The Hook-up

Chapter 95

"I need to go to the studio. It will take like 10 minutes. I promise. Then we'll get you and the babies whatever you want to eat." Bruno said glancing over at Lauren's face as she looked at her phone seeing her reaction to her secret. "Ohhh what?" he asked.

"I just was looking at facebook and one of my friends got in a car accident.t She's fine though." She answered quickly keeping her secret to herself.

"Oh..." he answered not sure what to say.

"Yeah. It just shocked me. She'll be okay." Lauren said flipping back to the information on the website as he continued to drive to the studio. "You spend too much time here." She told him.

"Well, it's either here or New York, mama." He said to her getting out of the car. She came around to the other side of the car reaching for his hand entangling their fingers. He dug in his pocket opening the door for them.

"I guess I can take this over that. At least you come home every once in a while if you're here.." she told him reaching over to turn on the light to see one of the tables covered with plates of spaghetti, salad and bread. "What are you doing?" she asked him.

"We're eating dinner." He said sitting down across from her.

"You're crazy. How is this still hot?" she asked him.

"It's a secret." He said to her with a smirk.

"Your assistant." She laughed.

"I texted him when we were leaving. He left like two minutes ago...." Bruno said to her.

"But who cooked?" she wondered.

"I did! Come on, Lauren!" he said shocked.

"I just wonder..." she smiled taking a bite. "It's good, Brunz. You did a good job." She said reaching for the glass of water in a white wine glass. "I like your choice of beverage."

"It was kind of the only thing I could think of..." he said.

"But you usually have wine..." she said pointing to his glass with water in it too.

"I'm not drinking anymore, Lauren." He replied.

"You're what?" she asked a bit confused.

"It only gets me in trouble and I hurt everyone I love when I do it It's not necessary. I want to finish this album clear and full of whatever real emotions I have. Not anything that can be blurred by whatever liquor is on the shelf that moment." He explained.

"Was there an intervention that I wasn't invited to?" she asked him.

"You were my intervention, Laur." He said to her.

'What do you even mean?" she was still confused.

"When you left...that was it." He responded.

"Oh." She said taking a sip of the water setting it down wiping off a bit of lip gloss from the cup.

"Is this like forever or just for right now? Because after these babies are done with my boobs I'm having a fucking shot of something ridiculous. Or several." She told him.

"Once I can figure it out. But right now. I just want to be me, this album, and us." He told her.

"Wow. That's a revelation." She said still shocked.

"I know. But, I thought you'd be happy about it." He said in a serious tone.

"I am, Brunz. I'm happy you've made that decision. It was the right decision. I just want you to be able to stick to it and not like forget about it one night and then do something stupid again." She told him. "I just find it hard to believe that you would do that. I believe in you. I really do. But I just worry."

"Don't worry, Elle. Please. I can do it." He said confidently.

"You can do it..." she said taking his hand from him.

"I want to do it for us, too, Laur. Like I want to remember and be part of everything that we have. I don't think I even remember January or February. I know there were good parts, but the bad were bad. And I know I hurt a lot of people. I'm so sorry." He said. "I want to remember when the babies are born, and painting rooms, and buying clothes and bottles and all those little things that babies need. I want to remember forever with you."

"Forever? Are you sure?" she asked letting go of his hand.

"I've never been so sure in my life." He told her taking out the ring he had put on her finger just a few weeks ago.

"I'm not sure yet..." she said pushing the box away. She looked into his sad brown eyes. "Stop it. You're not going to guilt me into saying yes, Peter Gene Hernandez."

"Oh shit. Pulling out the big guns..." he smiled looking at her.

"I just....you said a lot tonight. And I don't want to jump into anything before...Bruno. It's like when people say they're going to go on a diet and then eat cake the next day and say, 'oh the diet isn't working.' I don't want there to be so much pressure in all of it..." Lauren told him. "I'm not saying no, Bruno. I just want you to see how this is going to work before I say yes..." she explained.

"I understand." He said still a bit sad.

"It's not going to work, Bruno!" she laughed. "Our kids better not pull that shit with me."

"They will. That's the first thing I'm going to teach them." He laughed finishing his water. "Oh...come of here..." he said a bit excited walking to one of the recording boards.

"What do you want me to hear?" she asked.

"Hang on...I need to find it..." he said. "We finished it in New York...after you left..." she sat down next to him feeling him pull her close in between his legs watching her as she listened to the song.

"Your car isn't that fancy...." She told him listening to the first few lines.

"Shush. Just keep listening..." he said making her laugh a little. She looked down closing her eyes listening to the song. He knew that was a good thing because her father did it too when he liked something, he remembered that very clearly when he signed him to his label. She looked up at him as the song mentioned his lies. He could read all the things that were going through her head as the song continued. He pulled her closer as the song came closer to an end. As he came closer to her she felt several small kicks from the both directions. You're telling me I should say yes. She thought to herself. She closed her eyes again feeling the tears fall down her cheeks more than she had expected. He reached over turning off the recording touching her face lightly.

"Lauren. You don't have to say anything. I understand." He said wiping the tears off her cheek running his nail along the bottom of her eye lashes wiping off the mascara that had fallen off. She blinked a little looking at his eyes, this time showing concern and sincerity.

"Give me the damn ring, Bruno Hernandez." She smiled sniffing away the tear watching him reach over to take the ring from the table.

"Wait..." he paused turning around looking at her. "Come over here..." he watched her stand up walking toward him. As she got closer her bent down on one knee looking up at her.

"Will you marry me, Lauren?" he asked.

"What did I say before, Brunz?" he said taking his hand as he stood up again. "Give me the ring." She smiled watching him place the diamond on her hand.