Page 70 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“What?”

Her cousin pointed across the parking lot. A familiar silver Audi pulled into one of the few parking spots closest to the school’s entrance. Derik’s car.

Catherine didn’t even think about it; she pushed off the wall of stones, and headed in Derik’s direction. She made it to him just as he stepped out of the car. He barely passed her a glance as he slammed the door, but it was enough.

Black eyes.

Busted nose.

A fat lip.

Catherine didn’t know what Cross looked like, but she was willing to bet it wasn’t as bad as Derik.

“You got into a fight with Cross Donati?” Catherine asked.

“Yeah. Came to grab my shit for the week. Seven-day suspension.”

“Why would you get into a fight—”

“Because the guy doesn’t know how to back off on something that’s not his,” Derik muttered.

Catherine stiffened, remembering what her cousin told her. The fight in the locker room had been about her. “Wait, say that again.”

“I told him to back off. What part of that don’t you understand?”

“No, the other thing.” Catherine tipped her head to the side, adding, “Because I’m pretty sure I’m not anybody’s, Derik. And certainly not yours. You don’t get to stamp your fucking logo on me like I’m a product for you to brand and then go around making a scene about it.”

Derik nodded, scoffing. “Right, okay.”

“No, I’m serious. What exactly did you say that pissed Cross off enough to do this?” Catherine asked, waving a hand at his face. “Because I’m not with Cross, I’m not dating him, and the first time I’ve actually spoken to him in a year was yesterday morning when I was running late for homeroom. So if he felt the need to break his fists on your face, there must have been a reason. What was it?”

The guy wouldn’t look at her.

Catherine took that as a bad sign.

“Well?” she demanded again.

“You know what,” Derik said with a shrug, “you’re not even worth it, Catherine. Not the effort or the trouble. Maybe if you were putting out, then I might give a shit. But not like this, and not like you are.”

Catherine managed to fold her arms over her chest instead of slapping Derik across his stupid mouth. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Great, thanks for letting me know that now. Go fuck yourself, Derik.”

“Give me a few days to fix this,” he said with a smirk and a gesture to his face, “and I’ll certainly be fucking someone. It just won’t be you.”

Catherine smiled sweetly. It was something she learned from her mother.

Smile before you gut them; they never see you coming. And go for the throat. Every time.

“But that wasn’t by your choice, was it?” Catherine asked, sickeningly saccharine. “Remember that, Derik.”

Red filled his cheeks—a sure sign of humiliation.

Catherine smiled once more, knowing she had won, and walked away.

Fuck him.