You saw the best in me f.., p.1
You Saw the Best In Me (Forest Falls Book 1), page 1
YOU SAW THE BEST IN ME
FOREST FALLS
BOOK ONE
TAYLOR JAMES
Copyright © 2023 by Taylor James
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
to every woman who had their girlhood stolen by a man,
fuck them; it was ours first.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR;
Dear Reader: thank you for choosing my book off your very long TBR it means the world!! Please check the trigger warnings, as there are heavy topics discussed throughout. Protect your mental health, reading supposed to be an escape! - taylor
Trigger Warnings:
Stalking, domestic abuse, kidnapping, suicide, alcohol, strong language, and sexual situations.
Mentions of: guns + weapons, death of family member, cancer.
PLAYLIST
Show Me What I’m Looking For - Carolina Liar
Dress - Taylor Swift
The First Cut is the Deepest - Sheryl Crowe
I Dare You - Shinedown
Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls
Naturally - Selena Gomez
Delicate - Taylor Swift
Exchange - Bryson Tiller
Angel - the weeknd
Love Me Harder - Ariana Grande + the weeknd
You Are In Love - Taylor Swift
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Wicked Games - the weeknd
Him & I - G-Eazy + Halsey
Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve - Taylor Swift
Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Never Let Me Go - Florence + The Machine
Love me like you do - Ellie Goulding
Daylight - Taylor Swift
CONTENTS
Note from the Author;
Playlist
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Maverick
Karina
Read on for an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek of Reilly’s story!
Acknowledgments
Also by Taylor James
Reilly
Jagger
Reilly & Jagger’s story coming soon!
About the Author
KARINA
I’m perfectly fine on my own, but being in a brand-new place is lonely. It’s my first night in a new town, a new apartment, and another new start. It’s just me, my cat, and small boxes of belongings.
I travel light because I’ve been on the run since I was eighteen, and whenever I have to relocate, it’s easier to pack boxes versus a bed or couch. My old roommate gave me the bed I slept in at her place, so thankfully, I have a mattress to sleep on.
I sit on the hardwood floor, eating Chinese takeout from the container, wondering how much longer I can survive like this.
Living with Juliette was the happiest I’d been in years, and it fucking sucks that Asher has taken that away from me.
Now, I’m hours away from that old life and starting afresh in Forest Falls.
But, wherever I put roots down, I’m constantly looking over my shoulder, hoping today isn’t the day he’s found me again.
The fear of Asher finding me is consuming, and I accepted long ago that I’ll never lead a normal life. I don’t know why I bother getting close to people anymore; I always have to flee.
This town seems cozy enough, and maybe I’ll get lucky and make a few friends to keep me from feeling lonely.
Once again, I need to shop for furniture, find a new job, and settle into an unfamiliar place. This apartment is lovely and very spacious, considering I have nothing substantial taking up space.
I hope it’ll feel like home when I fill it with things that bring me happiness. I spend the rest of the night shopping online, ordering new decorations, and filling my cart with everything I need to make this place feel less empty.
“Fuck!” I scream, dropping three packages down the stairs. My voice echoes in the stairwell, and I have no clue why I didn’t just make two trips. The last thing I need to do is embarrass myself in front of my fellow tenants.
“Do you need any help?” A tall, blonde man asks me, and I can’t help but notice his dark green eyes.
I stare at him way longer than I should, and he looks annoyed.
“Uh, no thanks. I got it, thanks,” I say, my voice trembling.
Color me fucking embarrassed. I don’t know how to form a proper sentence.
“Suit yourself,” the handsome, green-eyed man pushes by me, racing down to the door.
I sigh deeply, gathering my shit and struggling the rest of the way.
I finally return to my apartment, dropping all the boxes on the floor and slamming the door behind me.
It’s been five days since I moved here, and I’ve carried so many boxes up and down the stairs my muscles are exhausted. On the bright side, I now have a couch to sit on, and I decorated the place with plants, candles, and a cute area rug that April loves.
I’ve set up her cat tree and hung a hammock on the window so she can stalk birds and squirrels all day. It’s just me and my cat in this lonely ass town; how pathetic is that?
I pour a tall glass of wine, admiring my work and wishing I had someone to share it with. I sent pictures to Juliette, and she was so excited, but having her – or anyone – here would make it so much better.
My computer lights up with a new email, and I glance it over before realizing it’s from the salon I applied to. I have an interview later this week and am excited to return to work.
I don’t love doing hair, but the first time I found myself on the run, I had to make a choice, and I knew needed something stable. One of the many sacrificial decisions I had to make early on in my adult life.
Years later, and I’m still in the same profession, but salons are always hiring, and I need job security to survive, especially when I’m constantly running.
I like it, but it’s another thing my ex stole from me. Salon gossip is a perk of the job, though, and I could use a couple of girlfriends to shoot the breeze with.
I decide to celebrate, turning up the music and dancing around my living room. Finally, the first good thing that’s happened to me in a while, and I refuse to be down on myself or my situation — at least for tonight.
MAVERICK
Idrive home in a daze; work kicked my ass today, but that’s not what’s got me stressed. The bills from my grandmother’s most recent hospital stay have piled up, and I can’t catch up quickly enough.
All I want to do is kick back with a cold beer, leftover pizza and fall asleep to the sound of any sports game.
I park my truck in my numbered spot and roll my eyes when I see the tiny car parked next to me. It belongs to my new neighbor, the petite brunette who moved in last week, and I haven’t had a moment’s peace since she arrived.
Whenever I see her, she’s carrying boxes, furniture, falling all over herself, and refusing help. If that wasn’t bad enough, she blasts her shitty bubblegum-pop music all night, ensuring I get no sleep.
I’ve already decided that I can’t stand her and I don’t even know her name.
Sighing, I grab my lunch box and work clothes, heading inside the building.
As luck would have it, she’s getting her mail from the lobby, exactly where I need to be.
This is the first time I’ve seen her without anything in her hands, and I can’t help but notice her curves and how her tits are barely contained inside the tank top she’s wearing.
Fuck.
A man could only dream of a perfect pair of boobs like that.
“Get it together, dumbass,” I think to myself. Drooling over my annoying, obnoxiously loud neighbor is not a part of the plan.
As if she read my mind, she glances up at me, her hazel eyes shimmering.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I in your way?” she asks, and I shake my head. “I’m Karina, your new neighbor.”
She offers her hand to me, stepping close enough that I can smell her fruity perfume.
“Maverick,” I reply, barely shaking her hand.
“Nice to meet you. Once I get my place set up, maybe you could stop by for a drink,” she smiles, and I have to look away before my ice-cold heart begins to thaw.
“That’s not necessary,” I frown, attempting to clarify that I want nothing to do with her.
I turn away completely, opening my mailbox and taking out the pile of bills.
“I don’t bite,” she teases, giggling at her own joke, a
I walk away from her, attempting to end this conversation, but I forget she lives across the hall.
We walk up the stairs silently, but I can feel she has something else to say.
“Did I do something to piss you off?” Karina asks, and this woman makes me want to rip my hair out.
“You’re loud. You keep me up late playing that shit you call music,” I turn to face her as we reach our doors, and it looks like I deflated all the air out of her.
“You’re an asshole, aren’t you, neighbor?” she says, rage dripping from every word.
“You’re a pain in the ass, aren’t you, neighbor?” I mock her sarcasm and rage, which pisses her off even more.
She slams her door in my face, and I sigh, throwing my work shit on the floor and slamming my door in response.
I don't know how one woman can frustrate me so much, and yet she just so happens to be right next door.
I nearly jump out of my skin as Karina blasts her music so loud my walls vibrate. Clearly, she’s playing a game because I offended her, and it’s not amusing.
My phone rings, bringing me out of my rage. I smile when I see the name on the screen: Harper.
“Hi, Mav!” my little sister squeals, ready to update me on her day.
“Hi, Harp, how was school? How’s Grams?” I ask, listening intently as she describes another riveting day in the eighth grade.
Harper is thirteen and the only family I have besides my grandmother.
When Harper was three, my mother died of cancer, and neither of us knew who our fathers were. Leaving the three of us to fend for ourselves, and survive in this cold world.
“Grams is doing okay. She’s still sore from the fall,” she updates, and I rake my fingers through my hair.
“Is she taking the pain medicine the doctor prescribed?” I ask, knowing my grandmother can be stubborn regarding directions.
Grams is prone to falling, especially down the stairs to her garden, and last week, I had to rush her to the emergency room. She has no broken bones, but she’s got severe bruising and can’t get around quickly.
I hate that Harper is the only one around to take care of her, but I’m working hard to be able to pay for a home nurse to check in on her daily.
“Mav?” my sister asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes, Harper?” I can tell when her voice changes that she has something to say to me.
“I miss you, big brother,” she says, and I start pacing around the room.
I miss her and reserve my Sundays for her, but this week is dragging.
“I know, little sis, I’ll be there Sunday. Text me what you want to cook, and I’ll get everything, okay?” I bargain, which satisfies her.
Cooking together is one of the ways we bond, but also a sneaky way of teaching her how to be independent.
“Alright, Harp, I have to go. Call me tomorrow night. I love you,” I say, starting the prep for my lunch tomorrow.
“Love you too, Mav,” she hangs up, and my apartment is silent again.
I make my lunch for tomorrow, packing it in a cooler bag and tucking it into the fridge.
I crack open a beer, put my feet on the coffee table, and surf the channels until I find something to watch.
My obnoxious neighbor cranks up the music again, rattling the walls and raising my blood pressure.
I could stomp over there, bang on her door, and insist that she turn it down, but the way I stared at her chest earlier was a sign that I should stay away.
I don’t do relationships. I haven’t dated a woman since I was nineteen, and I don’t get close enough to let anyone in. I have enough on my plate with my sister and Grams; another person to care for would be disastrous.
I turn my TV volume higher, attempting to drown out the music, which only helps a little.
Unfortunately, I’ve only come to one conclusion: I need to make this right with Karina and fast — I can’t live like this.
I wake up to my alarm, signaling the start of another day. I dress in cargo shorts and a company t-shirt, Avery Jones Bros. plastered across the back, and lace up my work boots.
I started this construction gig a few months ago, and it’s going well. The pay is good, and the bosses let us leave early sometimes.
The guys on site still call me new kid which doesn’t bother me. Everyone else has silly nicknames, and I keep to myself, not giving anyone a chance to know my actual name.
I don’t do friendships; I don’t have the time to get to know someone, and I certainly don’t have the effort to go out, drink and socialize.
I grab my lunch, extra clothes and head out the door.
Lucky for me, my irritating neighbor is walking down the stairs as I lock the door behind me.
“Are you stalking me, Maverick?” she teases, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder.
“I’m going to work,” I grumble, uninterested in morning chit-chat.
Karina is wearing shorts that are way too small, highlighting her ass, and I do everything I can to look away. I may lose my mind if she’s in a teeny tank top again.
This woman is gorgeous, and her curves are tempting, but then I remember how much she pisses me off, and the attraction fades.
“Oh, I’m getting my coffee order. Those delivery apps are a lifesaver,” she attempts to make conversation, but I blow her off.
“I hope my music wasn’t too loud last night, some asshole got on my nerves, so I was trying to make him angry,” she turns around to me as we reach the lobby, a devilish grin across her face.
“Not a bother at all darlin, now, if you’ll excuse me,” I walk to the door, ignoring that she’s not wearing a bra underneath that oversized t-shirt.
“Have a wonderful day, neighbor,” she calls out, sarcastically.
If she wants to play dirty, I’ll have to think of something to counter her.
The ball’s in my court, and I will spend most of my day thinking of ways to exact my revenge. That is of course, if I can keep her body off my mind long enough to formulate a plan.
KARINA
Ilove nothing more than a challenge and my smokin-hot neighbor might be my toughest one. I’d at least like to be neighborly and friendly, but he’s barely given me the time of day. His bad attitude is annoying, and his complaints about my music makes me turn it up louder.
I grab my coffee and breakfast from the tray in the lobby and push my grumpy neighbor out of my mind.
I’ve got an interview to prepare for, and my first order of business is to make sure everything is in order with my resume and cosmetology license. The interview is tomorrow, and I’d hate to look stupid by not being prepared.
I plan to run errands the rest of the day, do my laundry, and pick up a few more things for my apartment. House shopping is a great way to spend an afternoon, but my bank account could use a source of income after all the spending I’ve been doing.
This town is small, but it’s bigger than Rose Hills. There’s a shopping mall and chain restaurants, which is a relief. My friends wanted me to stay in Rose Hills, but it was boring. I’m a city girl and need my shops and food joints nearby.
It’s a great place to hide out; luckily, I have people who care about me one town over.
I quickly stop at the grocery store, grabbing essentials and easy-to-make meals. I don’t cook and can’t live off delivery food much longer. I also stop for liquor; tonight, I’m in the mood for something stronger than wine.
Ten minutes later, I’ve got my tequila and limes, and I’m heading back to my apartment.
Thankfully, Maverick’s truck isn’t parked next to mine, and I don’t have to worry about running into his broody, moody ass.
I carry all my bags upstairs in one trip, only dropping one this time, which is a small victory that I desperately need.
I pour myself a drink, turn up the TV to a trashy show Juliette got me hooked on, and throw together a chicken Caesar salad for dinner.
A few hours later, I hear Maverick opening his door, and I’m tipsy. I’m feeling unusually bold, and want to get under his skin. I grab my bottle of tequila and two slices of lime and knock on his door.
