Page 37 of In Love with Lewis Prescott
“I heard what you said. Thank you.”
My eyes well with tears at the sorrow in her voice, at how hard she’s holding me.
I clear my throat and squeeze her tight. “You don’t have to thank me, Mina. That guy deserved to be told off.”
“I just wish more people spoke up like you did.”
As we climb into my car and I drive back to Glad You’re Here, I grip the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles ache.
“Me too.”
Chapter Ten
Lewis
I finish tightening the last screw on the frame of the brass chandelier. When I make my way down the ladder and walk back a few feet to take in how it looks hanging in the foyer, I smile. Looks good.
I wasn’t planning to tackle the chandelier today, but the idea of spending another full day peeling slabs of tile from the wall in the hallway bathroom sent phantom aches down my lower back. I figured installing the chandelier would be a good break from that while at the same time being a nice surprise for Harper.
Just imagining her reaction when she walks in has me pumped. I remember how excited she was when we went over the plans for its installation a few days ago. That urge to make her happy lands hard, right at the center of my chest. Like a punch. But nicer.
Harper’s words from our conversation days ago echo in my mind.
You’d be perfect for that role.
Hearing her say that meant everything to me.
I’ve known her for just a few weeks, but she spoke with more conviction than most people I’ve known for years—like she had every confidence in my ability. And the impact of her belief in me hit like a freight train in the best way.
The industry I work in is full of fake people who blow smoke up my ass on an almost daily basis.
You’re the most talented actor in the world... You light up the screen in a way like no one else does... You moved me to literal tears. LITERAL TEARS...
Even now I can’t help but laugh. It’s all bullshit. Don’t get me wrong, I love performing, I love inhabiting a totally new character in every role I tackle, I love channeling my emotions through a creative outlet. But I’m not an idiot. I understand that what I do for a living isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things. There are people in the world saving lives, feeding the hungry, curing diseases—actual heroes. Nothing I do comes close to that. It makes my skin crawl when people fawn over me like I’m doing something life-changing when in reality I’m showing up to set and getting paid ridiculous amounts of money to play make-believe.
That’s why what Harper said got under my skin. She’s not the type of person who would say something she didn’t mean. In the short time I’ve known her, I can tell that she’s brutally honest—always in a respectful way.
And right now, as I attempt to crawl out of this professional black hole, her belief in me is helping to keep me going.
That’s why I want to surprise her with the chandelier. I want to see Harper happy after she made me so happy.
I feel a squeeze in the middle of my chest right as my stomach dips. I go still right where I stand, soaking in the feeling...and struggling to remember the last time I felt that at the mere thought of someone...the last time someone else’s happiness meant so much to me.
Never.
Just then I hear the click of the front door. I spin around right as she walks into the house. She kicks off her sneakers and looks up, freezing when she sees the chandelier.
Her mouth falls open slightly. All she can do for a handful of seconds is stare at it.
“Do you like it?” I finally ask when she stays quiet.
“Um... I...what about the crystals?”
Her stare turns dazed, and that’s when I notice that her eyes are red and the skin on her cheeks and chin is splotchy. Like she’s been crying.
“That box of crystals in the garage. I wanted to hang them on each of the tiers of the chandelier before you mounted it.”
She speaks as she stares at the chandelier. Her voice sounds off. Weak. Detached.
