Wylder and the Rising Rockstar (Reluctant Rockstars Book 3)

by Michelle MacQueen

  “Devyn!” She called, hoping her roomie was home. “Hey, Dev, I need you!”

  “I highly doubt it.” Devyn stepped into her room, her eyes widening in horror at the state of Wylder’s bed.

  “It’s everything I own that isn’t good enough to wear on stage.”

  “Do you have anything left in your closet?”

  “Yes, but nothing that looks remotely cool and epic.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Devyn held up a pair of ruby red sequined shoes. “I really hate to admit this, but you wear a lot of epic clothes. Even the pants that have tails. Only you can pull that off, by the way. Just don’t wear any of your lazy clothes.” She shoveled through a pile of sweatshirts and yoga pants.

  “Help me find something? Please.” Wylder held up a tunic dress with zebra stripes.

  “Not that.” Devyn snatched it and tossed it onto the bed. “What about this?” She fished out a short denim skirt from Wylder’s pile of discards.

  “Not epic enough.”

  “Not on its own, but it’s a good start.” She put the skirt with the red shoes and stepped into the closet, flipping through the hangers. “Hey, what about this?” She stepped out with a black cap-sleeved t-shirt with splashes of turquoise and white paint all over it. It still had the price tag on it.

  “It’s kind of cool, but I don’t know. It’s not special enough.”

  “That’s what accessories are for.” Devyn turned to sort through Wylder’s dresser. “Oh, this could be cool!” She came up with a pair of black and white striped fingerless gloves.

  “You think?” Wylder took them from her hand and slid one on, encasing her arms in bold stripes from wrist to elbow. “My arms would look pretty cool in these when I’m amping up for Luke’s guitar solo.”

  “It’s starting to come together.” Devyn tossed the gloves onto the skirt and t-shirt. “One sec, I might have something.” She darted back into her room and returned with an unopened package. “Um, so I have these.” Her face flushed pink as she tossed the pack onto the growing pile.

  “Fishnets?” Wylder grinned. “Why do you have fishnet stockings, Dev?”

  “My mother sent them with some other stupid L.A. fashions she knows I’d never wear. I have these earrings too.” She lifted a velvet box and shoved them into Wylder’s hand.

  “Oh wow.” Wylder gasped as she opened the box. “Your mom doesn’t have a clue about you.”

  “Not even a bit.” Devyn laughed. “Can you imagine me wearing those?”

  Wylder held up the long dangly earrings with shiny black stones. “But I can totally pull these off. They’re so ridiculous they’re almost cute.”

  “Perfect for a rising rock star.” Devyn rooted around Wylder’s drawer of cheap jewelry. “Oh, you should wear all of these.” She held up a fistful of silver bangle bracelets.

  “What about my hair?” Wylder reached up to comb her hands through her short pixie hair.

  “How much time do you have?” Devyn asked.

  “A few hours.”

  “Let’s do some super blonde unicorn hair.”

  “Oh, I like the way you think, Dev.” Wylder ran to the bathroom to get her collection of hair wax. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

  “I’ll do some fine streaks of rainbow colors and leave big chunks of your natural blonde as it is. It’ll be subtle but still colorful.

  “I won’t look like I’m trying too hard?”

  “It’ll be perfect.”

  “I’m sorry.” Wylder blinked in confusion as she slipped out of her coat. “It sounded like you said they weren’t here.”

  “That’s what I said,” Sebastian said hesitantly, eyeing her outfit. “You look like a rock star, Wylder.” His smile was genuine and very teachery. They’d come a long way since summer.

  “Thanks, but the Winter Review starts in less than an hour, and you’re telling me there are zero Cook boys here to sing with me?”

  “Seems like it.”

  “I don’t suppose you’re prepared to go on stage with me?”

  “Absolutely not. You know very well I did not get the singing gene, that’s all them. They take after our mom.”

  “Where is Luke?” Wylder tried to squash out the rise of panic. She was not a solo artist, she could not—would not—do this alone.

  “I haven’t seen him since soundcheck this afternoon.”

  “He better show up or he’s a dead man.” Wylder stomped off to look for Logan. He might not be ready to talk to her, but he could listen, and she’d had just about enough boy drama.

  She jerked her coat on and stomped back across the quad to the dorms, giving herself just enough time to get good and angry before she arrived at Killian and Logan’s door.

  “Logan!” She swept into the room without knocking. “I don’t care what your problem is, but I’m going on stage soon, and I don’t care which brother shows up to sing with me, but it better be one of you.” She banged on Logan’s bedroom door but got no response.

  “Can I help you?” Killian stepped out of his room dressed in dark jeans and a soft gray sweater.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve seen any Cooks, have you?” Wylder turned her ire on him.

  “Haven’t seen Logan all day.” Killian raised a brow at her. “Aren’t you supposed to be backstage getting ready for this thing?”

  “Aww, man, you’re right, I didn’t even think about that.” She glared at him.

  “You seem tense, Wylds.”

  “Just … if you see Luke or Logan, I want you to tackle them and drag them to the theater, kicking and screaming if you have to. Just get one of them on stage.”

  “Uh, I’ll try.” Killian shoved his feet into his boots. “You need to talk about something, Wylds?”

  “No.” She slammed the door behind her and made her way back to the theater, hoping Sebastian had better news for her when she returned. The Review was about start. Her performance was the finale, so she had time, but they were cutting it close.

  “We aren’t going to have a finale.” Wylder paced backstage, checking the time on her phone. Again. Barely fifteen minutes to go, and no response from either Logan or Luke.

  They were dead to her. And if she could get her hands on them, they’d be dead-dead.

  “Um, no.” Meghan glanced at her, waving her clipboard like a weapon. “You’re here, you’re going out there. Half an act is better than no act at all.”

  “You’re going to have to drag me out there if Luke doesn’t show up.”

  “Don’t think I won’t do it.” Meghan stalked toward one of her stage managers. “You,” she called him over. “Keep an eye on this one, and don’t let her leave.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The boy bobbed his head, taking up residence beside Wylder like it was his job.

  “Don’t even think about leaving.” Meghan stalked off to shout orders for the next act to take their place. They were the last ones before Wylder and Luke were supposed to take the stage.

  “I think I’m hyperventilating.” Wylder tried to breathe. She’d never really been afraid of the stage. Was this what Logan felt like every time he performed? No wonder he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

  “Lean down and take deep breaths,” a familiar voice sounded behind her, and a hand shoved her head down to her knees. “Don’t think about the performance, it’s nothing to get worked up about.”

  “Where the heck have you been?” Wylder’s hands curled into fists as she fought to stand up again. “I swear I’m going to kill you.”

  “Taking care of some last-minute details.” Luke looked at her like she was overreacting in the extreme. “Hey, you look great. Love the hair.” He busied himself with his guitar.

  Wylder took another deep breath. She’d kill him later. Right now she had to get her head on straight. “You look … different.” She studied his outfit. Dark jeans, carefully ripped and frayed in all the right areas. A snug fitting black t-shirt with an open weave she could just barely see through, and a deep
red leather jacket with the sleeves pushed up along his forearms.

  “What? I’m trying something different.” He started to run a hand through his carefully gelled hair, sticking out in blond spikes all over, and then thought better of it.

  “Wylder, Luke, you’re up next,” Meghan called, ushering them to side stage. “Bring this home, guys. And good luck.”

  Wylder shook her hands, reaching for her drumsticks tucked into her belt. “Okay, head on straight. Deep breath.” She could do this. She’d done it a million times before, but she was rattled.

  “Relax.” Luke winked, lifting his guitar strap over his head. “Just follow my lead.”

  As they were announced, Luke stepped onto the stage like he owned it. Wylder followed, shaking off the last of her nerves. She paused beside her drums, waving to the screaming crowd before she took her seat among the shadows. Apparently, whoever was in charge of lighting was still a Luke Cook fan as the spotlights only had eyes for him.

  With a nod from Luke, Wylder tapped out a beat, the rhythm echoing in her bones. A wave of calm washed over her the way it always did when the music flowed out of her. Luke came in on guitar just as she launched into the first verse.

  In all of Wylder’s experience singing with other bands, and the few times she’d performed since she left her last band, she’d never sang lead before, not until her performance with Logan. She thought of herself as a drummer first, a songwriter second, and a backup vocalist last. As the spotlight fell on her, and she felt the lyrics and the music speaking to her, she decided she could get used to singing lead.

  Luke’s voice accompanied hers on the chorus, and the crowd was momentarily stunned as they got their first look at the kind of performer Luke Cook really was.

  The beat of their song coursed through her arms and up into her core. Luke stepped back from the front of the stage, and Wylder prepared to launch into the second verse, but another familiar voice beat her to it, one that had her heart kicking up a notch. He was here. He’d come.

  Luke’s guitar faded into the background, and Wylder eased back on her cymbals, letting Logan’s pure, rich voice fill the theater. She couldn’t contain her huge smile as Logan made his way onto the stage to her left. With Luke on her right, they finished the second verse, and Wylder threw herself into her lead up to Luke’s guitar solo.

  Logan’s eyes stayed focused on her, never glancing at the crowd or his brother. She knew he was feeling the nerves when he crept in close to her side.

  As Luke took center stage, shredding on guitar like they’d never seen before, the crowd went wild cheering for him.

  Wylder stood, kicking out her stool, and she and Logan took the last verse together, sharing her mic. She didn’t know if he just needed her to get through the performance, or if he’d actually forgiven her.

  With the final beat of her drums and scream of guitar, the crowd lost their minds, surging to their feet, chanting something she couldn’t quite make out.

  “What are they saying?” Wylder asked, standing with the boys to take a bow.

  “I think they’re calling our names,” Luke said, grinning and waving to the crowd.

  He was right, she could just make out sounds of her name and Logan’s and Luke’s.

  “What’d I tell you, Logan? This is how it always should have been,” Luke shouted over the roar of the crowd.

  “So, is this all part of your master plan?” Logan gripped Wylder’s hand, and the three of them took another bow together.

  “He won’t tell you either?” Wylder asked.

  “He’s been babbling for days. I just ignore him.”

  Luke threw his arms around both of them. “Who needs country music or Nashville when the three of us together make the perfect rock band?” He took a dramatic sweeping bow just as the lights went down and the curtain fell.

  19

  “What changed your mind?” Wylder ran off the stage, clutching Logan’s hand.

  “That was so epic!” Luke crowed, squeezing both their shoulders and hopping behind them like he’d never performed on stage before. “What a rush! It’s never like that after a solo concert.”

  Logan shrugged, ignoring Luke’s enthusiasm. “My brother laid it out on the line for me. Told me I was letting the best thing that ever happened to me slip through my fingers.” Logan gripped her hand. “He’s seldom right, but he did have a point this time.”

  “Dude, I’m always right.” Luke slapped him on the back. “And I’m pretty sure that’s not all I said.”

  “Yeah.” Luke hung his head. “He told me everything you and your family truly did for him.”

  “Yeah, what else did Luke tell you?” Wylder bumped into him shyly, wishing Luke would take a hint and go celebrate somewhere else.

  “That I should hear you out. That you were only thinking of me, and I should get my giant head out of my rear before I lost the coolest girl in the world.”

  “You said that?” Wylder turned to Luke.

  “Don’t let it go to your head. If the three of us are going to do this band thing, I’m not going to be the third wheel the whole time.”

  “And how are you going to manage that?” Logan asked, but he never took his eyes off Wylder.

  “Wylder and I are buds now, so you’re going to have to share her. We’ll all write together when we’re feeling it. So, then no one gets jealous if me and Wylder write a song, or Logan and Wylder write a song, or if me and Logan write together. It’s all about the group dynamic.”

  “He talks like it’s a done deal.” Logan’s mouth tilted up into a half smile.

  “And he’s so going to be the third wheel.” Wylder grinned.

  “I only have one rule,” Luke continued. “Keep the romance stuff to your own dates and when it’s time to work, it’s all about the three of us—so no third wheel.” He tapped his chest for emphasis.

  Wylder stared at Logan, ignoring Luke and his crazy talk of bands. Logan stared back, not releasing her hand.

  “Hey, Luke,” Logan finally interrupted his excited babble.

  “Yeah, bro?” Luke slapped his back again.

  “Go away. I’d like to kiss my girlfriend now.”

  “On it.” Luke turned without missing a beat and went to celebrate with the other performers. Some were already asking him for his autograph.

  “Girlfriend?” Wylder tried not to let it show in her voice how anxious that word made her. She was supposed to be cool and collected—she was a rock star—almost. “Are we still doing that relationship thing?”

  “Well, there’s a reason I—like your friends—can’t seem to resist you, Wylder Anderson.” He brushed a hand through her short hair, his words echoing the ones Killian had said to her just a few days ago.

  “Oh yeah, and what’s that?” She leaned into him. With all the excitement and celebration happening around them, they were in their own little bubble.

  “You’re unlike anyone else, Wylds. You’ll do anything for your friends and the people you care about. Even if what they really need might not make you their favorite person at the time.”

  “I wanted to tell you where Luke was. It’s just … you were finally happy and stepping out of Luke’s shadow. I didn’t want to be the one to shove you back in there.”

  “Hey, Wylds?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Stop talking.” Logan leaned in, pressing his warm lips against hers. She burrowed into him, relishing the feel of his arms around her. Her hands twined into his hair. This was really happening, they were finally on the same page.

  Logan pulled away first but pressed his forehead against hers. “That was pretty epic, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered, her heart beating against his chest.

  “I meant the performance, but this is also deliciously epic.” He kissed her again.

  “Oh yeah, that was pretty fantastic. But your brother is letting his enthusiasm run away with him.”

  “He does that.” Logan grinned. “But what if we run
with him this time?”

  “Are you serious?” She pulled back to look him in the eye. “What about your stage fright?”

  “It’s not fun.” Logan sighed. “But with you and Luke up there with me, I think I could manage it.”

  “You’re serious?” Her mouth dropped open.

  “I mean, it might not even happen. I don’t know if we could come back from this scandal, but if the opportunity was there, I think I could face it. As long as you were there to help me through those tough moments. You always seem to know when I need to change my focus.”

  “I have an idea that might help that.” Luke popped up beside them.

  “He’s back.” Wylder rolled her eyes.

  “It’s going to be a regular occurrence, I’m afraid.” Logan winced.

  “No, listen. Everyone knows the stage is a stressful place for Logan, but with a band like ours—”

  “You think he’s given us a name yet?” Wylder grinned.

  “He probably has a list of options in his pocket.” Logan returned her grin.

  “I do, but we’re talking about Logan’s stage fright right now.” Luke shoved himself between them. “With a band like ours, there’s no reason we can’t give Logan regular breaks during a concert where Wylder and I can rock it out for a few songs together.”

  “He’s probably already planned our first tour.” Logan chuckled.

  “Just one problem, though.” Wylder sighed. “His label dropped him.”

  “And he’s a country singer,” Logan added.

  “We can start from scratch, guys.” Luke was like a steam roller. In his mind, this was happening.

  “Well, we’re still in high school, which I’d really like to finish soon.” Wylder so wasn’t ready for this kind of insanity. She needed some time to enjoy being regular girl, dating a regular boy she was in love with.

  “Details, details.” Luke rolled his eyes. “You let me handle all the schmoozing, and I’ll get us a deal. You’ll see. We just need to break into a new genre and leave the past behind.”