Page 16 of Wylder and the Almost Rockstar
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.
