The Hook-up

Chapter 24

Lauren moved her head over a little feeling Bruno's shoulder near her head. She stretched out in the bed kissing the top of his forehead walking into the small living room. She sat down turning on the TV. She didn't hear Bruno at all, assuming he was just recovering from his recent trip. She took a quick shower walking to the living room again with a cami and sweatpants on with a towel over her head. "Oh...hi." She smiled seeing Bruno sitting on her couch. He patted the couch telling her to sit down next to her. She smiled at him sitting down feeling his arms wrap around her not saying anything. "Bruno...you're so quiet. Are you okay?" she turned facing him watching his eyes fall to the ground. "Bruno?" she asked him again. He moved his arms from around her heading to her small kitchen.

"What do you want for breakfast?" he asked her. "Cereal or...." He paused getting into her pantry pulling out the cereal she and Caitlin had. "Or cereal?"

"I'll take cereal." She said pointing to the cereal in his right hand.

"Okay." He said reaching up to grab the bowls in her cabinet.

"Do you need help with that?" she laughed at him.

"No. I've got it." He turned looking at her with a half smile watching her walk over to him taking the bowl from him.

She looked down at the cereal making a grossed out face. "There's not enough milk." She said to herself going to the fridge to get more.

"Oh. Sorry." He said with a sad tone. He didn't smile pretending to make a joke about it.

"Bruno..it was just milk. It was a joke." She answered him looking at the distress in his face. She tried to figure out what was wrong with him by checking off the things he had told her over the phone. "Are you nervous about moving, Bru?" He shook his head trying to avoid eye contact with her. "Or the Grammy's?" He looked up at her shaking his head again. "Then what's wrong?" He finished his cereal looking at her with pain in his eyes. "Bruno?" she asked him finishing her own cereal placing it next to his clean bowl. "Bruno?"

He kept his eyes on the floor speaking in a soft tone. "I slept with someone else." He said it turning around quickly still not making eye contact trying to leave the room. She took his hand pulling him back to her. He looked up at her seeing the same pain in her eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm going to go."

He walked passed her waiting for her to yell. "But why, Bruno?" she asked him.

"I don't know." He said to her at the door. "I'm sorry." He opened the door.

"Wait..." she sat down on the couch placing her head in her hands trying not to cry. "Why?" she asked him through her tears.

"I...." he moved back to the couch sitting on the opposite side.

"You what?" she looked up at him.

"I thought you were going to sleep with someone..." he admitted.

"You thought what?" she gasped.

"You were going out that one night...and it was the same place we met. You were going to find someone better than me." He told her .

"Bruno!" she yelled at him.

"I know. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." He told her. "I'm hurting you. I'll just leave." He said getting up.

"Did you fuck you better?" Lauren asked in an angry tone.

"No. She didn't, Elle." He said in a sad tone.

"Oh." She answered.

"Was she at least pretty?" Lauren asked.

"Not as beautiful as you, Lauren." He told her trying to reach for her hand.

She pulled her hand away from him. "I think we just need....." she paused. "I'll talk to you when you get back from Australia."

"Elle, I'm sorry." He said kissing the top of her head walking out the door.

"I'm sorry too, asshole." She said throwing the remote at the door watching it shatter against the hardwood door.