Page 51 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

“Then you should have left the night before when you were done getting your fill, babe. Not after you crawled into bed with me, and used me as a fucking pillow.”

Ouch.

Cross’s unspoken accusation hurt like hell. Catherine’s hackles rose for the occasion, ready to shove her walls up, and refuse to let him in. It was her best defense. She didn’t know how to do anything different.

“Definitely not after you woke me up in the middle of the night to climb on for another ride,” Cross added lower. “And the note was a nice touch, too. Twist the knife after you drive it in deep, right?”

“It wasn’t supposed to be anything,” she said again.

“Except it was, Catty. Without all the conversation and shit you didn’t want to deal with, you still let it be something. It’s familiar, right? You and I like that …” He whistled low, smirking bitterly. “It’s too familiar for you to resist, and so you didn’t. The thing is that I don’t want you fucking with me like that, either.”

She didn’t want to have this chat with him.

She didn’t want him pointing out her wrongs.

She didn’t want to know she hurt him at all.

“You know what,” Catherine said, shaking her head, “I’m done with whatever this is, Cross.”

Catherine turned around, and grabbed for the driver’s door of her car. Cross was quicker. His grip snagged her arm tight in his hand, stopping her entirely. Her stare found his, and she could plainly see every ounce of his anger and sadness swirling in his eyes. His handsome face—all those beautiful, hard lines—didn’t give away a thing. Not his feelings, or anything else, for that matter. His eyes couldn’t hide it at all.

“Don’t you think you at least owe me an actual conversation, Catherine?”

The thin thread of control Catherine had been able to maintain snapped just like that. Cross was not the only one between them who had checks to cash where the other person was concerned. He was not the only one with bitterness burrowed deep into his heart. He was not the only one who hurt.

Catherine jerked out of his hold with a glare. “I owe you fucking nothing.”

Cross straightened. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard what I said. I don’t owe you anything.”

“Catherine, come on.”

“No, it’s my turn now. You listen.” Catherine poked him right in the middle of his chest and said, “I wasn’t the first one between us to skip out on the other one, Cross, and don’t you ever forget it. After the way you left me high and dry, I think you can deal with waking up alone, asshole.”

His brow furrowed. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!”

Her raised voice did nothing to him.

He kept staring hard at her.

“No, I don’t,” he said, his jaw clenching, “but go ahead and explain. Seems this is the only way you’re ever going to talk to me, Catty.”

“I might have taken the coward’s way out, Cross, but so did you.”

Cross inched slightly closer to Catherine, never dropping her gaze. “When have I ever acted like a coward where you were concerned? Come on, tell me.”

His challenge couldn’t be missed.

Catherine rose to it with a smile.

“You left me,” she said, poking him with every single word she said. “You put my ass in an elevator, and told me to fix myself. You told me to get better, to figure my shit out, and to learn to love who I am. And what else did you say, Cross? You tell me.”

He didn’t blink. “You know why I did that. I told you that day why I was making you leave. You were never going to get better holding onto me like a fucking lifeline, babe.”

“No, not that you did it. Not that you broke my heart, but don’t for one second think I’ll ever forget about that, either. I needed help; you forced me to get it. Not that, okay. It’s what you didn’t do, Cross. You said you would be there. When I was good, when I was ready and knew what I wanted, you would be waiting for me. That’s what you told me, and it nearly killed me when I found out what that really meant. You promised. Always, right?”