Girl Crush (Redwoods Book 1) Read online

  “What made you decide to come here?” Damon asks.

  I’m shocked, because in all honesty, I didn’t think he cared. “Well, Bryce knows this already, but I found a picture of my mother standing in the Redwoods. I felt an instant connection, like the woods were calling to me telling me this is where I should be. So when I graduated I began looking for employment as close to Redding as possible. I lucked out when your company contacted me. So here I am.”

  Damon chokes on his drink as another look passes between him and Bryce. I have no idea what’s going on, but once again I feel like they know something I don’t. I’m really starting to hate this feeling and one of these days I’m going to demand answers.

  “Wow, that’s amazing. I’m glad you like it here.” He says before he begins eating once again.

  The rest of our lunch goes quickly and quietly, we stand to leave and before I step away from the table Bryce pulls me in for a hug, thanking me for joining him for lunch. The walk back to work seems to take forever as silence stretches between Damon and me. I can’t stand it so as we approach the entrance of VE I break the silence once again.

  “Oh, I forgot to ask. Have you heard from Mr. Preston?”

  He smiles, “I did we’re drawing up a contract as we speak.”

  I grab his arm, “That’s amazing!”

  He looks down to where my hand rests on his arm and so do I. When our eyes connect a spark runs between us and we smile at one another.

  “I couldn’t have done it without your help, Kerrigan.”

  I pull my hand back and immediately feel at a loss. “I’m glad I could help. But don’t take this the wrong way, Damon, but if you would’ve done what I said to begin with, I wouldn’t have had to step in and save you.” I laugh and after a second he does too.

  “You’re right, next time I’ll listen to you.” He winks and we walk through the doors at VE.

  When I return to my office I finish going through the file I was working on before lunch, at five thirty I close the folder and put it away. I log off my computer and just as I’m grabbing my purse there’s a knock at the door.

  Getting up from my desk I make my way to the door and open it to find Damon standing there, “Damon, I was just getting ready to leave. Did you need me to do something before I leave?” I ask.

  “No, I was about to leave myself and saw your light still on so I wanted to let you know. Stella has already left for the night, so I will walk you out.”

  “Thank you, that sounds great. I would probably freak out if I found out I was the only person left on this floor.” I laugh as I turn out my office light and step out the door.

  “Yes, it can be quite scary at night if you’re not used to the sights and sounds.” Damon laughs.

  So, he does have a sense of humor.

  We make our way to the elevators and silence engulfs us once again. When we reach the ground floor Damon insists on walking me to my car.

  “You don’t need to be leaving anywhere by yourself. A woman alone is a woman asking for trouble.” He says.

  “What makes you say that?” I ask.

  “You’re a beautiful woman, Kerrigan and that in itself makes you a target.” He says.

  I’m speechless. He called me beautiful.

  When we reach my car I push the unlock button on my key fob and watch as Damon opens my car door for me, “Goodnight, Kerrigan, I will see you tomorrow.”

  Sliding into my seat I reply, “Goodnight, Damon.” That’s all I could say I’m still shocked he called me beautiful. Putting the key in the ignition I start my car as Damon closes my door. As I back up and pull away I look into my mirrors and see that he’s still standing in the same spot staring in my direction. A sense of safety overcomes me.

  Having him so close to me in the elevator and then as I slid into my car barely misses rubbing up against him, is hard on my restraint. I’ve never had these types of feelings before in my life and I don’t completely understand why I’m so drawn to Damon. It like my body hums with anticipation of his touch and once our bodies touch in any way I feel completely at peace.

  I see Bryce waiting for me at my apartment door when I pull in. “Hey B.” I say as I get out of my car and walk toward him.

  He holds up Chinese food and smiles, “I brought dinner!”

  “Oh, I think I love you.” I laugh as I open the door and we walk inside. He sets the food on my table while I pull off my shoes.

  “You look amazing in that outfit by the way.”

  “Well I should since you helped me pick it out.” I wink at him.

  “So…” He pauses before continuing on, “Lunch?”

  “You mean Damon?”

  “Yep.”

  “I was leaving when I bumped into him and before I could think about it, I just blurted it out and asked if he wanted to join us.” He looks on, “Want to tell me what’s going on with the two of you. I swear you have a love hate relationship.”

  I hear Bryce sigh, “It’s not like that Damon and I have known each other since we were born, it was almost as if we were destined to be friends. We are friends, it’s just complicated. A lot of things changed over the years, but regardless of that we remain friends, just not as close as we once were. We get along well because we work together a lot, but we don’t hang out like we once did.”

  “Okay, I’m confused. I didn’t know you worked for Damon.” I say as I sit down at the table across from Bryce.

  “Not in the same capacity as you do, who do you think built all that furniture in the office building?”

  My mouth drops open I had no idea, “How is it that I had no idea what you did for a living? I can’t believe you built all that beautiful furniture.”

  Bryce laughs, “You never asked, Buttercup, I also helped design and build his house and all the furniture inside it.”

  “Wow. I had no idea.” I say as I open my container of food.

  “Well, now you do.” He grins, “Now let’s eat.”

  We eat in silence and then decide to watch a movie after we’re done. I’m going through the channel guide when I run across Twilight. “Oh my God, I love this movie!” I exclaim.

  Bryce laughs and shakes his head as I hit enter on the remote and the movie comes on. “Do you believe that there are really vampires and wolves out there?” Bryce asks during a commercial.

  “I don’t know, I guess anything is possible, but my rational mind says it’s not probable.”

  “Hmmm…”

  “What?” I ask.

  “What about Dracula?”

  “It’s a book, Bryce, something that Bram Stocker made up.”

  “Are you sure about that? What about witches, fairies, druids, leprechauns, and so on. Don’t you think ever legend comes from some truth?”

  “Well, now that you put it that way, I don’t know.” The movie comes back on and we watch in silence.

  My mind is running in circles wondering if it’s possible that the supernatural world is more than just myth.

  When the credits begin to roll across the screen Bryce stands and stretches before telling me he’ll see me tomorrow. I follow him to the door and lock it behind him. My mind is still reeling over what he said. Coming from Bryce it doesn’t seem so farfetched. Needing to clear my mind I decide to go ahead and get my outfit ready for tomorrow. I head to my bedroom and open my closet. It’s doesn’t take me long to decide on a purple dress and my nude heels.

  Walking over to my bed I pick up my Kindle and decide to finish the book I started last night. I read for about an hour before my eyes begin to drift closed. I bookmark my page before turning off my kindle and getting ready for bed. The second my head hits the pillow I’m out.

  The week seems to pass by in a blur. I completed both files that Damon wanted me to go over and returned them to him with my notes on what we could do to improve each company’s financial plans for the next fiscal year. He seemed surprised and pleased with my progress.

  Now, it’s Friday and I’m sitting
at home bored out of my mind. Bryce is trying to finish up a project for Damon so he’s working late. He asked if I wanted to come to his shop and hang out with him, but I declined deciding to stay home and read. The problem is every book I try to read won’t hold my attention.

  Through the open curtains I see the sun starting to dip lower in the sky, walking over to window I watch as it descends out of sight and the street lights come on. Something out of the corner of my eye catches my attention. I turn my head to see what it was and see Lucia and Damon in the parking lot.

  I stand there and watch, once again being the voyeur, it seems like they are talking and then I see them embrace each other. She is so lucky, why can’t I have someone like him? Once again I catch myself thinking about how bad I wish I was her.

  All of a sudden like he knows I’m standing there Damon raises his head and his eyes lock onto mine. He releases Lucia and begins walking toward his car. I close my curtains before grabbing the remote off the table and plopping on the couch. I begin flipping through channels hoping to find something entertaining to watch. I settle on the Discovery Channel, it’s not long before I feel my eyes getting heavy.

  The sun is shining through the canopy of trees surrounding me as I lie on the ground and watch the branches sway in the gentle breeze. I can hear him off in the distance calling my name, but it’s so peaceful here that I don’t want to answer, he’ll find me soon enough.

  “Buttercup, I know you’re out here, answer me.” He calls out, closer to me this time.

  I grin up at the branches and wait till he rounds the big Redwood. It’s not long before he lies next to me and we watch the branches sway together in silence.

  “It’s so peaceful here, DJ. When I grow up I want a house and furniture built out of these trees.” I say turning my head toward him.

  “I’ll make sure of it.” He smiles.

  “DJ, Buttercup, where are you guys?” Another voice calls in the distance.

  “We’re in her favorite place, B.”

  A body plops down on the opposite side of me. When I turn my head I see a boy whose face is as familiar to me as DJ’s.

  “Hey B.” I say as I turn back to watch the limbs.

  “Hey Buttercup.”

  I sit up and gasp for air. What the hell? Why is Bryce in the dream now? It’s always been just DJ, whoever he is. My mind must be playing tricks on me. I must really miss Bryce tonight or something. I mean we do spend pretty much all our free time together.

  That has to it.

  Getting off the couch I make my way into the bathroom to ready myself for bed. The quicker I fall asleep the better. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for me. I finally get to go to the forest. I can’t wait to see it up close with my own two eyes instead of from a distance or a picture.

  The first thing I notice as my body begins to wake up is the sound of rain hitting the pavement. Rolling over in bed I blink open my eyes and try to focus on the window, sure enough it’s pouring rain. Well there goes my plan for today. I reach blindly for my cell phone to text Bryce.

  Me: Ugh B, it’s raining. We can’t go to the forest now!

  I state the obvious, like he can’t see and hear the rain coming down from his apartment.

  B: No worries, we can still go.

  Me: We can’t hike in the rain.

  B: No, but we can drive. Hush up and get ready we leave in an hr.

  Me: Alright, c-ya soon.

  Dropping my phone on the bed beside me, I decide to lie there a little longer and listen to the rain fall. Well one good thing about a rainy day is that now I can wear a pair of my new jeans and my boots. I grin to myself as I hop out of bed and grab my clothes out of the closet and head to the shower.

  Exactly one hour later there’s a knock on the door. I grab my purse, phone, keys, and umbrella before pulling the door open. As soon as I step out the door I hear Bryce whistle.

  “Look at you in your jeans and boots, looking good, Buttercup.”

  “I know, right?” I grin as I pull the door closed and lock it.

  “Well, well, well.” He grins.

  “What?” I ask as I open the umbrella and we begin walking toward his truck.

  “Sounds like someone found a little confidence in themselves.” Bryce throws his arm around my shoulder and pulls me to him, “I’m glad.”

  “You know I was only being a smartass, right?” I reply as I climb into his truck.

  Really what is it with everyone I just see plain ole Kerrigan when I look into the mirror. Sure I have a new style, but I’m still just me.

  “You underestimate yourself, Kerrigan,” Bryce says as he starts the truck. “I don’t think you realize how others see you. For whatever reason you have it stuck in your head that you’re not beautiful, when in fact you are, both inside and out.”

  “It’s hard to believe that when all my life I’ve been hidden behind ugly clothes. Then there is the fact that I didn’t have any friends so…” I trail off.

  “So…what?”

  “You’re the first person to ever tell me that.” I whisper.

  “Then they’re all idiots, everyone you’ve ever met.”

  I can’t help but smile at the conviction in his voice. “Thank you, Bryce.”

  “No need to thank me just own your beauty, Buttercup, be confident in who you are. That’s all I ask.”

  I smile and nod there isn’t anything to say to that. I watch out the window as we drive through town and head toward the forest. I can tell when we are getting close because there is less civilization and more nature. We approach a huge tree with a hole cut through the trunk.

  “Oh my God, Bryce can you really drive through the tree?”

  “Yep.” He laughs as he does just that.

  I’m amazed by the height of the trees and the beauty surrounding me. I feel like I belong right here in the middle of all this nature. There is something inside me that tells me this is where I belong, where I’ve always belonged. Everything around me feels so…familiar.

  “Bryce?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I feel like I’ve been here before.”

  “Are you sure you haven’t?” He asks as he pulls onto the side of the road and turns in his seat to look at me.

  Pulling my legs up in the seat I rest my chin on my knees as I continue to stare out the windshield, “As far as I know I haven’t ever been here. I know my mom has.”

  “Did you ask her if you’d ever been here?”

  Turning my head to look at him, “No, it took forever for me to get her to tell me where she was in the picture I found. I still don’t understand that. Why would it matter if I knew she’d been here before?”

  “That is a good question, and one I can’t answer. Maybe you should ask her that.” He says as he turns back in his seat and pulls back onto the road.

  “Yeah, maybe I should. You wanna know something else?”

  “Of course.”

  “Since I moved here I’ve been having these dreams.”

  “What are they about?”

  I begin telling Bryce about the dreams I’ve had, watching his face the entire time, even though he’s driving I can tell I have his attention.

  “Do you have any idea who the children are?”

  “Well, I assume the little girl is me, but I’m not sure who the boys are.” I left out the part about DJ’s eyes reminding me of Damon’s.

  “What makes you think it’s you?” He asks as he glances my way.

  “I don’t know, just a feeling I guess. And you know the strangest part is about the dreams?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Both boys call the little girl Buttercup.” I say.

  The truck swerves off the road onto the rougher pavement causing me to fall into the door. I hastily put my feet back on the floor as Bryce maneuvers back onto the road.

  “Damn squirrel!” He says, “You okay, Buttercup.” He asks.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” I reply as I turn to look behind us. Sinc
e when do squirrels run around in the rain?

  We ride in silence for a little while, I begin staring out the window watching the forest go by and the whole time the feeling of home never leaves me. Shortly after the off road experience Bryce pulls onto the shoulder and turns the truck around heading back in the direction we came. As we get closer back to the apartment I remember the scene from last night.

  “Last night I was looking out my window and you’ll never guess who I saw in the parking lot right in front of my apartment.” I say.

  “Who?” Bryce asks.

  “Lucia and Damon, they were standing there I guess talking and then they hugged and he left.”

  “Didn’t you know Lucia lived there?”

  “Um, no, I’ve never seen her there before.” How is it possible I’ve never noticed her there before?

  “Yeah, she lives in the building right across from us. She’s hardly there though; she works out of town a lot.”

  Well that explains why I’ve never seen her there. I also feel a little bit of relief at knowing that she works out of town and isn’t with Damon all the time. Oh hell, Kerrigan get over it already. She has him and you never will.

  “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Bryce asks as he pulls into the parking space in front of our building.

  “Nothing.” I lie as I open the door and jump out of the truck.

  I’m already unlocking the door to my apartment when Bryce catches up to me.

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll let it slide for now, but I’m pretty sure I already know.” He smirks as he walks through my door as soon as I push it open.

  “Oh, do ya now?” I reply as I drop my purse onto the couch. “And pray tell what you think you know.”

  “That whole girl crush thing you got going on. You know what Buttercup? Things always aren’t what they appear.” He says as he heads back toward the door, “be ready by eight we’re going to the bar tonight.” He says as he shuts the door behind him.