Front Man: The Complete Trilogy by Adora Bell

in with
his sob stories, and then kicked her to the curb with no explanation.
Just when she had started to think that their connection might be
real, that he felt the same way she did…he had cut her out of
his life. When the papers had broken a story that accused him of
being involved in dealing drugs, Sara had been there for him. He had
flown her to Paris in the middle of the drama, and while Jack seemed
like a man on the edge of a breakdown, Sara had been his rock.
Somehow, though, Jack had come out on top, while Sara was left
heartbroken. The scandal he thought would end his career had put Jack
back in the spotlight. Fans warmed to his honesty, the way he refused
to hide from the press. As he opened up to TV interviewers about his
troubled past, the death of his parents and the loss of his little
sister, press and public alike lapped it up. Almost overnight, he’d
gone from complete pariah to national hero. Compass albums were
flying off the shelves; they had 3 singles in the top ten downloads,
and had added extra dates to the tour. Every time she switched on the
radio, or surfed the TV channels, it seemed to Sara that Jack Carter
was everywhere. She tried hard to be pleased for him, but all she
could feel was anger and disappointment, mixed with confusion. She
wished she could at least get some closure. But Jack hadn’t
responded to her email, and she was too proud to go chasing after
him.
    “Since you
mentioned Jack,” Erica said carefully, well aware that she was
on a sensitive subject, “have you heard anything from him at
all?”
    “No,”
Sara said mournfully. She felt herself blush. His rejection felt so
humiliating. “But I mean, what did I expect? He’s a rock
star. I’m sure he has a different chick at every hotel. It’s
my own stupid fault for thinking I was special.”
    “Shh, you are
special, dummy. He’s clearly just an idiot. I mean, he flew you
half way around the world, he must like you! I guess he just didn’t
know how to handle it. That’s men for you. The minute they get
close to something good, they freak out and screw the whole thing
up.”
    “I don’t
see Matt screwing anything up. He seems pretty devoted.” Erica
and Matt had been dating almost six months now – it was the
longest Sara had seen her best friend stick with anyone.
    “Aw, Matt’s
a big old softie. He looks after me. I guess I’ve always gone
for bad boys, but having someone who actually seems to care what I
think…well, it’s a nice change.”
    “Good for
you. You deserve it,” Sara said, trying hard to make her smile
more convincing as she raised her glass to clink against Erica’s.
    “Yours will
get here sweetie, I know it,” Erica said, taking a swig from
her glass. “In the meantime, drink up! There’s more where
this came from!”
    A few hours, a lot
of wine, and one very bad movie later, the girls were sprawled on
the carpet, leafing through a stack of glossy magazines.
    “Have you
seen what she’s wearing?” Erica squealed, pointing at a
very unflattering picture of a forty-something actress.
    “ Oh my god,
seriously? That’s terrible, does she not even have a stylist?”
Sara giggled. Between the wine and the company, she was feeling
better than she had in ages. She flicked to the next page, and felt
her heart sink a little. It was a full length black and white shot
of, who else, Jack Carter, his tight t-shirt highlighting every
ripple of his toned torso. The article focused on his ongoing search
for his missing sister, and despite herself, Sara hung on every word.
    “What’s
that? Let me see…oh. It’s him. Bummer.” Erica
slurred. “Wait, what’s that chick doing in the magazine?
I know her.” Erica pointed to the smaller picture, inset over
Jack’s image.
    “Erica, you
don’t know her. That’s Jack’s sister, Laura. The
one who’s missing.”
    “Bitch, she’s
not missing. I’m telling you, I saw her last week. I may not
be the smartest egg in the basket, but I never forget