page. You were my second set of eyes. And I know you love my semi-colons!
And thanks to all my other family and friends who encouraged me and rooted for me…you know who you are. I love all of you!
About the Author
Twyla Turner currently resides in Arizona. She was born and raised in Joliet, IL; and has also lived in Chicago, Japan and California. Having been an avid romance novel reader since Jr. high and minored in Creative Writing, she felt that it was finally time to start combining her two loves and lif
e experiences and putting them down on “paper”. Which experiences, she’ll never tell…well maybe, if you ask nicely.
Other Books by Twyla Turner
Here’s a sneak peek at Awe-Struck, Book 2 in the Struck Series.
Prologue
I couldn’t have planned that better if I tried. Josiah thought as he watched the news coverage of Sunny Stone getting hit by a pickup truck, and actor Gabriel Wolf kneeling dejectedly over her prone body.
“They‘re both getting exactly what they fucking deserve. I hope the black bitch dies.” He said to himself scornfully.
The day that Gabe and Sunny had been loudly banging each other’s brains out in Gabe’s movie set trailer, Josiah had hidden behind the trailer and gleefully recorded the whole incident. He knew that when the time was right he could use the recording against them. And after they ruined his life, making it near impossible for him to get an acting gig outside of commercials, he was willing to go to any lengths to destroy them.
After the premiere of Gabe’s movie, where he had introduced Sunny as his new girlfriend, all sugary sweet together, making him sick; Josiah knew it was the perfect time to crush the couple. So he edited out Gabe passionately shouting Sunny’s name and sold the audio sex-tape to the highest bidder. And he knew it wouldn’t hurt to throw out a possible name of who the mystery girl on the tape could be. He’d chosen Sophia Morales, Gabe’s co-star in his last movie, who Josiah knew Gabe had fucked.
The results had been instantaneous. The media blew up with the sex-tape and Gabe’s supposed infidelity. It had caused the paparazzi to mob Sunny and send her into the street in front of the truck. The press still wasn’t sure what her current condition was.