Page 57 of In Love with Lewis Prescott
He shrugs. “There’s not a whole lot to say.”
“You sure?”
I bite my tongue, wondering if that was too much. As much as I want Lewis to truly understand that he can say anything to me, it’s a fine line to straddle. If I push too hard, it could upset him.
“You could start off with venting about how much of a douchebag your agent is.”
One corner of his mouth lifts. “I really hate that guy sometimes.”
“The way he spoke to you was out of line. He had no right.”
Lewis nods, resting his hands on my hips as he gazes down at me. “Sometimes I get really fucking sick of working with him.”
“I’m sure there are a million other agents who would kill to represent you.”
He starts to shake his head, but I reach up and cup his cheek with my hand.
“I’m serious, Lewis. Whatever loyalty you think you owe Trent, there’s a limit. He doesn’t have a free pass to berate you just because he helped you land a job. I mean, that’s what he’s supposed to do. And anyway, you got yourself the role in the end.”
Lewis nods slightly, like he’s thinking seriously about what I’ve said.
He brushes a chunk of my hair away from my face. “You look like something’s on your mind.”
“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
He studies me for a second. Then he cups his palm over my cheek. “You’re wondering about what I said. About my family.”
Keeping hold of his gaze, I nod. “I know it’s not my business, and you’re not obligated to tell me anything, of course. But I’m sorry for whatever you’re going through with them.”
With that he tilts my chin up and presses a light kiss to my lips. Then he drops his hands to his sides before wincing. “I might need a drink to get into that mess.”
I walk back over to the freezer, pull out the bottle of vodka, grab two glasses, and pour a few splashes into both. When I turn around, I see Lewis plopping onto a stool at the island. I take the one next to him and hand him a glass.
He tells me thanks before taking a long sip. “My family sold baby pictures of me to the paparazzi years ago. It broke my trust, and I haven’t spoken to them since.”
My jaw drops. “Oh my god. That’s awful.”
He takes another sip before ruffling his hair with a hand. “Maybe it’s not a big deal. A lot of people would forgive their families for doing that, but... I’ve always been a really private person. Kind of inconvenient, considering my passion is acting in movies and TV shows. But I’ve done my best to hold that boundary. I thought my family respected that about me. But I guess our issues go back way further than that.”
I place my hand over his on the countertop. When he moves to lace his fingers in mine, my skin warms and my heart thunders once more. It means everything that in this moment of need, he’s choosing to find comfort with me.
I squeeze his hand. “What happened?”
Another heavy sigh rockets from him. “My family has always been kind of a mess, you could say. My parents fought a lot when I was a kid. I don’t get why they don’t just get divorced. They clearly don’t love each other.”
His gaze falls to his nearly empty glass, loosening and tightening his grip on it, like he’s working up the nerve to say more.
“I wasn’t a planned presence in my parents’ life,” he says after a minute. “And it was pretty obvious.”
It takes me a moment to realize what he means. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugs, almost as if he’s trying to literally shrug off the pain written in the anguished expression on his face. “I think they tried their best in a lot of ways. I mean, they didn’t abuse or neglect me. But I could just feel it, like they were going through the motions with me. Taking me to school, showing up for games and events. But it never felt like theywantedto be there. More like they were there because they knew they had to be—because they knew that’s what was expected of them.”
My chest aches. I can’t image my family ever treating me like that. My whole life, I’ve felt loved by my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. The constant hugs and kisses andI love yous; the way they showed up for every game, recital, graduation, and award ceremony; the way they call me multiple times a week; their genuine interest and pride in everything I’ve ever done. It’s never been a question just how much they love me.
My heart breaks knowing that Lewis never had that.
I squeeze his hand tighter. “What a loss for them, because I’m sure you were an incredible kid. Your grandpa clearly thought so, spending all that time with you and making the effort to pass along his skills.”
