Page 21 of Always: A Legacy Novel

A lot.

“You don’t actually have to hide in the library, Catherine,” Cross said.

It was the first time he used her name.

“How do you know—”

“Asked around,” Cross interjected, smirking. “I figured, I broke someone’s face for you, the least I could do was learn your name.”

“And find me hiding out in the library, apparently.”

“What good is learning your name if I can’t use it?”

Catherine laughed. “All right, you win.”

“I usually do.”

She ignored his arrogance, but only because she was used to arrogant men. Her whole family was full of them.

“But I do,” Catherine said, “like to be in here, rather than out there with … them.”

Cross cocked a brow. “Them?”

“I don’t know anyone here. I didn’t want to come here at all.”

He didn’t look all that surprised at her admission. “All my friends are in upper grades. I don’t care to know anyone here, either.” Then, he shot her a smile. “Or, I didn’t.”

“Oh?”

Cross leaned back in his chair, and folded his arms over his chest. “What are you doing after school?”

“Me?”

“You’re the only one sitting here, Catherine.”

“I’m supposed to meet up with my brother—our cousin picks us up on Fridays. At least until Michel gets his license in a couple of months.”

Well, that’s what she was going to tell Cross, anyway. Really, John—who was her cousin—also acted as their enforcer. A guard, of sorts. Catherine sometimes liked to call him a babysitter too, just to piss him off. He drove them around, looked after them when they were out, and kept an eye on the house when her parents were out or gone somewhere.

Cross seemed far too relaxed across from her, as though they were old friends. “Think they might miss you?”

“Uh …”

“You did say you didn’t know anybody, right?”

Sure, but did she want to know him?

That was the question.

“Make a friend,” Cross said before Catherine could speak up. “Or a couple.”

“A couple? As in, more than one.”

Because she was pretty sure he was the only one there.

“That’s what I said.”

Catherine readjusted the strap of her messenger bag on her shoulder as she took the entrance steps two at a time. One thing the upper and lower Academies shared? A parking lot. Everything else, besides the football field, was entirely separated.