The Hook-up

Chaptr 171

A week later Lauren sat in the car looking at her text messages from family and friends trying to decide what exactly she was going to do. It had been a week since she had hit Damaris in the face and left Bruno with a bruise on his eye that even TMZ had noticed. Ryan and Ari had been planning a surprise birthday party for Bruno since September. She had promised them that she would help, and had, by ordering food and making sure that the car that his father had purchased him was going to make it to Los Angeles in time for the surprise. She had completed her end of the deal and wasn't quite sure what role she wanted to play the evening of the event. As much as she wanted to figure out what they were doing, she also wanted to respect his birthday. He loved his birthday so much and as much as she missed him being with them, she felt like she could wait an extra day. They had spoken sporadically during the week. He called to ask how the babies were and to make sure that she didn't need any help. She had relocated to her mother's house where there was more space and a free body to help her care for the twins. Her mother loved doting on the babies and was able to find a way to soothe them that Lauren was trying to figure out on her own. They had their own personalities that Lauren and her mother were noticing. Everlee was a lot more alert and recognized voices more readily than her brother. Ezra, on the other hand, looked at everything and talked constantly. The noises that came out of his mouth intrigued everyone. As she flipped through her text messages she felt her phone vibrate making her jump. It was him.

"Hello?" she asked turning the car off trying to distract herself from the impending awkward conversation they were going to have.

"What are you doing?" Bruno asked her.

"I'm on my way to get the babies. What are you doing?" she answered.

"I'm thinking about how much I miss the babies." He paused. "And you."

"I don't want to do this, Bruno." She said over the loudness of the daycare.

"Laur, we have to." He answered.

"I don't want to now." She told him taking the pen from the pad of paper to sign the twins names. "Let me call you back in like two seconds. I have to get them to the car." She clicked the phone picking up the babies who were watching her strained emotions. She could tell they knew that she was upset. Ezra smiled at her unknowingly making her feel better. She buckled the babies into the car seat and grabbed her phone knowing that she had to talk to him. They had put it off long enough. "Okay. Now. Let's talk about it now." She told him not waiting for him to answer.

"Will you come home?" he pleaded. "Please."

"I don't know." She told him. "I don't know if I can."

"Just for dinner. I'll cook." He told her. "Nothing more. Just eating. And then you can go back to your mom's." he tried to negotiate with her."

"Okay. Fine. I'll be there in like twenty minutes." She said to him with a sigh of frustration.

"Be careful, mama." He said sweetly to her ending the phone call dropping the phone. "Shit. What are we going to eat? And she took all the baby food...crap...."

**

Almost exactly 20 minutes later Bruno heard a crack at the door and Geronimo hurry to the door. "Woah. Slow down." Lauren called out to the dog who buried his face into Ezra causing him to start to cry. "Geronimo! Come on!" Lauren exclaimed pulling him off of the baby. "He's not a toy...." She laughed pointing to the kitchen where he usually slept. "Go!" she yelled at him.

"Hi." Bruno walked into the hallway holding a spatula in his hand.

"I'm really not sure what to do now." She admitted a bit nervous.