Page 29 of Wylder and the Almost Rockstar
Logan nodded. “Everything happened so fast. Before we knew it, we were in over our heads, and our manager was in on it.”
“Does the label know?” Wylder took a sip of her tepid coffee, hardly tasting it.
“No. Luke’s manager sets the whole thing up for concerts. I’m sure people on stage with him suspect, but it’s never leaked.”
“Until now.” Wylder sighed.
“Until now.” Logan echoed her sigh.
“Well, we’ll just have to figure out a plan to fix it.”
“We, huh?” Logan smiled.
“Yes, we. I know it’s not my fault but I still feel partially responsible, so we’re going to fix this. Somehow.”
“Any ideas? Because we’ve got nothing.”
“I’ll come up with something. I’m nothing if not resourceful.”
9
Wylder hadn’t been able to get Logan’s story out of her mind for days, and yet, she still didn’t know why he was back. It made sense now, why he’d left in the first place. When the world they knew blew up, the Cook brothers had to be together to handle the fallout. So, why had two of them returned to Defiance Academy?
Logan hadn’t mentioned anything Wylder said to Sebastian or Luke. Did he even know about the conversations she had with both brothers? Conversations that made her understand him so much more than before.
But if she knew one thing about Logan, it was that he revealed things in his own time, never all at once. It was like peeling back layers of a boy who’d had to keep too many secrets for too long.
Sebastian stood at the front of the class talking all thingsBeowulf, and though Wylder was grateful he was giving them all a second chance on their test, she couldn’t concentrate on his words. Instead, she doodled weird designs across her notebook as her mind wandered to the problem at hand.
The fans learning about Luke and Logan’s deal wasn’t nearly as bad as the label finding out. The big question was if they believed it. No one had concrete proof, only a now-deleted YouTube video and a bunch of rumors. The kids at school seemed to have no trouble thinking the rumors were true.
Wylder heard the things they said about Logan. They weren’t bad things, necessarily, just curious. They weren’t so kind with Luke’s name. Against every natural inclination, Wylder couldn’t help feeling kind of bad for Luke. Now, with his brothers back in Ohio, he was alone in Nashville with only his uncle, an uncle who’d once sought to use the boys.
And no one would ever think of the famous twin the same way. Even once the rumors faded, the damage had been done. She pictured him sitting beside her in her car, having an honest discussion about Logan, more honest than she’d ever expected from someone she’d once despised.
She looked down at her knuckles, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. She definitely didn’t regret hitting him. The bruises on her hand hadn’t lasted long, but the memory would last forever.
“Why are you smiling?” Logan whispered, glancing toward where Sebastian had turned to write on the board.
“No reason.”
“Liar.” Since showing up in class two days ago as if he’d never left, Logan had been more talkative than normal… nicer, somehow. Gone were the biting remarks she’d loved so much. It was like the real Logan had disappeared, leaving a Stepford version in his place.
The classroom door opened, and Ms. Jones stepped through, followed by her secretary. “Mr. Cook, I need to see you and your brother in my office, as well as Miss Anderson. Mrs. McDougal will fill in for the rest of your class.”
Sebastian looked like he’d been expecting this, no surprise showing on his face. He set the chalk down and turned a smile on the class. “Be good, class.” He winked, and Wylder swore half the girls swooned. Probably some of the guys too. “Wylder, Logan, you’re needed as well.”
Wylder hated being called to Ms. Jones’ office. It always felt like she was in trouble. As she gathered her books, shoving them into her messenger bag, and followed Sebastian out, she wracked her brain, trying to figure out what she’d done this time.
Nothing. She came up with nothing. She’d been a perfect angel for at least twenty-four hours.
They walked outside into the bright November day, and she zipped up her coat before shoving her hands in the pockets. The quad was pretty quiet this morning. Everyone was in the early classes the school tortured them with.
They crossed the red brick walkways, skirting frost-coated grassy areas. Yep, winter was definitely almost here. And in Ohio, that meant way too many months of frigid cold with gray skies and the overall sense that every person wanted to be somewhere else.
In the administration building, Wylder froze. Two familiar figures huddled together in conversation on the couch in the sitting area outside Ms. Jones’ office.
“Dad.” Wylder rushed forward. “Mom. I didn’t do it, I swear.”
