Page 187 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“I picked it up out of the stack of mail as I got home, and then I heard you and Daddy arguing upstairs. Ma brings the mail in and drops it. She never looks through it. She leaves it for Daddy.”

Cross scowled. “Yeah, still sorry about the arguing thing.”

“Mmhmm.”

“You should wait until you’re home to open it, Catherine.”

She shrugged. “I got in, anyway.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

Yes, she did.

“No, I did. My father and his brothers attended—two of them graduated Cum Laude. My aunt, Kim, she attended, too. And my uncle went back years later and attended. Marcellos donate a lot of money to that university. My grades are ace, so yeah, I got in.”

Cross smirked. “And who’s the arrogant one again?”

Catherine glanced down at the envelope. “But you never know, right?”

“Open it.”

“I thought you wanted me to wait?”

The elevator dinged, and the door opened to a short hall that seemed to lead to only one door. Catherine still was confused why they were there. “Seriously, who the hell lives here?”

She turned back to look at Cross.

He was holding out a single, silver key.

“I do,” he said quietly.

Catherine’s smile grew as she stepped backwards out of the elevator, never taking her gaze off Cross at the same time. “Really?”

He nodded once. “Yeah, I’ve been looking for something ever since shortly after I graduated. I got access to my trust fund, and figured, somewhere to live would be the only thing I would ever spend that money on, so that was my plan. Nothing stood out, so everything was shit. I moved into the apartment because it did the job, and I didn’t need to be living with my parents at nineteen.”

Catherine took the key he offered, and followed alongside him until they were standing at the door. “This was the paperwork you said you had to sign today when you got in?”

“The paperwork for the penthouse was ready before I left, actually.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Second surprise for your birthday, maybe. No one else has seen the inside of the place but me. I wanted you to see it before anyone else did.”

Catherine shoved the key in the lock. “But why?”

“Let’s just go in first, and then we’ll talk.”

“Okay.”

She pushed open the door, and sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of bright, white vaulted ceilings. Open concept, the penthouse was basically on display from the front door. She could see a short hallway toward the back, and three opened doors that likely led to bedrooms and a bathroom. The large kitchen, dining, and living room were all one huge open, empty space. One entire wall was just windows, overlooking another taller condo building across the way. And a good portion just beyond the windows outside had a large deck that could be walked out onto through a glass door on the far end of the wall.

Cherry hardwood floors shined under her feet. Black steel light fixtures hung between pot lights from up above. The kitchen was a stainless steel and black granite dream. A pool table rested near the wall of windows, half covered by a tan sheet.

Cross walked further into the place, and Catherine followed behind. She checked out the two bedrooms—both large with their own attached baths, and the larger of the two had a walk-in closet. She instantly fell in love with the claw foot, porcelain bathtub in the bathroom attached to the master bedroom. Even the main bathroom was big, white, and beautiful.

Once they were back out in the main area, Catherine headed over to check out the pool table.

“Why is this the only thing here?”