Chapter 12: Frontmen Don't Like Secrets

This chapter only exists in this form because MmmWhatever asked for it---the plane scene told from Leed's perspective. I hadn't planned to debut Leed's POV in this book, but once I thought about it...it really does work here! So thanks MmmWhatever...great insight!

It might be the only time we have a Leed POV chapter in URGENT, because midway through the book we will pick back up with Trace's and Kat's POV's about 25% of the time.  So are you guys ready to get inside Leed's brain? It's an interesting place, for sure!....

Leed

I sit upon this plane, high in the sky, with one theme to my thoughts:

Man, this tour is UNFUN.

First off, my bedbuddy quit me.

This I cannot understand. I've always treated Tams right. I worship her in bed like the goddess she is.

Well, you know...except when some super cute hippie-chick fangirl catches my eye for the evening. Or when a VS Angel descends upon me with her heavenly allure. But Tams knows I'm always coming back around to her. I could always count on Tam for the best snuggle-ups. Those other girls don't know me like she does.

Now, she's snuggling up with somebody else. It's either Andy the sound tech or one of the security guys, or possibly Riley. Even though he said no, I haven't ruled him out. Riley is one cool cat under pressure. Possibly he even practices lying under polygraph.

But back to the issue. I hate secrets. If Tams would just tell me who she's fucking on this tour instead of me, I could resolve this problem.

I could fire the bastard.

Okay, I'm talking shit. I wouldn't really do that. Too much karmic blow back.

Plus, it's not nice.

So here I am, shut out of my happy place (yes, I'm talking about Tam's vagina) and to make matters worse—I've somehow landed in the trenches of leadership territory.

This is my second big unfun factor: I do not want to run this band. I do not appreciate Trace chasing tail all over Atlanta and leaving me to deal with Dawes and Marcy and band stuff. I know I'm the frontman on stage...but this has always been Trace's band. Now he's missing cues and causing friction with the brands and punching people and trying to get in Little Sister's pants like he's going to find THE golden pussy down there. Not to mention, he seems to have lost all empathy for his hurting, lonely, heartbroken fake-wife. Ashlynn's running around the country high as this airplane, and he's cool with that, apparently.

He's just trippin the days away, making shit up as he goes. Hell, he's acting like me, and forcing me to act like him.

This ain't no Freaky Friday.

I want my lane back, ya know?

And now, he's sitting in the seat across from me, whispering with Little Sister. Did I mention I hate when people keep secrets?

Yeah, I fucking hate it. Especially when it's the person I'm closest too in the world, keeping secrets from me.

I throw ice at Kat, and mess with her a little, but my heart isn't in giving Trace and Little Sister a hard time.

So here's the real unfun that's harshing my buzz: Mac is starting shit up with Adam and trying to hide it from me.

Again.

They are ridiculously obvious. I mean, look at them. Sitting over there on the other side of the plane, eye-fucking each other at the same time they argue. They are so cliche.

They are basically Kenickie and Rizzo from Grease.

(Yeah, yeah, I did musicals in high school—where do you think I learned my incredible stage presence? I was Danny Zuko, Nathan Detroit, Tony. Oh, and Jesus.)

Back to the point. Mac and Adam are falling back into that bicker-and-bang rhythm. As far as I'm concerned they have had their three times at bat. Adam pitched and Mac struck out all three times.

I'm not saying anything bad about Mac. I love my sister. She just can't make that thing work with Adam.

For a long time, I couldn't figure out why she kept messing up. I set the perfect example for her with Tams. Tams and I have been sharing sexy times for seven years now. Never once had a fuckbuddy breakup. Until now, but that is clearly Tams biological clock flashing forward. It has nothing to do with the way we are together. Tams and I know exactly how to keep it fun and keep it casual. No jealousy, no petty shit, nobody pushing for more, but we are close. We are always friends. Sometimes, we are friends that fuck.

But Mac couldn't follow the Leed Lane of Least Resistance that I forged for her.

No.

She fell in love with Adam, and when she showed him her true beauty—her wild and natural spirit—he was a goner.

Yeah, those two kids are crazy in love.

In theory, I'm not even opposed to it. Adam is my brother. I know he's a good dude and in all the practical ways, he would be good to her.

But the problem is, Adam has roots and Mac has wings.

Love like that that fails more often than it flourishes.

It's what happened to our mom and dad.

I thought Mac knew that. I thought she would reach the opposites-attract-but-make-poor-matches conclusion on her own, but so far that hasn't happened. The last time Adam pushed her too hard...fuck naw, I can't have that shit again. I need to make sure Mac keeps her head on straight.

But I don't seem to be making any headway, impressing upon Mac that she needs to break free of her vicious cycle with Adam. She doesn't listen to me, when it comes to him. Worse—when I flip out on Adam for messing with my sister, she just gets more pissed at me. So I should probably to approach this situation more moderately this time.

Ahh, hell. Will Marcy and Trace please shut-up about this Little Sister media scandal? Marcy is bitching at Trace, saying he's putting the band's viability at risk. Yeah, he is, but so was I when I was acting like a douche last year punching paps and trashing hotel rooms. So was Bodie when he was using too much. And nobody has put the band at more risk than Mac and Adam. I don't think Soundcrush would have survived if Mac had been permanently injured by her break-up sex with the choke-fucker—because I would have killed that guy. The paltry sentence he got for assault kept me trashing hotel rooms for months as it was.

Great, now Trace is pulling me into this fight. "I'm not the one that started this shit. Leed—"

Marcy interrupts him. I'm glad. I already said I was sorry for outing Kat as Little Sister. I really didn't mean to do that. Sometimes I just get excited and lead from my place of honest exuberance. It is really a character flaw to be a bad liar? I think not.

Trace is still blustering. He says, "Look, if any of you have something to say, say it now."

There's a long moment, then Adam says, "Yeah, I have something to get off my chest, Trace."

"Speak your mind, brother."

Adam leans forward with hands on knees and looks at the plane floor. "Mac and I had sex the last two nights. Like, a lot of sex. But now she says it meant nothing, and I'm out of her system, and we are just friends. So my head is kinda fucked. All the rest of me is...kinda sore." Then he looks at Mac with an evil grin.

Then he looks directly at me, shrugs, and murmurs so low that no else hears. "Can't keep secrets from you, brother. Unlike some people."

"Goddammit, Adam," Mac snarls.

I leap from my seat. I knew it! I knew they were fucking again already! Well at least one damn person in this band has the balls to be honest with me!

That was unexpected. Adam has never openly admitted he was banging my sister. I suddenly have all the feels for him. He's a good dude; it's not his fault that Mac comes at him like a siren and then flees like a unicorn. And since she's already hit-it-and-quit-it-quick this time, I might as well stand with my boy.

I glare at my sister. It wasn't even two days ago she swore she was not sleeping with Adam this tour. Her oath didn't last the night."Liar liar leather pants on fire," I sneer Mac so that only she and Adam hear. Then I go full volume with my indignation. "Mac, what the fuck? You can't just use him like that. He's a person!"

She gapes at me in disbelief. "I'm your sister! You are supposed to be on my side—like last time!"

"And he's my best friend. If you two are going to keep doing this, I'm going to have to take fucking turns siding with you guys!"

Everyone else is awfully quiet. Yep, just like I thought. I'm always the last to fucking know.

"Did you know, Trace!?!"

He denies, so does Bodie—but they are both lying. I don't have time for them, though. Since I've already come out for Adam, I might as well go a few rounds with Mac about it.

I fling myself down in the seat beside her.

"Leed, I can't believe you don't have my back!"

"I can't believe you keep making the same bad decisions over and over."

We bicker back and forth. Then, I deliver a knock-out without even meaning to.

"Mac...if you can't treat Adam right, you need to stop treating him wrong. He's the kind of dude that needs love—like that," I point across the aisle, where Trace and Kat are snuggled under a blanket.

Something surprising happens. Mac's eyes fill with tears.

What the hell? Mac hardly ever cries. Certainly not from sparring with me. Ever.

"Fuck you, Leed," her voice is tight as she flounces out of the seat, stumbling over me. Adam rises but she shakes her head at him, and moves to the front of the plane, flopping down in a seat with a pillow and her headphones.

Adam sighs heavily. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Harsh? I'm on your side this time."

"Yeah, but I'm on her side. Always," Adam says softly.

"Adam—she's wrong for the hot-and-cold fuckery, and as her older brother it's my duty to call her out when she's wrong, but I will always stand with Mac when it counts. So let me give some advice. Not just the "don't fuck my little sister" lecture, but some real, simple, honest, advice: She ain't tame, man. She ain't made for captivity. She's ferocious and wild. You might think she's a pet, but you should beware, because one day she could easily turn on you and go for the throat."

Adam's dark blue eyes regard me calmly. "I don't want to keep her in a cage, man. I want to give her whole new worlds to roam in."

Then he walks up the aisle and leans down, to speak to Mac. Despite her earlier hostility, I see her briefly lace her fingers in his as he murmurs in her ear. But then she shakes her head at whatever he is saying and covers her head with the pillow, like a petulant child. He sighs and moves away, toward Trace and Kat.

Well, fuck.

I guess the unfun never ends.

So how do you like Leed's POV? Is he like you thought he would be, or different? Are you looking forward to sticking with the series and reading his book, TANTRIC? It's coming up after URGENT...

Please give Leed a little love with that star button, please. Frontmen need that adoration, you know!!! I thank you, on Leed's behalf!