AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Excuse me?”
I trust nothing coming out of her mouth when she says, “You don’t fool me. I saw the way you looked at me the first time I saw you. If you love him, be careful.”
“My life’s none of your business.”
“It wasn’t my business, either, when my sister dated him, and now she’s dead. I’m just warning you.”
I breathe deeply, anger flowing through my blood like a raging river.
“Are you implying that he killed her?” This cannot be happening. She cannot be telling me what I think she’s about to tell me.
There’s no way—no matter how mysterious Damon can be—that he killed Palmer.
“He might as well have, and he knows it. If you don’t believe me, check the journal in the box I gave Damon.” She throws so much venom into her words that I consider them. Then she hangs up.
He might as well have.
She’s wrong. She knows nothing about him.
Absolutely nothing.
I should ask him before listening to words out of a stranger’s mouth. Then I laugh to myself, because let’s face it, Damon will never tell.
So, I do what I told myself I wouldn’t do. I head to Damon’s empty office, searching for the box Sutton left him the last time she came here.
I don’t have to look for long. He left the box in the bottom drawer of his desk. I kneel to the floor, my fingers touching and pulling out the small frame with a picture of Damon and a woman inside.
I’m guessing it’s her—Palmer. She’s beautiful.
She reminds me of Claire, with her smile as wide as the ocean. My throat tightens when my eyes sweep over Damon’s old self, and something liberates me when I see him. He’s smiling, but somehow the dangerous glare remains in his eyes.
Like he was meant to be mine then, and he’s meant to be mine now.
Like we belong together, two quiet, abnormal souls who never truly belong.
A knock on the door interrupts my stalking tendencies. Embarrassment creeps up my cheeks as I place the frame backin the box and shut the drawer, watching Julia make her way toward Damon’s desk.
“He’s not in?”
I clear my throat, wiping my hands over my skirt. “Um, no. He has a meeting.”
“Okay. I was just dropping this off.” She lifts the stack of papers in her hand, walking forward to place it on his desk. “How are you, Gemma?”
“I’m good. Busy. You?”
She gives me a friendly smile. My body is still burning with humiliation, my cheeks no doubt bright red.
Will she tell him I was snooping in his office? Or will she just assume I was organizing something on his desk?
“I’m very well, thank you.” She eyes me, like she’s debating something, then she sighs. “I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s not my place to say anything, but I suspect there’s something going on between you and Damon.”
“Julia—”
She puts a hand up to stop me. “Like I said, he’s my boss. It’s not my place. We don’t have non-fraternization policies in place. You’re both adults and have incredible work ethics. I wanted to let you know that I know, so you can stop avoiding looking at him when I’m around.” Her smile is inviting for someone who was more reserved when we first met.
I think our New York trip warmed her up to me.
I avoid her eyes, locking my fingers together.
