Page 169 of Always: A Legacy Novel

Sure, after they took a short break and then came back together, it was fantastic. Her, him, and them. She’d calm down a little, laid off on the nonsense, and he’d stop worrying for a bit, but it never lasted. Something else would come up, another fight, and then there they would be, fighting, fucking, and running

It was exhausting.

Cross moved around the bed, caught Catherine’s wrist in his grasp as she tried to pull away, and dragged her into his chest. She tucked her arms up in between them, and hid her face under his chin. He kissed the top of her head, and just held her there for a moment.

“You’re tired of me?”

Her voice was small.

That killed him.

“I said I was tired of bullshit, not you.”

Catherine’s shoulders lifted with a heavy exhale. “I miss being younger—shit was easier. Beaches, leather, conch shells, abandoned roads, and all of that. It was easier.”

Cross’s brow furrowed.

Everything she said had something to do with them.

“Catherine,” he murmured.

She didn’t answer.

He slid his hands under her jaw, and tipped her head up so he could see her eyes.

“I’d give you all that shit again, Catherine. If beaches, leather, conch shells, abandoned roads, and whatever else is going to make you chill out and be happy, I’d give it to you a thousand times over. Don’t you know that?”

She nodded.

“It’s never going to feel the way it used to, though, because we’re not the same,” he said.

“It might be better.”

Cross smiled. “It might.”

“You’re something else.”

“I try.” He let her go, and waved a hand around. “You’ve got a Jacuzzi bathtub in the bathroom, a private balcony, a hot tub out there. This massive suite to do whatever you want in for the night, babe, so just be happy.”

“And relax.”

“And that,” he agreed.

Catherine turned to the glass doors that led to the balcony, and winked over her shoulder. “Balcony and hot tub?”

“Fuck yeah.”

Cross followed after his restless-in-her-heart first love.

Shit, he was always following her.

Catherine tipped her head back, and stared at Cross upside down. He leaned on the balcony railing and exhaled a heavy drag of smoke. “I hate that, you know.”

“Hmm?”

“The smoking thing. It’s new, and I hate it.”

Cross had picked up his new habit a few months back when he needed an outlet for stress, and his hands needed a break from beating the hell out of a punching bag. Weed and drinking was a no for him, given he had enough shit going on, and didn’t need to add on those to it. Smoking worked, for the most part.