Page 93 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Oh, and,” Dina added, jerking a thumb over her shoulder, “Jules wants to know because she’s interested in him, you know.”

Jealousy burned hot through Catherine’s gut.

She pushed the feeling down.

Or, tried.

It didn’t really work.

Catherine’s gaze snapped to the girl Dina mentioned, but she was another one that seemed more interested in staring anywhere but at her.

“Well?” Dina asked when Catherine stayed quiet.

By the time Catherine was ready to respond, she simply stood up and packed away her books into a messenger bag. She slung the bag over her shoulder, done with this whole show. Dina was only bothering her because she could. The girl was pissed off that she lost her status as Cross’s whatever, and because Catherine seemed like an easy target.

Catherine was not going to stand around and take the hits because of it.

“Ask Cross,” Catherine said, shrugging. “If you really want to know, ask him.”

She let that be good enough, though there was a whole lot more she wanted to say. There was a whole lot more she could say.

It wouldn’t do her any good, though.

Problem was, even as Catherine walked away, the jealousy still burned and it only pissed her off more. Truth was, she didn’t know what she and Cross actually were. Dina had been right—sometimes it might look like they were something, and other times, it probably didn’t look like that at all.

She could keep Cross on a text message conversation for hours, but only got a smile as he passed her in the hallways some days.

To Catherine, that meant a lot of things.

Mostly that they weren’t dating, a couple, or anything else. It hadn’t exactly bothered Catherine up until that moment when someone else felt the need to bring it up.

Speak of a dark-eyed devil, and he shall appear.

Cross came around the corner just as Catherine stopped at her locker. She opened the locker with a bit more force than she usually would, and didn’t even bother to look at Cross as he passed with his friends.

Except … he didn’t pass.

She felt his presence behind her, and then two of his fingers grazed the back of her inner wrist. “What’s wrong?”

“You tell me.” Catherine shoved her books into the locker, and pulled out the ones she needed for her next class. “Or better yet, go talk to Dina and her band of merry bitches. They’ve got lots of questions to ask today.”

Cross let out a heavy exhale. “Catty—”

Catherine might not have reacted so strongly had he not used that damn nickname and made her think why he gave it to her.

She spun on her heel, letting her bag fall to the floor with a thud. “Are you seeing other girls at all? Anyone, Cross. Are you?”

“What?”

“My question was not difficult to understand. You could try to answer it.”

His handsome features turned as still as stone, and his gaze locked on hers. “Why are you asking that to begin with?”

“Because I kind of want to know. Because I have no idea what we’re doing, or what we are. Because I asked, and you could have enough decency to let me know. Because if you are, then I get a choice in what I want to do or not do where you’re concerned.”

“Hey, relax.”

“Because I don’t want to be one of many you get on your knees for,” Catherine whispered harshly. “That’s why, so now you can answer. Go for it.”