Free Front Man: The Complete Trilogy by Adora Bell Page A

back.
    "Certainly was."
    Jack put his arm around Sara's shoulders and
she snuggled into his warmth. Together, they made their way down the
pathway, heading towards the Arc de Triomphe.
    "Pretty spectacular, isn't it?" Sara
said softly.
    "Not as spectacular as you."
    Sara responded with a playful slap on the arm.
"Quit joking around Carter. It's been a long day."
    "Who said I was joking?"
    Sara looked up at him. He looked sincere, and
handsome as ever. But the dark rings beneath his eyes worried her.
And was she imagining it, or did his face look thinner?
    "You're meant to be on stage right now,
you know. People paid a lot of money for those tickets. If it was me,
I'd be mad as hell."
    "They're not just there for me, you know."
    "Jack, no disrespect to the rest of the
guys, but it's not Compass without you."
    " Pfft. Who's going to want to see me now,
huh? You've seen the pictures. You know what they're saying. I'm
finished, Sara, that's all there is to it." A note of anger had
crept into his voice.
    "Jack..." Sara trailed off, unsure
how to convince him otherwise.
    "See? Nothing to say, is there?"
    "Yes there is, if you would just give me a
minute! Look, people on my own street don't even recognize me. I'm
not going to pretend I know what it's like being you, and having my
life laid out on the front pages every day. But I know that people
love you. They love your music, they love the band...that doesn't
just go away overnight, no matter what the newspapers might write.
And...I haven't known you very long. But I know enough about you that
I know you would never have done anything to hurt anyone. So
whatever's going on here, they've got their facts wrong. I guess I
just don't understand why you're hiding away and taking it like this.
Why don't you fight back? Stand up for yourself? Whatever the truth
is...it can't be any worse than what they're saying. Right?"
    Jack
narrowed his eyes, and Sara thought she caught a glimpse of a tear.
She took his hand and squeezed it. They walked in silence for a
couple of minutes, letting Jack gather his thoughts.
"Sara...I'm
not the guy you seem to think I am. I never sold drugs, never; I
don't even touch the stuff myself. But that doesn't mean I'm a good
person. I've done plenty of shitty things in my time, things I don't
even like to think about. Those pictures...that wasn't a great time
in my life. I was trying to help someone I loved, but I screwed it
up. I let them down. And I'm not going to drag all that out into the
open for the sake of my career, I'm just not. Anyway, if they knew
the truth...nobody would look at me the same way again. It all ends
the same, Sara. I'm done."
    "Fine. Give up then."
    "I'm not giving up. It's for the best."
    "And what are you going to do now, huh? Go
rot in your mansion somewhere, become a recluse? Have plastic surgery
and get a job in Safeway?"
    "Man, I never was much good as a check out
chick. I don't know, ok. I'll figure something out. Come on, it's
freezing. Lets get you back to the hotel, we'll order some room
service, then you can yell at me some more."
    "I'm not hungry."
    "Sara...I'm sorry ok? Jesus, what do you
want me to say?"
    "Your band are out there right now,
playing the songs you wrote, with that asshole Michael singing your
words. All because you're scared of...what exactly? A few stupid
journalists?"
    "I...I'm
not scared, ok, it's just...once they start digging, once they know
they're on to something, they won't let it go. If I argue, they're
going to keep asking questions, and eventually my whole goddamn life
will be down there in black and white. I've worked too damn hard to
keep my past private. Some things are best forgotten."
    "Some things, or some people?"
    Jack shook his head.
    "You're not going to let this go, are you?
Dammit Sara."
    They had reached the main street, and as the
traffic whizzed past, Jack waved hopefully at passing taxis.
Eventually, a battered black car with a cracked sign pulled up, and
they slid into the back