Page 111 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Sure, Ma.”

His mother gave him one last, gentle pat to his cheek before she went down the hall. He headed into his step-father’s office.

Calisto sat behind his desk; his hand rested on a picture frame, but he let it go when he saw Cross enter. “A little late tonight, aren’t you?”

“Catherine,” Cross said in explanation.

“We’re heading over there tomorrow, Cross.”

Cross shrugged.

Calisto leaned back in his chair, saying, “One of my guys picked up your package from Marlo’s this afternoon.”

Marlo was a jeweler that Calisto had always used when he wanted something specific made, or needed something perfect found. Cross wasn’t much for jewelry, but he knew Catherine liked unique, interesting pieces. They didn’t have to be expensive things, just beautiful and different.

Kind of like her.

Cross had ended up with an idea of sorts for a piece, and he went to Marlo to have it made. The jeweler wasn’t sure he would have it done in time, but he got it done.

“Where is it?” Cross asked.

His step-father pulled a drawer open on his desk, and pulled a white velvet box out. He set it on the desk, and slid the box across the way.

“He included the invoice with it,” Calisto said.

Cross plucked up the box, and opened the top, looking at the item inside.

It was perfect.

“Oh?”

“You paid a lot for that, Cross,” his step-father noted.

“So?”

“I won’t say anything because I know you don’t spend money on nonsense to begin with, but it surprised me. That’s all.”

That was true.

All of it.

Cross had money. A lot of money, especially for someone his age. All he understood was that when his biological father had left his mother with divorce papers, he had also handed over all of his assets in the process. That included vacation homes, a condo in Jersey, and a luxury penthouse in upper Manhattan. There had been several vehicles, and anything else he left behind.

Emma hadn’t wanted any of it.

So, his mother liquidated it all, and put it into a trust for Cross. A trust that came out to a little over five million before interest piled on over a decade. He was allowed to pull a small monthly allowance from it, although he didn’t think a couple grand a month was exactly small. When he turned eighteen, he would be given access to the trust in full to do with what he wanted.

“Catherine likes interesting things,” Cross said.

“I didn’t bother to look and see what you got her, so I’ll have to trust your judgment.”

Cross flipped the box around so then his step-father could see the item resting inside white velvet. Calisto took one look at the piece and laughed loudly.

“Well, that is definitely—”

“Interesting,” Cross interrupted.

“Yeah.”