A Whole New Crowd(65)

When I turned to leave, she called after me, “Wait.”
I glanced back.
Her mouth was hanging open this time. “Uh, I thought you guys could hang out with us?” She closed it and another fake smile plastered on her face. “I mean, I know you’re not friends with Jennica and Amber. I get that. Trust me, I do. We could talk and plan their demise.” She laughed a little. “I’m just kidding. They’re friends with Mandy. I’d never do anything to hurt her—”
I almost rolled my eyes as she said that last statement. That meant she had considered doing something to them. I was all for that, but she kept going, “—I’m so happy her and Devon worked things out. Aren’t you? I think it’s great. Those two are going to get married. I’m calling it now.”
Gritting my teeth, visions of Mandy’s future flashed in my head. He’d cheat on her. She’d catch him, cry about it, threaten divorce, and would go back to him. The cycle would be on repeat for the rest of her life. “God, I hope not.”
“What?”
I paused and realized I had said that out loud. Tristan was frowning at me, and from the corner of my eye I could see that Stephanie was grinning like a mad fool. What was she smiling about? But, instead of dealing with Stephanie, I said to Tristan, “I said, ‘God, I hope not.’”
Tristan’s eyes got big. “You don’t like Devon?”
“I don’t like the idea of Devon and Mandy. He’s a cheater. He always will be.”
“Oh.”
I could tell she had no idea what to say, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t like her. I already knew we would not be friends, whether she knew it now or later didn’t matter to me. I started to turn back for the house, but stopped again. The crowd had shifted, and I got a glimpse of the backyard for a second. Wait… I moved forward. Tristan said something, but I didn’t care what she was saying. I kept going. As I got closer to the edge of the patio, the crowd moved again. I saw him again, and my stomach dropped.
It was Brian.


CHAPTER NINETEEN

He was sitting on a picnic table. His feet were resting on the seat and he was focused on a girl that was standing between his knees. Wearing a black shirt, he was almost camouflaged against the night’s darkness. His black hair blended in, but then he smiled. My heart started to ache. I remember when he used to smile at me like that.
Without thinking, I started for him, but someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “Don’t.”
Tensing, I rounded with a snarl, but it fell away. “Gray?”
A tense look was on his face. His hand dropped. “I’m sorry. I saw you talking to your friend, and I was worried you’d see Brian. Don’t go over there, Taryn. Let it go.”
“Why?”
His lips pressed together. “Just take my word for it. Don’t go over there. He’s in a better place since he got kicked out of Evans’ party. If you go over there now, it’ll set him back. Please.”
It killed me. I loved Brian. I still did, but hearing Gray plead on his behalf, he was right. If I went over there, I would’ve hurt him. I opened my mouth, ready to agree when I stopped. A guy approached Brian, and they exchanged something. I got a glimpse of money folded into a big wad and then the guy left. Brian returned his focus to the girl in front of him once again. He ran his hands up and down her back, settling on her hips, tugging her even closer so she had to kneel on the seat. As they started kissing, I turned to Gray.
His eyes were stricken and held mine.
I gestured to Brian. “That was a Rawley guy.”
Gray’s shoulders dropped, his head went down, and he cursed.
As he shoved his hands in his pockets, I continued, “Brian hates Rawley students. Why would he give a shit about that guy?”
Brian gave him something. The guy paid for it. My mind was racing as I connected the dots. When it all clicked, I groaned. “Please tell me you’re not going to say what I think you are.”
“Taryn.”
I shook my head. “Tell me that Brian isn’t working for Jace, that he’s not selling drugs, and that kid wasn’t a paying customer just now.” My heart was pounding and my chest tightened. “Please goddamn tell me that I have this all wrong, because if you don’t, I am going to flip out.”
Jace never wanted him involved, I repeated over and over in my mind as betrayal formed in my gut. He promised never to involve Brian, but now he was. A defeated look came over Gray. Shaking my head, I started for Brian.
“Taryn, no.”
I shook off his hand. “No, Gray. I have to confront him now.” With each step, the anger and hurt bloomed brighter in me, but there was another emotion. This was going to be goodbye, but this time it was for real. I had tried telling him goodbye so many other times, but as I got closer, I realized that I never accepted those because I knew Brian would still fight to be with me. He wouldn’t anymore. He had moved on with his life, and I saw that now.