Page 4 of Wylder and the Secret Rockstar
“I’m not going to tell you that.”
“He was.” Killian laughed. “It’s written all over your face.”
Diego’s voice was much quieter. “So, why are you sad? What happened?”
She looked to the ceiling, willing the tears not to come. “Summer ended. Sometimes good things aren’t meant to last.”
“I don’t think I like that.”
“Me either, D. I really don’t.”
2
If there was one class Wylder didn’t hate starting the year on, it was English lit. Last year, she’d had a teacher who actually inspired her to read the assigned books—no small feat—but then summer came, and she’d completely forgotten the assigned summer reading.
“Do we have to go to class?” Wylder flopped onto Diego’s bed. They had their first class together, and she was just glad she didn’t have to face the rest of their classmates alone.
Diego turned in his computer chair and pushed his glasses up into his hair, making it stand on end. He gave her a bleary-eyed stare that made her sit up and look at him more closely.
Rumpled clothing. Red eyes.
“Diego Reyes, you’ve been up all night.” They’d talked about this. Many times. “I thought you were going to quit doing that now that your app is in the hands of your dad’s company.”
He gave her a sheepish look. “That was before I decided to go stay with my grandmother in Venezuela for the summer instead of working with the team to get this code done. There’s still something not right.”
She rested her chin on her hand. “Go on. Keep talking nerdy to me. It’s kind of hot.”
“Wylder.” There was admonishment in his tone, but his reddening face showed his obvious embarrassment.
“You know what else would be hot? If you talked so long we missed class.”
He looked at the clock on his desk and jumped to his feet. “We have to go.”
She groaned. “Why? No one will miss us.”
Before she could answer him, her phone rang with a FaceTime request. It was her dad, and she sort of missed him already. Ignoring Diego and his worry, she answered. But it wasn’t only her dad who appeared on the screen.
Beckett grinned, sticking out his tongue.
“Cute.” She twisted onto her stomach, looking to Diego and rolling her eyes. “Are you in Twin Rivers with Dad?”
Her dad popped up behind him. “He surprised us.”
“I’m heading up to Columbus for a thing and stopped in for breakfast.”
“Okay.” She tried not to let the jealousy show on her face. When she’d first agreed to come to the academy and live on campus, she’d had no other choice if she wanted to graduate, but it put a divide between her and her family. She’d never admit to anyone how much she missed the days when it was the four of them living in the same house, a family against the world.
“Where are you?” her dad asked. “Not on your way to class, I see.”
“Better not be a boy’s room.” Beckett narrowed his eyes.
With a sigh, she flipped the camera around to show a flustered Diego. “Hello, sir.”
“Don’t call my dad sir, ya weirdo.” Wylder couldn’t help laughing at Diego’s awkwardness.
“I think the sir was for me.” Beckett winked.
“In that case, Diego and I have to get to class.”
