TANTRIC (Book 3 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 10: Front Men Know They Are F*cked

The song for this chapter is Love Somebody by Maroon 5. Very good song for where Leed's head goes, in this chapter...

Let's see what happens back at Ash and Kat's place!

Leed

I think I should try a mantra right now.

ImnotgonnaknockTraceout.

ImnotgonnaknockTraceout.

ImnooooooooooooootgonnaknockTraceout.

ImnooooooooooooootgonnaknockTraceouuuuuuuuuuuutttttttt.

I'm sitting on the couch with an arm around Ashlynn. She's looking down at her hands, worrying one of her gel nails, damaging her nail beneath by tearing it off, and chewing the inside of her cheek. I don't like seeing that. I've seen her nervous when I get too close, but I've never seen her reduced to childish self mutilation. The girl is usually pure grace.

"Goddammit Ash, are you even listening to me!?!? Talk to me!!!! Have you been using again, or was it the first time? Did Leed bust in and stop you? What the fuck happened!?!?!" Trace yells at her.

Fuck the mantra. Violence is a much better idea right now.

I rise and lunge at Trace. I get both hands on him, shoving him way harder than I planned, but he's pissing me off. "Don't fucking yell at her, asshole!!!"

He takes two big steps so he doesn't fall. For a second he's shocked, but then I see the anger I've never seen directed at me—the kid that suffered a hundred attacks and won't suffer anymore.

Shit. I should have stuck with the mantra. I tense, preparing to defend.

He moves, but Ash is suddenly there, between us. Trace is barely able to stop and he's colliding with us. I push Ash to the side with one hand, trying to swoop her behind me, and step forward to meet Trace, this time on to fend him off with a stiff arm. "Sorry! Trace! Fuck! I'm sorry! Be cool man! The girls..."

"Kat..." Ash says firmly, and that's all it takes to move her sister from where she is glaring at the scene in the corner to Trace's side, pulling his head to look at her.

"Hey. Hey!" She says and he focuses on her. "Stop," she says quietly. "Stop. You are freaking out. You are freaking me out, yelling at Ash. Is this the way it was between you two? No wonder she ran away!"

Trace curses under his breath and whirls away from her, thudding into the kitchen where he slams around in the refrigerator.

Kat looks at us helplessly.

"It's okay, Kat," Ash says woodenly. "He had so so many reasons to be frustrated with me. I lied to him, hid my drugs from him so many times. It's okay."

"It's not okay," I tell her. "It's not okay, Trace!!!" I yell in the kitchen, but I know better than to follow him in there. He needs a moment to cool off. " Get your ass back in here and fucking apologize and let us explain what happened before you start jumping to conclusions!!!!"

To my surprise, he does come back, with a half drunk bottle of water in his hands. He makes his way to Kat, tilts his head, and to my utter shock, a tear falls from his eye. He reaches into her hair. "I'm sorry," he says hoarsely. "You were just so upset when you called me to tell to me the door was busted open. Your fear...and now..."

She pulls him to her, her arms reaching around his back and coming up over his shoulders as she grips him in a fierce hug that could rival one of Mac's. His head drops to her shoulder. "It's okay." She tells him. "It's okay. Let's just calm down, okay?"