The Hook-up

Chapter 154

Later the next afternoon Lauren sat in a rocking chair holding Ezra in her arms quietly listening to him sleep in her arms. She turned around to look out the window that the night before was lit up with the city lights. Where is he?She thought to herself. He said he would come today, but it's almost 3 and he hasn't even texted me. I mean, I get it, I know why he might not be here, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. And they're a day old...She continued to get anxiety about taking care of the twins by themselves as the time clicked one second of the clock for every thought that went through her head. Don't think about it. She said to herself standing up carefully to put Ezra in the moveable crib he was laying in before. She kissed his head knowing that the dreaming and sleeping he was doing was some of the most important moments of his life. This important for me too...she thought to herself reaching for her phone to see if anyone had texted her. Her mother had come to visit with her for a few hours before she went to work and her father and Tracy had just left. Her father had put on a happy face and bit his tongue after Lauren said that she hadn't seen Bruno since the evening before. Now, all by herself with her sleeping children her thoughts were jumbled and bothersome. How do I get these to go away? She thought to herself seeing no new text messages or messages.

"Laur?" she heard Bruno's quiet voice from the side of the room. Just as her thoughts continued to spiral out of control, he showed up. Just like he always did. He somehow was going to make it better. He has to. Lauren thought smiling at him holding up her hand to tell him to be quiet. "Oh. Okay." He whispered with a smile sitting down on the edge of the bed to kiss her lightly. "I'm sorry I've been gone..." he said to her. "We finished two more songs today. I think we're going to start working on deciding which ones to use now..." he told her.

"That's good. I can't wait to hear all of it." She answered him.

"You look beautiful today." he said to her pushing her bangs out of the way. "Like, I don't even know..." he said looking into her eyes.

"Okay, Bruno. Stop. You're going to make me blush." She laughed.

"Okay, okay." He said still sitting next to her. "When do they wake up?" he asked her.

"He just went down and she should be waking up soon." She told him glancing at the clock. "Maybe like 5..."

"Do you want me to get you something to eat? Did you eat yet?" he asked.

"No. Whatever you want. I'll eat it." She answered. "Wait. Just not cake, salsa or carrots." She said with a smile.

"Okay, mama." He answered starting to stand up.

"But Bruno...." She reached for his hand watching him turn around uncertain about what she was going to say. "Don't take too long."

"I won't." he said to her leaning down to kiss her lightly again. She let go of his hand slowly making him feel like she needed to say something. "Lauren, what's wrong, baby?"

She shook her head trying not to cry hoping that he would be able to read her emotions. "I'm fine." She told him trying to keep herself calm. He looked at her again knowing that she had to tell him something. He set down the keys and his phone sitting down where he was before.

"I'm just being silly. I don't even know why I am upset." She told him. He gave he a sad face touching her shoulder lightly.

"I'm here, Lauren. You don't have to worry...." He said to her moving his finger to her eyes to wipe off the tears coming down her cheek.

"Bruno, are you talking to Damaris? Mari texted me and said that she asked about the babies and it accidently slipped so she knows....."

"She called me yesterday." He said with a pause unsure of how to relay the conversation they had.

"Oh." She said with the same caution as him. "I know she bought the bassinets."

"What?" he asked trying to look confused.

"Don't bullshit me, Bruno. Mari is a bad liar. She told me." Lauren snapped. "Why didn't you just say that she bought them? I wouldn't have liked it, but they're perfect...."

"I was afraid to tell you. Just like I'm afraid to tell you that she said she was coming to LA in a few weeks." He said turning his head to avoid her stare.

"But you're going to be working and...." She looked at him trying read how their conversation unfolded. "And with me and the babies....I don't want her around them. I just don't trust her, Bruno. No. I won't. That won't happen."

"Okay." He responded with a straight face.

"Promise me, Bruno. Promise me right now that you won't see her and double promise me that she won't see our babies." She waited for him to look at her again. "Please." She pleaded hearing her voice crack as she started to cry again.

"Lauren, you're my wife. You're my everything. You and those sleeping babies are my everything. She doesn't mean anything to me. She never did and never will." He said feeling Lauren calm down a little as his hand moved to hers entangled in her left hand. She closed her eyes feeling his breathing. He laid his head on hers and whispered something in a melodic tone smiling against her nose. "I'm going to get you something to eat. " he kissed her nose feeling her return to a normal state of being, a state that he hadn't been in for months. He was still trying to figure it out. She had it figured out, she just had moments of doubt that scared her, moments like the one they just had. The only problem with the moment they just had was that he wasn't sure if he could keep his promise.