The Hook-up

Chapter 180

 "Where's Lauren?" Lauren heard a voice and the door to the bathroom open.

"I don't know...she's was with him before his crazy speech.." she heard the unfamiliar voice say to their friend.

"They are adorable..like I have to be in a relationship like that..." the other girl said.

"And that girl has had too much...." The other said about Lauren as they finished washing their hands with a laugh without attempting to find out what was wrong with Lauren. As they walked out the door Lauren heard familiar footsteps walking into the bathroom, Caitlin.

"Lauren! Oh my god!" Caitlin yelled sitting down next to her wrapping her arm around Lauren seeing that she was still crying uncontrollably between bouts of unconsciousnes.

"I don't know what happened..." she told her friend through her labored breathing. "I don't know what happened..." she said.

"Let me go get Bruno...." Caitlin said starting to stand up feeling Lauren pull her down.

"No. Don't get him. It's okay." she said cringing through the pain she was in.

"No, you're not okay. Who did this to you? Look at your arms and..." she moved Lauren over to see the marks on her back and now bright red bruising. "Lauren!" she shouted trying to get her to say something.

"He did." Lauren told him. "No one can know. Not now...." Lauren responded. "No one can know...please..Cait. If there was ever time that no one needs to know that he does this sometimes....it's now. Please.." she pleaded.

"Stand up..." Caitlin responded. "I don't like what I'm going to do, but I'm going to do it for you." she told her best friend helping Lauren get up. "Sit down on the bench. Look at your phone like you're doing something. Or even call Jamie and ask her how the babies are...look busy..." she said sitting Lauren on the bench after wiping away her excessive tears. "I will be right back." Lauren nodded her head reaching for her phone. She watched Caitlin walk away catching glimpses of the crowd that was still drinking and celebrating his new album. As people walked by the ignored Lauren and her contribed busyness of her cell phone. A few minutes later Caitlin walked back into the hallway carrying Bruno's jacket. "Put this on and put on a happy face for a few minutes. Then you can come home with us." she told her friend hugging her tightly.

"Oww, oww, owww. Stop." Lauren cried. "I didn't think it was this bad..." she said pulling the sleeves down on his jacket smelling the fresh smell of smoke and whiskey.

"Laur..." Bruno saw Lauren off to the side getting away from the people he was talking to. He reached for her hand feeling her pull away. Se shook her head looking down avoiding his eye contact. Caitlin stood next to them not moving. "Caitlin?" he asked. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" she exclaimed softly so not everyone heard. "I swear to God, if we weren't here right now I would kick your skinny drunk ass right now."

"Caitlin, stop. Please." Lauren said softly. "I will be fine." she said looking up at Bruno with her fire red eyes from the tears.

"Oh, baby...stop..." he said sweetly not noticing everyone around them. "I'm sorry..." he told her. "I overreacted..it was silly."

"Silly would have been you being nice to him." Caitlin told Bruno.

"Caitlin!" they both snapped at her.

"I just want to go home and get the babies and go to bed..." Lauren said reaching for his hand.

"I have to stay, boo." he said to her sweetly as if nothing had happened. She closed her eyes the way she did when she didn't want to deal with something. She felt his hand on her now matted hair. Somehow he was able to calm her down within a few seconds by breathing with her, not saying a word. "Are you better?" he asked.