Page 27 of Wylder and the Almost Rockstar
“Get out,” Wylder barked at Killian.
“Um, this is my room, Wylds.” Killian didn’t miss a beat. “Why don’t you go pester Devyn for the afternoon? We can hang at dinner.” He didn’t even look up from his biology textbook.
“Pestering Dev has already been checked off my to-do list for the day, so I guess you’re next. Besides, I need to have a chat with your roomie.” Wylder glared at Logan, visible behind his computer screen. He sat at his desk in the corner of their shared space, refusing to acknowledge her presence. “A private chat.”
“I don’t think he’s in the mood to talk, Wylds.” Killian leaned back to stretch his arms over his head.
“What, are you both working on homework? It’s barely four. Who does homework right after school?”
“Some of us like to get it done early so we can do other things with our evenings.”
“I never let homework cramp my schedule.” Wylder crossed the room to Killian’s bedroom door. “How about you study in there for a bit? I won’t keep your roomie long. I just have a few things to say.”
“Fine.” Killian snapped his book shut. “I know when you’re on a mission. Sorry, Logan. She’s not going to leave until you talk to her… or till you totally crack and hang her from the rafters, whichever comes first.” Killian grabbed his things and left them alone.
“It says a lot that my friends totally have me pegged, and they’re still my friends.” Wylder stood with her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot on the floor. “I’m sorry, okay?” She flopped onto the sofa across from Logan’s desk. “I’m sorry about the video. Sorry the holograms were a bust, and you got dragged into the limelight. This whole thing is my fault, and I don’t blame you if you never want to talk to me again, except you have to. You’re roommates with Killer, and that makes us friends-in-law. But I still think we’re more than just in-laws. Which makes you morally obligated to answer my texts.”
Logan pushed away from his desk and swiveled his chair to face her. “Christopher.” He leaned forward with a serious look on his face.
“What” She scowled at him.
“It’s Christopher.”
“What’s Christopher?” She was glad he was talking to her now, but she preferred it when he said things that made sense.
“My middle name. You know, for the next time you need to full name me, and you can’t come up with anything better than Samwise.”
“Samwise Gamgee was a really great hobbit. You should be so lucky to have a friend like him.” Wylder pointed her finger at him for emphasis.
“I am that lucky.” Logan finally cracked a smile. “You’re a good friend, Wylder. I’m sorry I left you hanging.” He scooted his chair closer to her. “But let’s be clear, this happened to you as much as it did to me. It’s not your fault.”
Wylder’s face fell. “But I promised you the holograms would be the focus of our performance. They were supposed to dance across the stage and wow everyone so much that they’d never really notice us.”
Logan smiled and scooted even closer to her. “While that would have been amazing, it’s not your fault it didn’t work. It’s not your fault some jerk in the audience recorded our song and posted it online.”
“But it happened, and now everything’s a mess for you.” Wylder twisted her hands in her lap, unable to meet his intense gaze. “All those comments… what people are saying about you and—”
“It sucks.” Logan closed the remaining distance between them. “But I’ll get over it.” He took her hands in his. “I hurt Luke when I walked onto that stage with you. I didn’t even realize you thought I was mad at you. I had to go home and be there for Luke.”
“It’s not like we had a choice, you know? Luke has to understand that.” It was like Logan didn’t have a clue what Luke thought about all of this. Had they not talked it out between themselves?
“You’re right about that. I just wish I’d handled it better. Thought it through before we wrote that song together. Everything I do reflects on my brother. I’m supposed to lie low and keep quiet so he gets to do what he loves, and I get to write songs and record the music I love. We’ve worked so hard to get where we are, and I jeopardized that.”
“I’m really sorry.” Wylder squeezed his hand. It was kind of sweet the way the brothers looked out for each other. They were each more concerned about the other than themselves. There had to be a way to fix this. To set the rumors to rest.
“You don’t know this about me, but I don’t abandon my friends, even when they stalk me all the way to Nashville when I’m trying to hide.”
“Are we friends?” Wylder chanced a glance at him.
He smiled. “Well, I think you’re stuck with me now.”
“I think I’m okay with that.” Wylder returned his smile. “But since we’re friends now, can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.” Logan leaned back in his chair but stayed close to her side.
“How did this even happen? You and Luke and the whole set up?”
“That’s a long story.”
