The Hook-up

Chapter 39

"Bruno...what do you want to eat?" Lauren leaned into his half empty fridge a few days after his family returned home to Hawaii.

"Macaronni and Cheese, Elle." He yelled at her from the living room.

"Really? I can't make that." She said.

"Why not?" he asked her.

"I never boil the water right. And then I either put too much or too little cheese in it." She told him. "Plus...you don't have the pack to make it."

"Lauren....oh my gosh. You are so white...." He laughed at her struggling to get off the couch cringing a little. "Look...." He went to the pantry grabbing uncooked noodles, several types of cheese and a pot. "Watch me be a Top Chef....sit down...." He pointed to the chair for her to sit at to watch him. He proceeded to explain what he was doing. "And now we wait..." he told her covering up the boiling pot of water and pasta. He walked over to the chair next to her sitting down next to her watching her eyes move from his face to the ground. "Lauren...what's wrong?" he asked her pulling her chin back up to his eyes. She shook her head not wanting to answer him. "Laur..."

"If I hadn't left none of this would have happened." She told him. "We just should have talked about it. It was stupid. Bigger things have happened. I overreacted."

"Lauren....stop...." he moved his hand to her cheek placing it over a tear coming down her cheek. She could feel everything that had happened in New York City on her shoulders. What do I do? We're good right now. I don't want him to get mad at me. I can't have him mad at me. But he's done worse. He's done way worse.

"I kissed Justin." She blurted out.

"You what?" he asked her pulling his hand away from her cheek.

"Right before I left. It was stupid. He was just being a good friend. It didn't mean anything. It didn't mean anything. It felt like kissing a brother. Eww. It was gross, Bruno..." she continued to find excuses as he studied her face.

"Oh well." He shrugged his shoulders. "He just better keep those lips to himself the next time he's in the same city as the two of us." He smiled at her.

It's whatever medicine he's on. She thought to herself. He wouldn't act like that usually. No. This is just temporary."Are you okay?" she asked him confused.

"I'm hungry." He said reaching over her grabbing a cookie his sister had made. "Do you want some?"

She shook her head no as the piece of cookie neared her face. "No."

"Oh come on..." he smiled at her.

"Okay, okay...." She moaned taking the cookie from his hand taking a bite. "Bruno....."

"Hmm?" he asked her.

"Your water is boiling..." she pointed to the kitchen.

"Oh...shit..." he laughed walking toward the pot hearing her walk behind him. She stood next to him as he instructed her how to finish the side dish.

"Okay...so...I do this..." she grabbed the cheeses he had out putting it on top of the cooked pasta.

"Just like that...." He said moving behind her grabbing the large spoon she had in her hand helping her stir the cheese. He touched her neck pushing her hair off to the side leaning his head into her neck kissing it lightly.

"Bruno...you could really hurt yourself..." she said putting the spoon down turning to face him.

"So?" he asked her putting his hands on either side of her leaning in to kiss her. "I'll be careful." He pulled away kissing her again.

"No." she moved her hands away from him taking a hold of a piece of paper form the doctor. "He said not to do anything that required too much energy." She read the paper.

"But you're gonna do all the work." He winked at her.

"Hey! No!" she pushed him lightly against the counter.

"But babbbyyyy...." He moaned feeling her move her head from his lips.

"I don't want you to get any more hurt than you already are...." She told him.

"Laur...what's the most trouble you've ever gotten in?" he asked her seriously.

"I left the house without asking once and went to my friend Cody's house with a bunch of other couples...I think he made out....and then when I came home my mom yelled at me and said she was on the phone with the police when I walked in..." she told him the story.

"You are too perfect." He said to her moving where her head was kissing her. "Be bad, once." He said against her lips. "For me."