The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

And it made men like Galverson break out in hives.

“Taryn—” Tray whispered, hoarse.

“It’s time, Tray.”

It was. We both knew it.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

It was morning, just before the crack of dawn, and I was sitting with my coffee, just staring out at the window, daring the sun to peak over the horizon. Tray had fallen asleep, he was nestled underneath the covers, looking like my gorgeous protective angel.

I’d fallen in love with him. I had and it didn’t scare me anymore. It didn’t cause my heart to contract or fall to the pit of my stomach.

I loved that boy behind me, looking all delectable and shit.

He’d told me first. He’d told me he’d fallen, but the ‘L’ word hadn’t been included. That was alright. It was there between us and we both knew it.

And me yelling at him, him yelling back, we both knew it was alright. It was the atmosphere around us. It encased us, a protective shell where it was safe for us to disagree and rage and still know we’d be there for each other.

I’d lost Brian and it didn’t cripple me, it didn’t paralyze me. And I might lose Grayley and that didn’t even freeze me in place. Brian had been my anchor through my life in the past. I’d had been fortunate enough that I got to say goodbye.

I’d gotten more than what Tray had been dealt.

His brother beat the shit out of him after threatening him to choose between him and his father.

He’d been a kid, a fucking kid going through puberty. He was supposed to worry about how many girls liked him, not which family member would be walking out of his life.

But Tray had done what so many could never fathom. He’d stood on his own. He’d decided that he wouldn’t bow to either, so he told ‘em both to fuck off.

I loved a man like that.

And he was right. Tray wasn’t a kid. He’d ceased being a kid long ago. He was a man, he may be in high school, but he’s a man nonetheless.

I loved him.

And I loved him even more because he’d be going into that school with me, at my back, ready to handle whatever came at us.

It had been right. Jace had been right. Whatever had been going on, I wouldn’t have stood for it. He just messed up and didn’t make sure my adoption took me clear away from Pedlam.

The time was right. What Tray and I were about to do was right.

So I found myself standing, in the wake of morning, watching the horizon that was still encased in darkness.

And I felt right, for the first fucking time in my life.

I was meant to do this.

I was meant to be here, with this man, and I had my purpose laid out before me.

“Hey,” Tray whispered, moving to stand behind me. He pulled me against his chest as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

I let my head fall against his chest. “Hey,” I said softly, still watching the sun.

He dipped to rest his chin in the crook of my neck and shoulder. “You ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go,” he murmured, before moving to dress.