Page 107 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

“Is he very angry with me?” Catherine dared to ask.

“Because you left without a word?”

“I mean, yeah.”

“No, he isn’t angry,” Catrina said with a sigh, “but he was very worried.”

“Sorry.”

“Michel mentioned stopping by and checking on you, if you were going to be home. He didn’t say for sure, or whatever.”

“All right.”

“We’ve all made a lot of mistakes, haven’t we?” her mother asked.

Catherine’s hand froze as she was about to toss up another piece of popcorn. “I lied a lot, Ma. The rest of you just went along with it, I think. I’m still settling myself with the fact I can’t be angry at others for doing exactly what I do to them.”

“If you want to meet up or anything …”

“I’ll call you, Ma,” Catherine promised.

“All right, mia reginella. I miss you, Catherine. Don’t stay away for too long.”

“I’ll try not to.”

With a quick goodbye, her mother ended the call. Catherine didn’t even bother to reach over and shut off the screen on her phone. She let it blank out itself. On her back, she stared up at the ceiling of her apartment, and tossed another piece of popcorn into the air.

The knock on the apartment door made her miss the piece as it fell back down.

It hit her in the eye.

“Ow,” she mumbled, rubbing at the spot.

She figured it was just her brother—her mother said he might check on her, after all.

“The door is open,” Catherine called out.

She still didn’t get off the floor.

She quite liked it down there.

Like meditating, it was calming and familiar. She could think without chaos. She could hear through her own noise.

It was not Michel who came into her apartment.

Catherine turned her head to side to see Cross closing the door. She had known that he was aware of her address only because he told her so. She didn’t ask how he knew, though.

“How did you get inside my building?”

“Pressed a bunch of buttons. Someone let me in.”

“Huh.”

At the sight of her on the floor, his brow furrowed and he tipped his head to the side.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Catherine tossed a piece of popcorn, caught it, chewed, and swallowed before answering. “Thinking.”