Page 136 of Always: A Legacy Novel

It was also Cross.

It was a lot Cross.

Catherine hated school the most because she hurt and her eyes burned and her lungs ached every time she had to pass him in the hall. Forced smiles and guarded eyes were their favorite thing, now. He didn’t come too close, and she ducked and dodged just to avoid a pass-by in the hallway, if she could.

Friends.

That’s what she had said.

Friends.

Catherine was pretty sure being friends wasn’t supposed to hurt this much.

This was heartbreak, and it sucked.

After breaking it off with Cross two weeks ago in an empty classroom, her only goal now was to make it to the end of the year.

Make it, and not break down.

She had ten minutes left.

“Hey, Catherine.”

Unsure she had actually heard her name be called, as she was zoned out with an earbud in one ear, and a book spread open in front of her, she didn’t look up. The library had become a safe haven for her those last few days of classes when she didn’t need to attend, but went simply to avoid another conversation with her father. Hiding in the library when she didn’t need to attend homeroom or final assemblies meant she didn’t need to risk running into Cross or faking being okay.

She was so not okay.

Without him, that was her thing.

Apparently.

“Catherine,” a guy said again.

He tugged her earbud out.

Catherine found one of Cross’s friends standing next to her table. “What?”

“Do you know where Cross is at?”

“Um … no.”

The guy—Erin—frowned. “He hasn’t shown up the last two days.”

“Maybe he didn’t have exams these days.”

“Sure, but none of us can get a text back from him, either.”

Catherine suppressed the nagging anxiety bubbling in her chest. “Sorry, I don’t know where he is.”

“Yeah, all right. Thanks, I guess.”

She waited until Erin was gone from her sight, before she pulled out her cell phone. It was probably going to cost her another punishment to use the phone for something other than what her father demanded, but she was willing to take that risk.

Just to be sure …

Is everything good?

Catherine stared at her phone, and sent the text message to Cross before she could think better of it.