A Whole New Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 1)

“Mandy, go to your room.”

She swung to me, startled. “Taryn—”

I shook my head. “Go.”

She glanced around, her eyebrows bunched forward and she was biting her lip. Then she jerked her head in a nod. “Fine.” She shoved Dylan aside and swept

out of the room. I didn’t wait for her to go up the stairs. I turned on my heel and got in Jennica’s face. I had already dealt with too much crap that day to care about this minion. She saw the storm in my eyes and readied herself. Her little chin raised, her eyes grew haughty, and her skinny shoulders lifted.

“You’re pathetic. You screwed your best friend’s boyfriend. Congratulations. You got into a guy’s pants. Wonderful achievement for you. Revel in it. It’ll last a week. He’s going to drop you.” I glanced at him, saw he was already uncertain, and rolled my eyes. “She’s already dropped you and you’re now known as the friend who sleeps with her friend’s boyfriends. Congratulations on your new reputation. The only people who will want to be your friend will be people like you. You’ll never get the good friends, the ones who are actual friends.” I never looked away. I never faltered. The longer I talked, the more she withered beneath me. I was finished. “I’ve kept quiet, but I’m done. Mess with Mandy again and you will be messing with me.” I stepped closer. “That’s not a threat. It’s a fact. Ball’s in your court if you decide to take me on and with that said, get out of my house.”

“And who are—” she sputtered, taking another step back.

“I’m her sister. Enough said.”

Everyone was silent. Jennica had grown pale, shrinking away.

I said, “I’m waiting.”

Devon cursed, grabbed her arm, and hauled her behind him. The door slammed shut behind them. It wasn’t long before the rest followed them. Amber and Grant were next. Samuel, Dylan, and Tray remained for a moment.

There was more silence. Then Dylan threw his head back and a deep laugh came out. “Oh, I like you. I really like you.” He thumped Tray on his chest and chuckled. “She’s a cold-hearted bitch.”

I took it as a compliment, then heard him head upstairs and knock on Mandy’s door. I asked Tray, “Who is that?”

“My cousin. He’s not from around here.” Samuel stood up and flashed me a grin. “Evans, I could go for a burger.”

Tray nodded, but said, “I’ll be out in a minute.”

As he left, leaving the two of us alone, I shivered from different anticipation now. One smoldering look from him and every cell in my body stood straight up, jumping alive. I didn’t think I would get used to this from him. Ever.

Then he nodded. “Congratulations.”

“On what?”

“You earned their respect.”

I snorted. “I don’t care.”

“I know.” A smile teased at the corners of his lips. “They saw that too and because of that, they fear you now.”

As he left, he walked past me and the backside of his hand brushed against mine, making me moan softly. My head went down. I couldn’t hold back my own smile.

He paused.

I waited…

Then he kept going, but I heard him pause and turn back. I never looked up. If I had, I would’ve gone to him. I wanted him. Amidst all the drama, that truth flooded me and overwhelmed me. I wanted Tray Evans like I had never wanted Brian before. I was beginning to lose the battle if I cared about that or not.

*

Mandy knocked on my door that night and told me that I had a visitor. I swung my feet from the bed and sat up. Tray? No. She wouldn’t have called him a visitor. It wasn’t Brian. She would’ve been scared. “Who is it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but he’s hot. Like really, really hot.”

I caught the shadows under her eyes, the ones that weren’t from the dark hallway. “You okay?”

She didn’t answer. “Dylan’s staying over.” Then she walked into her room and shut the door.