The Hook-up

Chapter 100

After they all finished their dessert, Bruno and Lauren said good bye to everyone and walked to the car. They followed Larissa and her brood out of the neighborhood parting ways at the highway. Who was he talking to? She continued to worry as they started on their journey back home.

"Are you feeling okay, Elle? You got quiet towards the end of the night.." he said glancing at the clock that read 9:30pm.

"I'm just cramping like I did before. I just want to go to bed." She told him the truth but avoided her worry about the phone call.

"Aww...." Bruno said sweetly reaching his hand over the center of the car to touch her hand that was sitting on her stomach. "You two need to be nice. Your mom puts up with a lot..." he said to her.

"They still can't hear you...." She smiled at him.

"Oh, they can." He said. "Don't you feel better now? Like it was instant. They listen to their dad."

"Yes, Doctor Mars. I'm suddenly cured." She joked. "Owww...."

"We'll be home soon, Lauren. I'll make everything perfect." He told her.

"You will?" she questioned.

"Yeah. You won't even want to get out of bed tomorrow." He said glancing down at his blinking phone. "Will you give me that?" she leaned down handing him his phone forgetting that she was silently enraged about his cell phone. She watched him start to play with the buttons texting and driving.

"Stop!" she said angerly smacking the back of his head as he texted while driving.

"Fuck, Lauren. That hurt..." he said throwing the phone at her playfully.

"You've already been in one accident this year. You can't get in another one, especially with me in the car." She told him.

"I'm sorry, Mom." He said sarcastically watching her reach for the phone flipping through it.

"Who were you talking to outside?" she asked him.

"My mom..." he told her watching her see it was his mother.

"But you never go outside when you talk to your mom..." she pondered.

"I thought it was rude to talk to her when everyone else was around." He told her.

"Fine. You win. It would have been." She told him.

"Who did you think I was talking to?" he asked,

"I don't know...." She told him a bit defeated.

"Lauren. Stop it. There's nothing to worry about. I don't even know where you would get that from." He told her.

"You've given me a few reasons to question it...." She said to him trying to push his buttons the same way her father had.

"There's nothing going on, Lauren! Nothing!" he exclaimed looking at her confused by her confrontation.

"Then quit giving me reasons to think that you're fucking her." Lauren snapped.

"Because that's what I was thinking, Elle. Let me call her up at my fiance's family's house and set up a time to hook-up with her again." He quipped sarcastically.

"I wouldn't put it past you to do it." She answered.

He didn't answer her continuing to drive ignoring her acusations knowing that she was starting to feel the discomfort of the shower birthday event. I don't know if I can keep this going for two months...he thought to himself. Maybe I should just stop for a little...She's going to get so upset and we're going to start fighting for absolutely no reason. "You're upset at me for no reason, Laur. I was talking to my mom about the twins. That was it." It was the truth.

"I believe you." She told him. "I'm sorry." They sat in the car with the music in the background for a little while until Bruno started to hum the song. Before he burst into full song she tried to side track his brain. "Brunz..what do you want to name them? I know it's early and all..but..."

"I don't care, boo. You choose." He said continuing to hum the song.

"You don't care?" she asked worried.

"Nope. Anything you choose will be perfect." He said to her.

She sighed in frustration turning to him. "You really make it hard for me to think that you want these babies some days, Bru."

"What are you talking about?" he asked her as they turned into the gate for his house.

"You just sound so disinterested. It's still a burden to you." She said trying not to cry.

"Laur...come on." He said as he turned off the car watching her get out of the seat. He followed behind her not saying anything. He tried to grab her arm as she walked in the house bending down to pet Gigi. "Lauren..." he whined trying to get her attention unsuccessfully.

"I'm going to bed." She told him picking up the dog dropping her shoes as she walked dumping her sweater, shirt and jeans in the laundry room unknowingly driving Bruno crazy as he followed her. "Stop." She snapped at him as she turned around to put on one of his shirts and her shorts to get in bed. "I just want to go to sleep. I don't feel good." She said curling up in her side of the bed clutching the blanket moaning a little in pain.

"Lauren..." he got in bed with her after turning off the light. He felt her move away from him a little but not enough to shake off his arms. "We should name them Thing One and Thing Two."

"Shut up, you are so stupid." She told him trying not to laugh at him through the small stream of tears of frustration that she was crying. He knew that she was crying, but he also knew that she was extra emotional in the morning and in the evening. He had learned to take these arguments very lightly with her. If they happened in the afternoon, though, he knew it was real. He reached his hand up to wipe away the tears from her eyes.

"I love you, Lauren." He whispered to her as the tears continued to fall down her cheek.

"I love you, too." She said half-awake positioning her legs over his turning to face him so she could use his body as her own pillow. This feels so right. He thought to himself running his fingers through her hair kissing her head feeling her hot body against his. So perfect.