The Hook-up

Chapter 15

For the next few weeks the two went their separate ways. Bruno was in random cities to promote his album and flirted with enough girls to get himself killed, if he was still dating Lauren. He still felt guilty being around all the girls that were throwing themselves at him. Phil and his new band members, those that he handpicked to tour with him for the next year and a half, even encouraged him to get out there. You only live once was what they told him. You will only be like this once. Do it. They all said. But every time he looked at a girl she did something that reminded him of her. The girl's hair was the same, she liked the same music, she had the same perfume on. She walked a little like her. There was always something; something that pulled him back to her. Bruno walked out of a bar in Dallas smelling the humid air reminding him of Hawaii. Man that's nice. He thought to himself sitting on a curb by himself flipping through his phone to talk to his mother. She always calmed him down. He really needed it. He wasn't sure what was stressing him out. As he flipped through his phone he saw a text message from Lauren.

I miss you. I'm sorry.

He stared at it for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do. He moved his finger to the call button. Shit. He thought to himself hearing the phone ring.

"Bruno?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"I miss you too, Laur. Everything reminds me of you. And not being with you." He said plainly but with enough emotion that she knew he was serious.

"I miss you too. I was wrong. I was wrong about all of this. You're not Justin....nothing bad is going to happen." She told him.

"I won't be home until....." he paused to think. "December...the 5th...."

"I just need to see you, Bruno." She responded.

"Lauren...why are you acting like this all the sudden?" he asked her slightly worried.

"I don't know...." She answered. "I don't know...." She knew exactly why. She was constantly reminded of him. Everywhere she went he was there. On the radio, on TV, online...everywhere. She missed having that. Having someone who she could point to and say He's mine.

"I don't know why I need you either...." He admitted. He knew why too. His heart raised, his words got jumbled, his palms got sweaty, she drove him crazy and he loved that feeling. "Laur...you sound tired. What have you been doing?" he asked her taking out his cigarettes.

"I had to work today. There was some big story that I had to cover. I'm not done writing the article yet and it's due in two hours." She told him. "And then Just the way you are came on...."

"Baby....go do your work. I'll call you tomorrow." He replied.

"I'll try." She answered/

"I'll call you tomorrow morning, okay?" he responded.

"Can you be my alarm? I have to be up at 8....that's 10 there...." She asked.

"I'll call you at 10, Elle." He said sweetly.

"Okay. Good night, Bruno." She answered yawning.

"Good night, Lauren." He said waiting for her to hang up the phone. He heard a click sighing heavily. "Oh."

"Was that your mom?" Ryan sat down next to his friend pulling out his own phone.

"No. It was Lauren." He said in a defeated tone.

"I thought you were over her?" Ryan wondered out loud.

"I thought I was too...." He told his friend and his assistant. "But I'm not." He said getting up following the rest of his band to the tour bus.
**
"Oh shit!" Lauren exclaimed moving her hand to her phone hitting it. That's not my alarm....

"Good morning beautiful." She heard Bruno's voice on the other end.

"Oh shit...is it really 8?" she said looking up at the microwave that said 8:02.

"It is." He said sweetly. "Get up sleepy head."

"Okay, okay." She moaned getting up off of the floor.

"Did you finish your article?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Like 2 minutes before my boss was going to rip my head off." She yawned.

"Oh shit. I can understand that." He told her.

"Bruno?" she asked him. "I have class in an hour. I have to go take a shower. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, Elle. Have a good day." He replied.

"You too, Bru. Do amazing things, today." She said hanging up the phone.