Page 61 of Wylder & the Rising Rockstar
That brought a watery laugh out of her. “That’s okay, I think I’ll just satisfy myself having a relationship with your cookies.” She paused. “And I didn’t mean that as dirty as it sounded.”
“Trust me, I know what you mean when you say my cookies.” He shoved an Oreo between her lips.
Wylder pulled it out before taking a bite. The sugar calmed her.
“I have some time before practice.” He led her to the couch. “How was your break?”
“You’d know if you’d have texted me back more.”
He pointed to himself. “Man of few words.” That was how most people saw the enigmatic goaltender, but Wylder knew different.
“Never with me.” She pouted. “Diego texted me every day.”
“Being that he was in Texas with me, that’s sort of the equivalent of me texting since I was with him.”
“Whatever, Killer.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Truth be told, I didn’t much want to talk to myself over break either.”
“That’s good.” He dropped his voice. “Because that would make you even weirder.”
“I’m being serious, you jerk. I spent most of Winter Break with Nicky and his brother, not saying much of anything. It was made worse because Nicky blamed himself for me lying to Logan and ruining everything.”
“You didn’t ruin everything.”
She sat up and gave him a withering look. “Please don’t patronize me. I made a choice not to tell Logan where Luke was, a conscious choice. It was the wrong one.”
“Wylds—"
“I feel like I keep spinning and spinning my wheels, trying to be better, todobetter, but I don’t get anywhere. Nothing improves. I will always be the Wylder Anderson who can only be counted on for trouble. I’m always going to screw things up, aren’t I?”
Killian wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You don’t screw anything up.”
“Yeah? Tell that to the Cook brothers after I convinced Logan to stand on stage with me instead of off to the side.”
“Still on that? Wylds, no one blames you for the video.”
“I blame me, and that’s enough.”
A sigh rattled through him. “I don’t think you see the same girl I do. You say you screw everything up, but I’ve never known that girl. My best friend is someone else entirely. She’s the reason I was able to fall in love with my boyfriend. Her relentless matchmaking forced me to see what was in front of me.
“And Logan… You only see the girl who forced him onto the stage, but what about the one who chased him to Nashville and convinced his brother he belonged at the academy? What about the girl who helped his other brother escape the media, even getting her family involved? Logan might be mad at you now, he might only see the girl who lied to him, but as soon as his anger clears, he’ll remember the other one.”
“Pretty words, Killian, but he hates me.”
“Weeks ago, I watched you sing with Logan on TV. I watched you stand by his side as he told the world the truth on that talk show. The lie pales in comparison to all the truths between you.”
Wylder hiccupped back a sob. “I think I love him, Killian.” As much as she didn’t want to, tried not to, especially after their epic fight.
A smile spread across Killian’s face.
“Stop smiling. It hurts. This isn’t a smiling kind of love.”
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Does it beat the secret I just told you?” She arched a brow at him.
He leaned in. “I sort of already knew you loved him.”
“How? When?” She hadn’t even known until everything blew up.
