Page 108 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Can I stay out here?”

“And do what?”

Catherine grinned, and rubbed her hands over the tan leather and black stitching on the steering wheel. “Love my car. What else?”

Dante got out of the car laughing, but Catherine was sure she heard her father mutter, “At least I don’t have to kill a fucking car.”

There was no time to ask for sure, as her father slammed the door shut and headed for the house without a look back. She fiddled with the buttons on the dash, learning how to run the stereo and change the fancy lights behind the gages to different colors.

She really needed to learn how to drive stick because she was not giving up this car.

A knock on her driver’s window made her scream.

Catherine found a grinning Cross standing on the other side of the driver’s door, and she put her hand over her heart to calm the racing organ. He spun his pointer finger as if to tell her to roll the window down.

“You scared the shit out of me,” Catherine said once the window rolled down.

“I can’t help that you’re unobservant, babe.”

“I am not, I’m just—”

“Feeling up your car?”

Catherine smirked. “A little. I love it.”

Cross chuckled. “I bet you do, Catty.”

Then, he leaned in the window and kissed her quickly. He didn’t linger too long, although he never did when they were at her house, but especially if he thought her father was near. Dante liked to glare—a lot.

Cross was still dressed in his school uniform, and she could see his Rover parked a few feet to the left of her Lexus. Damn, she really had been distracted.

“I thought you were coming over tomorrow for the party?” Catherine asked.

Cross shrugged. “I am. The whole family, actually. Your father invited my parents and sister last night over the phone.”

“You didn’t have to come all the way down here today, Cross. I told you that.”

“Sure, I did.” Cross winked, before leaning in to pepper the line of her cheekbone with sweet kisses. Against her skin, he said, “Happy birthday, Catherine.”

She bit her bottom lip, smiling. “Thank you.”

“But you do have to wait for tomorrow to get your present.”

“You’re enough,” she said honestly.

Cross smacked the roof of her car. “Sure. Now, why in the hell aren’t you driving this thing up and down the block? It’s not like anyone around here is going to call the cops on you for practicing as long as you don’t act stupid. Not to mention, you know, your dad. They all probably know who he is—nobody wants to call the cops on someone like him.”

Catherine pointed to the shifting gear. “Seems I suck at this on my own.”

“Bullshit.”

She couldn’t even argue with Cross, as he was already heading around the front of her car before she blinked. He jumped into the passenger seat, and slammed the door. Leaning over, he turned the key, and made the engine purr.

“Don’t hit my Rover when you back up,” he said.

His expression told her he wasn’t joking in the least.

Catherine looked to the house. “Not sure I’m supposed to be doing this.”