Page 66 of Always: A Legacy Novel

He lifted one shoulder. “I wouldn’t call her that, no.”

Technically.

“Well, I kind of have a boyfriend. Or something close enough to it.”

Yeah, Derik.

A defensive linebacker on the football team. Cross suddenly hated that prick, even if the guy did keep him from getting concussions every game.

“I didn’t ask a thing about a boyfriend,” Cross pointed out, “I asked about your number.”

Catherine looked down the hallway, as though she expected someone to be there. No one was. “Yeah, Cross, it’s still the same.”

Good enough.

He let her pass, and he would happily take the detention for being late.

Then, Catherine looked over her shoulder. “Hey, Cross?”

“Yeah?”

“Happy birthday.”

Locker rooms full of teenage boys getting ready for a game had to be one of the loudest places on earth. Cross mostly tried to ignore the sounds of his teammates banter and lewd remarks as he tightened the drawstring on his white pants. His pre-game ritual included a lot of peace and quiet, or a lot of loud music blaring in his ears. Once he was finished getting ready, he needed to get out of the locker room, and get in his damn zone for the game.

“Hey, Donati.”

Fuck.

“What, Derik?”

The defensive linebacker leaned against Cross’s locker, effectively blocking him from grabbing his upper gear and jersey hanging inside. Cross folded his arms over his bare chest, and tried not to let his irritation rise more than it already was.

“I’m going to need you to back the hell off a bit,” Derik said.

Cross cocked a brow. “Come again?”

“Catherine Marcello. Ring a bell?”

“I’m about to ring a damn bell for you.”

Derik’s jaw tightened. “Careful, Cross. Piss off your teammates too much, and your dumbass will be left wide open on the field. You’ve got a good arm, sure, but you still need the rest of the team to carry you through.”

“Leave me open on the field, and I’ll beat your fucking skull apart on it before they carry you off on a stretcher, Derik.”

How’s that, asshole?

“You’re missing the point.”

“Then get to it,” Cross said, unaffected.

“You dated Catherine a while back, didn’t you?”

Cross stretched his arm to crack his shoulder as he replied, “Back in lower Academy, sure.”

“For like a year—I remember.”

“About that long, yeah.”