Page 36 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“When were you going to tell me you’ve been dating Catherine Marcello?”

Cross stiffened. “What?”

“Three of your write-ups are for public displays of affection—cute way of saying you like to kiss the girl when you’re not supposed to be. I mean, Jesus Christ, I hope that’s all you’re doing with her right now. Two others were for lingering on the property after the bell with her instead of heading to class,” Calisto said. “So again, when were you going to tell me—”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

His step-father stared hard at him. “Really, Cross?”

“Is that what we’re doing—dating?”

Calisto’s brow furrowed. “Are you fucking with me right now? I can’t take your smartass self very much more today, Cross. It’s been a long damn day.”

“When people date, they do things. Go places. Whatever. I don’t know. We’re just … us,” he finished lamely. “I haven’t brought her over or anything, so why would I bring it up?”

“I told you not to make a spectacle of that girl, son.”

“I’m not.”

“Getting written up at school because you can’t leave her the hell alone sure sounds like making a spectacle to me,” his step-father muttered heavily. “So you … like her?”

Cross frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

He didn’t talk to people he didn’t like, let alone be with them as much as he was with Catherine. He wouldn’t say he liked Catherine. He liked his friends. He liked his bike. He liked football, sometimes. She was different than those things. It was more than that. It wasn’t as simple or easy as that. Not at all.

“You know I have to call her father now,” Calisto said, “because of who he is and who I am, to give him a heads up. It’s the respect of the matter.”

Cross shrugged. “Okay, so do that.”

“I should make you call.”

“Why?”

Calisto, again, stared at him as though he was the stupidest thing to have graced his presence. “You really don’t see what you did wrong, do you?”

“Because I like Catherine Marcello?”

“My God, Cross. Get out, I have to make a phone call.”

“Yeah, about that. I mean, since you’re already calling anyway. I want to take Catherine to the Winter Formal the Academy has coming up, so mention that for me.”

Calisto’s eyes darted back to Cross in a heartbeat. “I beg your pardon?”

“Winter Formal. They do it every year in January after Christmas break. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Yes, but do you? Because you’ve gone to that school since sixth grade, and you’ve never gone to a dance or anything they throw, for that matter. Last year, the football team won regionals, they threw the team a huge party, and you wouldn’t even go to that.”

Cross still didn’t understand why those things mattered.

“Catherine likes to dance. So yeah, mention that for me.”

His step-father looked like someone had cracked him in the back of the head with a frying pan. “Get out of my office, Cross. Now.”

“Catherine, could you shut down the desktop, please?”

“But—”

“Shut it down,” her father said, not posing it as an offer the second time.