Stupid Love: A Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy (The Prescotts Book 1)

by Tara Wyatt

  “Am I going to need this?” Theo asked warily, eyeing the glass in his hand.

  “You might.”

  “Okay,” he said warily, taking a small sip.

  Lucian narrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly. “What the fuck are you still doing here?”

  Theo’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

  “Why are you here and not in Los Angeles?”

  Even just the words Los Angeles were like a punch in the gut. Immediately, Lauren’s face swam across his field of vision, and he blinked rapidly and took a healthy swallow of his drink to force it away.

  “Because it’s too late, Lucian. I fucked it all up. Just like I was always going to.” His voice came out rough and raw, like his vocal cords had been rubbed with sandpaper.

  Lucian said nothing, simply stared at him with an arched eyebrow. “That’s it? That’s your excuse for letting Lauren go?”

  He raised his eyebrows, impatience flaring through him. “It’s not an excuse. It’s a fact,” he said sharply. His lungs suddenly felt tight and he had to force himself to breathe.

  “Did you not tell Aerin that some risks are worth taking when she was unsure about her future with Javier?”

  Theo snorted. “Yeah, I told her that. But Aerin and I are different people, and this is a very, very different situation.”

  “Why do you think you were always going to fuck it up?” Lucian’s calm was almost maddening, heating Theo’s blood as his impatience started to morph into anger.

  “How could I not? Look at how we grew up. Look at what I do for a living. I have no role models, no positive examples. I have a horrible track record when it comes to dating. I don’t...” His voice cracked and he took another sip of his drink, refusing to give in to the intense emotions swamping him in front of his brothers. “I don’t know how to be what she wants. I can’t be.”

  Lucian took another small sip of his drink and crossed one leg over the other. “You realize that if you let our parents and their fucked up behavior define who you are, they’ve won, right? Why on earth would you want to let those assholes win?”

  “I don’t...” Theo started to speak, but he trailed off as all of the fight went out of him. “It’s too late. I’m already fucked up.”

  “That’s bullshit. You can’t change what happened in the past, but you sure as fuck get to write your own story, brother.” Lucian leaned forward, his arms braced on his thighs, his dark eyes bright and intense. “You get to write it. Not them. Not if you don’t let them.” He sighed. “What are you so goddamn afraid of?”

  He pushed up off of the couch, restless energy making his legs itch. “That I’ll be a complete and utter disaster as a boyfriend, a husband, a father! That I’ll break innocent people just like Mom and Dad fucking broke me. I can either break the cycle or perpetuate it and I refuse to do that.”

  “But what if you choose to break the cycle by making different choices? Instead of seeing everything we went through as a burden, what if you looked at it like a masterclass in what not to do? You’re not a product of your circumstances. You’re a product of your decisions, and once you accept that, I think you’ll see the magnitude of the mistake you’ve made.”

  Theo dropped his chin to his chest and slowly sank back down onto the couch as the weight of what Lucian had just said rocked him to his core. His stomach bottomed out as the truth sank in, deeper and deeper. He’d been letting his past dictate his future, letting his parents rob him of happiness because he was so afraid of ending up like them. He was letting fear overrule everything, including the chance at something better than he’d ever imagined for himself.

  He dropped his head into his hands, the realization of what he’d thrown away crashing into him with the force of a hurricane, making it hard to breathe. Lucian was right. He couldn’t let his circumstances rule his life—he had the power to choose differently, to live differently, to not let fear cripple him.

  “Oh my God,” he whispered. He forced himself to look up and meet Lucian’s gaze. “It’s too late. I wrecked it. It’s too late. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. I love her so fucking much and I wrecked it.”

  Lucian shook his head. “If you want Lauren to forgive you—and I think she will because that is a woman in love—you have to forgive yourself first. You fucked up. We all do. But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be happy. The only real tragedy is if you don’t learn from this. So learn. Grow. Forgive. Stop living in fear and letting Mom and Dad mess with your head. And go get your woman back, you goddamned idiot.”

  Theo stood from the couch, flush with renewed hope and determination that went out of him like air escaping from a quickly deflating balloon. “She’s in Los Angeles.”

  Lucian blinked slowly, taking a sip of his drink. “And?”

  Theo spread his arms wide. “And I live here. In Manhattan. And I just made junior partner.”

  Lucian looked at him as if he were slow. “So?” When Theo didn’t say anything, he sighed. “How many family law firms do you think there are in Los Angeles? Ballpark.”

  “I don’t know. Probably at least a dozen, if not more.”

  “And how many Laurens are there?”

  For the first time since she’d left him by that fountain, he actually smiled. “Just the one.” He shook his head, shoving his hands through his hair. “I’m a moron.”

  Lucian smiled at him. “You’re a moron.”

  “Hey,” said Bastian, sitting up and pointing at Theo. “Didn’t you take the California Bar a couple of years ago on a bet?”

  Theo actually laughed. “Yeah, I did.”

  Lucian stood and headed back toward the kitchen. He glanced over his shoulder as he went. “So we come back to my original question. What the fuck are you still doing here?”

  Theo grinned and headed for the door, almost forgetting his coat in his rush to start putting a plan into action. But then something occurred to him and he paused, his coat draped over his arm. “You had it even worse than I did growing up,” he said to Lucian, who was calmly pouring himself another drink. “How are you okay?”

  Lucian turned and smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, I have demons. I just know how to keep them fed so they leave me the fuck alone.” He waved his hand. “Go. Figure out a way to get her back. You deserve to be happy, little brother.”

  For the first time in a very long time, Theo believed he did, too. He just hoped it wasn’t too late.

  22

  Two weeks in, and Los Angeles was starting to feel just the tiniest bit like home for Lauren. The sounds and smells were slowly becoming more familiar, and her daily routine of working with Sadie had her in a creative flow that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was freeing and immensely satisfying not having to worry about anything at all except the music. No library, no paying her rent, no hustling for gigs.

  No Theo.

  Her heart still hurt whenever she thought of him, each memory like pressing on a bruise that wouldn’t heal. It might always hurt. She hadn’t been dramatic when she’d told Brandon that Theo was the love of her life. Even now, after the hurt he’d caused and the way he’d rejected her, she knew it was still true. It would always be true.

  With a sigh, she stirred her tea, turning her gaze to the windows that looked out onto Wilshire Boulevard. The apartment Sadie owned and let musicians stay in free of charge was bright and airy, and fully furnished with comfortable mid-century modern style furniture. Hardwood floors, pale yellow walls and large windows made the one-bedroom apartment feel bigger than it was. The building itself was on the small side, with five floors and only four apartments per floor. She’d gotten to know a couple of her neighbors—Bodie, who owned a surf apparel brand, Heather, who was a yoga teacher, and Fabian, a European transplant trying to act and model. She missed her friends back in New York desperately, but she texted and Skyped with them regularly, and was trying to make some new friends here. Besides, she knew that the pervasive loneliness that followed h
er around like a shadow had everything to do with missing Theo. And that wasn’t fixable.

  She took her tea into the L-shaped living room and settled down on the couch, watching the light gradually fade as dusk fell over LA. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to text Willa when it buzzed in her hand. When she saw the message on the screen, she nearly dropped it.

  Theo: Hey.

  Her heart started going a million miles an hour before plummeting into her stomach. Should she respond? What should she say? What did this mean? She hadn’t changed her number, hoping that maybe, just maybe she’d hear from him, and now that she had, she was caught completely off guard. She set her tea aside and typed out her response.

  Lauren: Hey.

  Brilliant. But she couldn’t think of anything else. There was too much bouncing around in her brain to settle on anything.

  Theo: Are you home?

  She frowned at her phone. What kind of question was that? And yet she found herself answering it all the same. Sliding back into talking to him like butter melting on a hot pan.

  Lauren: Yeah, I just got back from the studio a little while ago.

  Theo: Perfect. Come up to the roof.

  She went very, very still and read his last message back at least half a dozen times. It could only mean one thing.

  He was here.

  She didn’t know how he knew where she lived, or what the hell was going on, but she was already up off the couch and heading for the door, the knowledge that Theo was here pulsing through her with crackling electricity. Emotions warred with each other as she took the stairs up to the rooftop terrace. She was still hurt, still angry, but beside those emotions, there was also hope. So much hope she was nearly shaking with it.

  When she stepped out onto the rooftop terrace, she gasped. She’d only been up here once before, and it certainly hadn’t looked like this, with every square foot of the space covered in flowers. Roses in shades of deep red, delicate pink, pure white, cheery yellow. Bright pink lilies and bunches of daisies. Lush pink peonies and peach-hued dahlias. Daffodils and tulips and carnations. Irises and gardenias. Sunflowers, even. Hundreds of flowers, and right there, in the middle of all of the floral craziness, was Theo.

  Her heart stopped completely before restarting at double time and she had to stop herself from launching herself at him. He was here. Theo was here.

  He took a step forward, his brow furrowed. “Hey, Lo.”

  Her throat tightened at the sound of his voice, the sound of her nickname. “Hey,” she managed, her mouth dry. “What...what are you doing here? How did you find me?”

  “Don’t be mad—Willa gave me your address.”

  “I’m not mad. Not at her,” she added, some of the shock at seeing him again wearing off. “You, on the other hand...”

  He held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I know. I know. I deserve every ounce of your anger because I fucked up. I fucked up huge.” He swallowed hard and she could see the anguish on his gorgeous face. It was unfair how good he looked in his white T-shirt and beat up jeans. Unfair.

  “You did,” she agreed, crossing her arms in front of her.

  He took another step closer, and then another, and then another until he was right there, close enough that she could feel the warmth coming off of his body, that she could smell the achingly familiar scent of his aftershave.

  “I never should’ve let you walk away like that, and I never should’ve accused you of manipulating me. I get it now. You were just trying to let me figure stuff out. I know now that letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life.”

  “Then why did you?” she asked softly, hope vibrating inside her like a living thing.

  “Because I was scared that I wasn’t good enough for you. That I’d hurt you and make the same mistakes I see other people make every day. I thought that if I couldn’t be perfect, I didn’t deserve to be happy. I didn’t deserve your love.”

  “And how do you feel now?”

  “I’m still scared, Lo. But I’m more afraid of facing a future without you than of screwing everything up. Because as scared as I am, I love you so much that I don’t know how to breathe without you.”

  “Theo,” she whispered, the two syllables carrying love and forgiveness and hope. So much hope.

  “I’m so sorry, Lauren. I’m so sorry for hurting you and for not believing in what we could have. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for hurting you and letting you walk away, but I hope you can somehow forgive me.” He took her hands in his, and she felt a tremble in his touch that mirrored her own. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. And if you can somehow forgive me for being a stupid ass, I’m going to keep loving you for as long as you’ll let me.” He traced his thumbs over her knuckles. “It’s always been you, Lo.”

  Something broke open inside her, something warm and sweet and she felt like she was out in the sun for the first time after a long, dark winter. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, burying her face in his neck. “I love you, you stupid idiot.”

  “I am most definitely the world’s biggest idiot for letting you go,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. His hand cradled the back of her head, holding her tight. “I love you.” He pulled back and brushed his lips over hers, a question of a kiss. “Will you give me another chance to make it right? To love you the way you deserve?”

  She bit her lip, smiling up at him. “I don’t know, are you sure you’re the man for the job?”

  “I’d very much like to be. If you’ll let me. If you’ll give me another chance.” He kissed her again, lingering this time, his mouth slow and sweet against hers. “I don’t want to be that guy anymore. The guy who lives in fear.”

  “Who do you want to be?”

  “I want to be the guy who brings you more flowers than you know what to do with. I want to be the guy who wakes up beside you and falls asleep next to you, every single day. I want to be the guy who loves you day in and day out, always.” He reached up and traced his thumb over her cheek. “I want to be your lobster.”

  Tears pricked her eyes, but for the first time in weeks, they weren’t tears of sadness and loss, but tears of happiness. Tears of sheer joy.

  “I forgive you,” she said, and then arched up on her toes and kissed him, feeling as though she were floating. Feeling Theo’s arms around her, his mouth against hers, the scent of him filling her lungs was a joy she thought she’d lost forever. When they broke apart, she curled her fingers into the fabric of his T-shirt. “What about your job?”

  “I quit.”

  She pulled back a little, looking up at him. “You what? But you just made junior partner, and—” He cut her off with a kiss.

  “I want to be where you are. Do you think there’s any demand for divorce lawyers in LA?” he asked, grinning at her.

  She laughed and kissed him again. “Oh, there just might be.”

  “Good. Because I’m here to stay. Wherever you are is where I belong. I love you so much, Lo.”

  “Are you sure about this? You give me so much, and now to give up your job and move out here, all to be with me, it’s…it feels like too much to ask.”

  “First of all, you’re not asking me to do anything—I’m doing this because I want to. And second, you put up with my neurotic bullshit, so I think we’re pretty much even.”

  She held him tight, her stomach fluttering wildly. “I used to think I was stupid for loving you,” she said.

  He kissed her, his hands running up and down her back. “And now?”

  “Now I think I’d be stupid not to.”

  He laughed and picked her up, his body wide and strong against hers. “How about you show me your apartment?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked.

  She nodded, giddy with happiness. “Let’s go home.”

  The End

  Thank you!

  Thank you so much for reading Theo and Lauren’s story! I hope you enjoyed it. To get access to their extended epilogue, be sure to sign
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  SNOW JOB

  The second book in the Prescotts series, coming in 2021!

  Turn the page for a sneak peek.

  1

  “Prescott, I need to see you in my office. Now.” Sebastian looked up from his desk, his head pounding dully, the remnants of his hangover refusing to let go. He closed his email and stacked the proposals he’d been working on into a neat pile, stood and adjusted his tie and then followed his boss, Robert Stammler, down to his office at the end of the hall. As he walked, he glanced out the window at the Manhattan skyline, sunlight glinting off of the windows of the buildings below, some of them buildings he was directly involved with as the VP of Marketing and Project Management for one of Manhattan’s biggest real estate development firms. The rest of his life might be in shambles, but at least he still had his career. It was the only thing keeping him anchored. The only thing keeping him from completely going off the deep end.

  He stepped inside Stammler’s office and before he could take even two steps, Stammler pointed and said, “Shut the door.” A creeping sense of dread worked its way down Sebastian’s spine, but he kept his expression neutral. Without waiting to be invited, he took a seat across from his boss.

  Stammler tossed a file across the sleek glass desk at him. “Tell me about this.”

  Sebastian frowned and picked it up, leafing through it. “This is the Ashbar project.” The development was a massive undertaking, nearly fifty stories tall with over six hundred apartments and ground floor luxury retail. Sebastian and his team had been in charge of marketing the high end condos as well as attracting the right retailers.