“So you broke out of school to what, drag him back against his will?”
“No. I have permission to be here, believe it or not. I’m supposed to bring him back. Nashville’s not good for Logan. He needs school. He needs to know he can come back, that we can fix this.”
“Better?” Beckett came back in wearing jeans and a smile.
“Slightly.” Wylder smirked, reaching for the plate of warmed potstickers and lo mein noodles Nicky offered her.
“Hey, where’s mine?” Becks sat on the barstool next to her and snagged a potsticker.
“You’re seriously hungry? You hoovered eighteen pounds of noodles for dinner.” Nicky shook his head.
“You know how it is with me and Chinese food.” Becks rubbed his flat stomach. “I’m always hungry again in an hour.”
“Fine, we’ll all have some noodles and then figure out what we’re going to do with the Wyld Child.”
Wylder smelled buttery pancakes. Hot sausages. Coffee. Becks was right about Chinese food. It just didn’t stay with her very long.
She rolled over with a groan. Leave it to Nicky to use her favorite foods to get her out of bed long before she was actually awake.
She threw on a robe she’d left in her room and made her way downstairs with bleary eyes.
“Morning, sunshine,” Becks crowed.
“Stupid morning people,” Wylder muttered, making her way toward the coffee pot.
“It’s noon, Wylds.” Nicky peered over his coffee cup.
“It’s the middle of the freaking night.”
“No, that was last night, kiddo. You know, when you broke into my house, and I had to go all Kung Fu on you—before I realized it was you.” Becks heaped pancakes and sausages onto a plate.
“Kung Fu Panda’s more like it.” Wylder sipped her coffee, squinting at the plate Becks held out for her. “Skye here?” She looked around for her cousin, the only one in Becks’ orbit who knew how to make pancakes. Or turn on the oven for that matter.
“Delivery.” Nicky snorted. “We’d starve without Instacart and Uber Eats.”
“Who needs to cook when people will bring it right to you.” Wylder dipped a spicy hot sausage in syrup and popped it into her mouth. The burn woke her up, and she tucked into her stack of fluffy pancakes. “Thi’ s’delicious.”
“Don’t tell Mrs. Callahan we found a new diner we like.” Nicky stabbed a sausage link and rolled it into a pancake. “It’ll break her heart.”
“Whose car did you steal?” Becks frowned at her between huge bites of pancakes.
“It’s borrowed.”
Nicky raised a brow at her.
“With permission.” She rolled her eyes.
“So, what did you have in mind for young Logan?” Becks asked.
Wylder shrugged. “Find him and take him back to school with me.”
“You know where he lives?” Nicky asked.
“I have an address, but I thought maybe Becks could call Luke’s manager and find out how we can help.”
“Honestly, Wylds.” Becks chugged his glass of milk. “The best way to deal with these things is to be honest about whatever happened and let it run its course. This town will find something new to focus on in no time, and whatever scandal Logan has gotten himself into will blow over.”
“Luke’s career is on the line.”
“Luke Cook is a hack. And he has terrible taste in headwear.” Becks scowled into his plate of sausages looking like someone had just kicked his puppy.
“I know you’ve never been a fan of his, but what’s with the ‘tude?” Wylder tried to keep a straight face.
“Luke and Becks have had some… issues recently.” Nicky winced, looking like this was the absolute last subject he wanted to discuss.
“We’re at war.” Becks stabbed a sausage with his fork.
“War?” Wylder turned wide eyes on Nicky for an explanation.
Nicky sighed. “A Twitter war to be more specific.”
“Exactly.” Becks huffed.
“And what caused this war?” Wylder was pretty sure she didn’t want to know.
“He made fun of my hat!” Becks pushed his plate away. “In a tweet! He wouldn’t know what fashionable headwear was if it stared him right in the face.”
“Don’t say headwear.” Wylder shook her head, trying not to laugh.
“What’s the address for the turd? I’ll see if I can find it on the map.”
“I can just ask Google.” Wylder pulled a scrap of paper from her bag on the counter. She’d scribbled the address from Logan’s application to Defiance Academy after Ms. Jones left her to lock up.
“Seventeen Webster Avenue.” Wylder handed it to Becks.
“That’s just a few streets down from us, isn’t it?” Nicky asked.
“Yeah.” Becks nodded. “It’s that Mega-McMansion on the hill. The one that looks like it’s over-compensating for something. I can’t believe that no-talent hack is our neighbor. Isn’t he a teenager? How does he even own a house?”
“He’s been eighteen since the summer, so old enough to live on his own.” Wylder had known when Luke’s birthday was since she first became a fan. But she wouldn’t admit that. “You don’t have to see him, Becks. I’ll go over this afternoon, and we’ll be back on the road to school by tomorrow night.”
5
“Thanks for coming with me.” Wylder looked at Nicky in the driver’s seat. It always made her feel better to have him at her side. There’d been a time they were always together, and she’d missed that.
Nicky smiled in that shy, yet confident way he’d developed since falling for Becks. “Yeah, well, Becks is afraid the Cook brothers will steal you.”
She snorted. “They won’t steal me. I’m not a thing, Nick.”
“It’s a ridiculous Becks thing. He doesn’t want you spending time alone with any of the Cook brothers because he’s under the impression you’re bound to fall madly in love with them and choose their side over your own brother’s.”
“I am not going to fall for a Cook.”
“You did last summer.”
“That was different.” She didn’t like thinking about her summer with Sebastian. “I was… stupid. Plus, none of the Cook boys would fall for me. Becks has nothing to worry about.”
Nicky lifted a brow. “I highly doubt that, Wylds. I may be gay, but even I know you’re the kind of girl that can break a guy.”
“I don’t want to break anyone.”
He hummed in the back of his throat and reached out to ruffle her hair. “I know I saw the hair at your performance, but I still can’t get used to it.”
“You and Becks both.” She laughed. “He thought I was a boy!”
“It was dark.”
“Don’t you make excuses for him, Nicky St. Germaine. You recognized me.”
“Well.” He grinned. “That’s because you’re my favorite girl. I’d recognize you anywhere.”
How did the Academy’s biggest troublemaker end up being such good friends with actual nice people? “You know, Nick Nick, if things don’t work out with my brother, you and I can be an old sexless married couple who sit in matching rocking chairs yelling at kids who walk on our lawn all day.”
“Deal.”
Wylder looked up at the house they’d parked in front of. It wasn’t as big as Beckett claimed. Really, it wasn’t any bigger than his house. Unlike Luke, Becks probably could have afforded a Mansion, but Wylder knew he didn’t want to have to walk that much inside his own house.
His ire toward the Cook’s residence was unfounded, but she knew his anger toward Luke was not. The guy was a grade-A douche. Sure, making fun of a hat was kind of a ridiculous basis for a Twitter war, but she was sure Luke deserved every ounce of Beckett’s scorn.
“So, how bad is this Twitter war?”
Nicky laughed. “Their fans are involved. It’s a whole thing. You know your brother. He never does anything small.”
“No. No, he doesn’t.” She opened
her door. “Let’s go.”
She had no idea what she’d say to Logan to get him to come back, but maybe being here would be enough. They walked under security cameras, and Wylder missed her long hair, wishing it could shield her face. Evading cameras so much at school made her not trust them. There was something unsettling about being watched.
A meandering path led through rows of flowering bushes in a surprisingly beautiful garden. If it was just the Cook brothers living here, she expected the landscaping to be a bit more barren like at Becks’ house. She supposed they could have hired someone—as could Becks—but it had never been a priority for him.
The gardens led to a pale stone house with an arched roof and tall windows. A green and gold double door stood as the barrier to entry.
Nicky was silent at her side as she stopped in front of the door and lifted a hand, hesitating before pressing the doorbell. A series of chimes sounded, and she winced at the volume.
No one came.
“Think anyone is home?” Nicky asked.
“I’m not leaving until I find out.” She hit the doorbell again.
This time, footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and it opened, putting her face to face with the boy she’d come to see.
“Logan,” she breathed.
He didn’t react to her presence at first, but then his lips curved into a smile. “Wylder? What are you doing here?” His eyes darkened as they flashed to Nicky before they brightened again.
Wylder cleared her throat, trying to find the words. “Can we come in?”
His smile fell for a fraction of a second before he opened the door wider. “Of course.”
They followed him into the front entryway, across marble floors. A staircase spiraled to the upper floor, its banister gleaming gold.
The place was… neat. Clean. Not what she’d expected from the three brothers.
Logan stuck his hands in his pockets. “It’s really good to see you, Wylder.”
Something in the words wasn’t right. “Is that why you haven’t answered any of my calls or texts?”
He shrugged. “I needed some space.”
“Yeah? Well, I was worried about my friend. You disappeared, Logan! And you’ve been talking to Killian and not me. Why am I the one you needed space from? What did I do?”
Logan turned away from them. “You’re the reason I was even in that video.”
Wylder stumbled back, and Nicky put a steadying hand on her back. Logan blamed her. For everything. Diego had been right. It made so much sense now. Why he left, why she hadn’t heard from him. “I didn’t make you get on that stage.”
“Why else would I have done it if not to impress you?”
“Impress me?” It had been a class project. Plus, until right before the performance, Logan hated her. He knew of her history with Sebastian. He wouldn’t have cared about impressing her. “Logan, we were in it together.”
“No, I should only be in music with my brothers.”
Nicky stepped forward, ready to defend her, but she shook her head. Walking toward Logan, she grabbed his arm and turned him toward her. Standing this close, she could see everything. There was no insecurity in his eyes, only a coldness. His posture was stiff, not the relaxed posture of the boy she knew, the one who’d traded barbs with her but had never really been cruel.
She gripped his chin and forced it down so she could meet his eyes. Logan let her. They were the same color they’d always been except the flecks of gold were missing.
“Luke,” she growled, shoving him away.
Surprise flashed across his face for only a second before it was gone. “How did you—”
“Because Logan is my friend.” She crossed her arms. “I can tell when it isn’t him.”
“You’d be the first.”
She wondered how often they tricked people by switching places, but she got the feeling Luke didn’t take on Logan’s persona nearly as much as Logan had to be Luke. Did he ever just get to be his own person?
She knew the answer to that. At the academy, his life hadn’t been about his brother—for once. And he’d seemed happy. Now… “Where’s Logan?”
Luke scowled. “If he wanted you to know that, I think he’d have contacted you. Run along now back to your fancy school. I’m sure you’ll forget about him when the next boy who can get you your fifteen minutes comes along.”
He thought she was a fame chaser? If anything, she was the opposite. She stepped closer, dropping her voice. “I’m not going back without Logan.”
“We’ll see.” His eyes narrowed. “You and that ridiculous brother of yours aren’t coming anywhere near my family again. Haven’t you done enough damage to Sebastian? Now you want Logan too? You Andersons think the world belongs to you and you can do whatever you want. You’re wrong.”
“Wylds.” Nicky reached for her hand. “We should go.”
Wylder turned away from Luke. Logan wasn’t here now, but she’d come back.
“That’s right,” Luke went on. “Listen to your brother’s boy toy. Run to Beckett. I’m sure the idiot can protect you.”
That was enough. Wylder wished she could say she didn’t think about her next move, but the truth was she’d wanted this for way too long. Twisting on her heel, she lunged forward, smashing her fist into Luke’s face. As he went down, she didn’t hear the front door open behind her.
Luke curled into a ball on the ground, holding his face, and let out a whimper.
“That’s for my brother’s hats,” she spat. That had sounded less ridiculous in her head.
“What is going on here?” A new—and familiar—voice had Wylder’s cheeks going red.
Slowly, she turned to see Sebastian, a grimace on her face. “Erm, I need to go.”
She shoved Nicky past Sebastian and booked it out the door.
Sebastian ran after her. “Wylder, wait!”
With a sigh, she stopped at the car. “Wait here, Nicky. I’ll only be a minute.”
“You sure you don’t need backup?” He didn’t look convinced.
“Yeah. Bash is harmless, and I promise I won’t hit anyone else.”
“That’s a shame.” He clapped a hand over his mouth like he hadn’t meant to let the words escape.
Turning back toward the house, Wylder walked to where Sebastian waited halfway down the drive. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, looking more nervous than she’d ever seen him.
“Hey.” That was her brilliant opener.
“Hey,” he responded with a barely-there smile. “How did it feel?”
“What?”
“Punching Luke. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to do that.”
She grinned. “It was like Christmas and my birthday and the apocalypse all rolled into one.”
“The apocalypse gives you the warm fuzzies?”
“Oh, totally. Some people are scared of it because they’d die pretty quickly. Not me, I’m a survivor.”
“You’re nervous.”
She hated that he knew her so well. She tended to babble when she had nothing else to say. “Yeah.” She blew out a breath. “Honestly, I’m not sure how to talk to you right now. You’re my teacher, but we aren’t in school. You’re my ex, but I kind of miss having you in class more than dating you.”
“Ouch.” He smiled as he said it.
“Yeah, well, it’s warranted. Your replacement is awful. Seriously, he yells at me and says mean things.”
He leveled her with a stare. “Wyld Child, I know you. What have you done to make him say those things?”
“Nothing! I swear. I’m the perfect student.”
“Mmhmm, and that’s why you left the academy to come to Nashville.”
“No.” She planted her feet. “Ms. Jones gave me permission to be here. I’m not breaking any rules. This time, I’m being good.”
He shook his head with a laugh. “Sure. And why are you here? Not just to hit Luke—though I’m sure that’ll be the highlight of your trip. Did
you come looking for me?”
He wanted her to say yes, she could see it in his eyes. But bringing Sebastian back to school was secondary to finding Logan. “Would it hurt you if I said no?”
“Kind of, yeah.”
“Sorry.” She brushed a hand through her hair and glanced back at Nicky, sitting in Ms. Jones’ car. “Logan needs to come back to school.”
“Wait… you’re here for Logan?”
She turned back to him. “Yeah… This isn’t his life, Bash. He told me so much about your lives before the academy. He didn’t want to go back to that.”
“I thought you two didn’t get along.”
“We didn’t… at first. But… I don’t know, we became friends. And as his friend, it’s my job to protect him, to tell him when he’s being an idiot, and to beat him over the head sometimes—even when he won’t answer my calls.”
Sebastian sighed. “Logan is having a hard time.”
“I know. It’s why I came, Bash.” She lifted her eyes to his. “I think Logan needs me.”
“Unlike Luke, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Logan need anyone.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. He’s just never had anyone besides his brothers who’d be there. I saw it when we first became friends. He’s afraid to need anyone because he doesn’t think they’ll stick around or he thinks they’re only friends with him because of Luke.”
“How do you know so much more about Logan than me?” Sebastian gave her a dumbfounded look.
“Because he’s me, Bash. Because we’re the same. I push everyone away. Before the academy, my only friend was Nicky. I didn’t trust anyone or anything. And it sucked. No one wants to live like that. I hated Defiance Academy when Becks first enrolled me, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Logan deserves that chance too. He deserves me … and all our friends,” she quickly added.
Sebastian ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Logan has always been terrified of anyone learning the truth about his voice, that he writes and sings Luke’s music. It has kept him apart from everything, his own little island. Even me and Luke… he doesn’t let us in. But you… he let you in, didn’t he?”
Wylder and the Almost Rockstar (Reluctant Rockstars Book 2) Page 4
