The Hook-up

Chapter 220

What's wrong?" Damaris asked still half asleep.

"Nothing. Just go back to sleep.." he said running his fingers through her hair.

"Alright." she said closing her eyes not catching the emotions that Lauren would have instantly noticed.

**

And then there were some days when Bruno just kind of hung out at the Bahamas and Lauren went about her days without much attention to the way she was feeling. And then it was New Year's Eve. He had left several messages for her but did not get any responses from her. He knew he deserved it.

Bruno stood behind the scenes of the stage he would take in a few minutes to welcome the New Year with his band and the girl he had enjoyed spending time with for the last three days, Damaris. He looked over to his side to see his phone blinking. Maybe it's Lauren. Maybe it is her...he got a bit nervous picking it up to see a text from his mother wishing him good luck that evening and to cal Lauren. "I did. She didn't answer." he said to himself

"Are you ready?" Eric stepped behind his brother seeing the text messages from their mother.

"Yeah. I'm ready." he said to his brother. They had only spoken when necessary and even then things were tense. He was feeling the same tension with Ryan who had consistently taken Lauren's side on everything. Phil had stayed out of everything, but Bruno knew he was not happy. But, Bruno wasn't happy with the things Phil had done to Urbana either. Trouble with that, though, was that they never got married. Why did we get married? We could have just been fine without it. He thought to himself seeing Phil sitting next to the girl he was with at the moment. Damnit. Why did I do any of this?

"Bruno!" he heard several people yell at him.

"What?" he snapped lost in the thoughts that he had successfully avoided while with Damaris.

"Come on!" Jamero yelled at him as Bruno ran past him to get on the stage looking out for Damaris, unconsciously scanning the audience for Lauren instead getting lost in the sea of people. Where is she? He thought to himself as he heard the crowd calling out his name. He took a breathe trying to get back to the stage still looking for Lauren. As he hit the edge of the room he saw Damaris smiling at him. Oh. That's who I need to look at. He thought to himself seeing her smile. It wasn't the reassuring smile that he would usually get from Lauren. It wasn't the smile ofI'm with you. You can do it. That he was hoping for. It was a look at me. I'm yours. Not her. Tell them you're with me, not her smile. It was triumphant smile that he wasn't ready to see. He continued the set eventually finding other things to look at and to get lost between. As they neared the end of the set and the song that first made him famous he paused to take a sip of water walking back to Phred to tell him which version of Just the Way You Are he wanted to do. "The one where I say something to her." he said to Phred as Phred nodded his head signaling to the group what version they were supposed to do. As he was singing, unconsciously still thinking of Lauren as he looked at Damaris he started, "And this one goes out to my boo. You're amazing just the way you are..." he smiled right at her seeing her smile go from victory to overjoyed because he had recognized her, something that he never did, something he never even did with Lauren.

"Oh Bruno!" she ran to him after the show. "That was so amazing! It was even better than VS!"

"Thanks." he said as she hugged his sweaty body. It wasn't the right smell. It wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to smell Lauren's sweet smell covered in baby powered and baby food. He let go of her trying to wipe away any thought of Lauren from his mind, unsuccessfully. "I'll be right back." he said stepping away into a corner to call Lauren. "Laurrennn...' he sang to himself as he dialed knowing that she wouldn't answer. After several rings, though, he heard Ezra screaming on the other end.

"What?" Lauren asked frustrated. "I don't even know why I picked up the phone. Nevermind."

"Wait!" he yelled. "Wait, Lauren. I just wanted to hear your voice." he said almost in tears.

"I don't want to hear it, Bruno. We need some space. I don't want to talk to you."

"I was looking for you tonight, not her." he said almost choking up. "I wanted to see you, not her, Lauren."

"Then that's something that you're going to have to deal with, Bruno Mars." she said seriously hanging up the phone. He heard the silence at the other end and the cheers and celebrations of the New Year in the background.

"Come here, Bruno!" he heard Damaris yell taking his hand pulling him toward her to kiss him. "Happy New Year, Bruno." she whispered in his ear finally realizing that she wasn't who he wanted to be with that very moment.