Chapter 23

I turn my head and look at Bruno. I twist one of his curls around my finger and smile. I like watching him sleep. I softly rub my thumb across his cheek. He doesn't wake up, but he tightens his arms around me. I used to dream about being with him like this. I never thought it would happen. He opens his eyes. They stare into mine for awhile, than he smiles. "Hi." I say. "Hi." he says back. I rub my thumb across his lips like he always does to me. I laugh when he climbs on top of me and kisses my neck. His hands are everywhere and I have to stop him. "You keep doing that and we'll never leave this bed." He runs his tongue across my lips. "That's okay." he whispers. I get weak and let him do what he wants. Each time just keeps getting better.

         He lays next to me, out of breath. "I think the people down the street heard you." he says, with a smirk. I bite my lip, embarrased. "Sorry." I say. He grabs the back of my hair and pulls me towards him to kiss me. "Next time you're doing all the work." he says. I smile and shake my head. "But you're the pro." I say. He laughs. "Practice makes perfect Lena." I laugh. He kisses me again. A knock at the door interrupts. "Who the hell---" We both look over at the clock. 8:07 A.M. He hops up from the bed, throws his pants on and makes his way to the door. I grab his shirt and throw it on. I hear the door open and a females voice echoes in the hallway. I strain my ears. "What are you doing here?" I hear him ask. Silence, than I hear what sounds like kissing. I peek out the door and to my horror, his lips that were on mine not even 2 minutes ago, are all over this tall, blonde slut! I close the door and slip back into bed. I want to cry and scream. My heart feels like it's being ripped out of my chest. But what can I do? It seems like years before he finally comes back in the room. I have my head turned in the other direction. He lays down next to me and tries to put his arms around me, but I stiffen up. "Lena.." I don't move. He sighs. "Look, it's complicated." he says, knowing my reason for being cold. "Didn't look complicated." I mumble. "So now all of a sudden you're Miss Perfect!" He raises his voice. I lift my head and glare at him. "When did I ever say I was perfect?" He doesn't respond. He just has the same grumpy face he had the day I came here. "Don't kiss somebody else, ESPECIALLY after having sex with me, and expect me to be okay with it!" I yell. "You don't even know the situation, so what are you getting mad for?!" I close my eyes and turn the opposite way. I don't want to fight with him. He scoffs and leaves the room, slamming the door. I bury my face in the pillow and let the tears flow. Story of my life. Just when things seem like their going alright, Boom! somethings gotta mess it up. Happiness apparently can't exist in my world. I don't know how long I lay there, before I finally get up, take a shower, and get dressed. I sit on the couch and turn the t.v. on, not watching it. I hear the door, and than he comes up from behind the couch. He wraps his arms around me. "Just let me explain before you start to hate me again." he says in my hair. I hear him breath deep. "I never hated you." I say. He sits next to me. He looks worried, and a little distraught. "Her name's Claudia. I met her when I moved here." I listen, quietly. "We started off as friends, but it kinda grew into something more." He runs his fingers through his hair. " I'm not gonna lie, I used to get pretty bad. Drinking was the only way I wouldn't hurt. It was the only time I wouldn't think about you." He clenches his jaw. "And she was the one who always took care of me. Babysitting, she liked to call it." he says, with a little smile. I curl my lip without meaning to. "She told me she loved me, I don't know if she really meant it or not, but she spoiled me, she bought me anything I wanted, she took me wherever I wanted to go." I take a deep breath. I don't know how much longer I can sit here and listen to this. "But she wasn't you. As hard as I tried to make it work with me and her, I couldn't. It was little things like, when I tried moving her hair out of her face, she would push my hand away, or her never showing any interest in my music that turned me off. For some reason it bothered me that she never blushed, and than I realized that I was trying to find things in her, that were you." He sighs and plays with a strand of my hair. "When I told her that we would be better off as just friends, she didn't take it well. I didn't think a girl could punch that hard." he says, laughing a little. I clench my fists and tighten my jaw. The thought of her putting her hands on Bruno in any kind of way, makes me livid and the anger wants to boil over inside of me. He grabs my hands and I immediatlely unclench them at his touch. I hate that he was with somebody else. I hate that he touched her, kissed her, laughed with her. But what could I say? I have a 'boyfriend' at home. Is he still my boyfriend? Regardless of what we are, I thought I had moved on and I carried on a relationship with somebody else, just like he did. My hands are tied and there's nothing I can do or say. "So, than what?" I timidly ask, almost afraid to hear what comes next. He shakes his head. "It was hard for her to comes to terms with it I guess. She tried the pity thing, she tried begging, she tried to act like she didn't care, but after so long she realized that it wasn't going to happen. She stopped talking to me, she ignored when she saw me. It didn't really affect me, cause my main focus was on my music." He has my hands in a tight grip, like he's scared if he lets go I'm going to leave and not come back. "Today is the first day I've seen her since than. I won't lie to you, she did kiss me, and I kissed her back, but she was saying goodbye. For good." he says, his eyes looking into mine, desperately pleading for me to believe him. I don't know what to believe. He could be making all this up just so I don't leave. But my Bruno wouldn't do that to me. My Bruno would tell me the honest truth. Than I have to stop and think. Is he still 'My Bruno'? Or has all the time away and hurt we've been through with each other changed him. I stare back into his chocolate brown eyes. I break. I lift his hands and kiss them. "Okay." I say. He smiles, and pulls into his embrace. He kisses me and his hands get lost in my hair. I bury my face in his chest and breath, smelling his familiar scent that makes me go weak. "I love you Lena." he says, holding my face. "I know." I say. He waits, staring at me. Why can't I say it back? "I love you too." I try it. It comes out monotone. His face falls, but he tries to hide it. So you could say it last night, but you can't say it now. Good one Lena. I feel a pull at my heartstrings. I know why I can't say it. Because after everything he's told me about this 'Claudia', they're not together. And me and Brendan technically still are. I feel like a hypocrite. Who am I to get mad when I have a boyfriend? And what's worse, I'm cheating on my boyfriend. It all hits me, and I feel dizzy. I've been living on fantasy island for a week. Like I said, being with Bruno makes me lose all sense of reality. The buzzer interrupts my thoughts. Bruno runs to it and press the button. "What?" "Delivery for Mr. Peter Hernandez." I laugh, recognizing Phred's voice. "Peter moved." Bruno says, shortly. "Delivery for Ms. Lena Osvala." he tries. I laugh harder. Bruno smirks and buzzes him in. Phred walks in, with Eric behind him. Eric looks Bruno up and down, raising an eyebrow. I try to hide my smile. "Put a shirt on." he says, bluntly. Bruno strikes a pose. "No, I like being naked." Eric shakes his head, and walks away from him. I look at him and Phred. "What are you guys doing here so early?" I ask. Phred is looking in the fridge, as if magically groceries will appear. Eric is flipping through the channels. "We always come over here this early." he says. I guess I haven't been here long enough to know their daily routine. Bruno comes out of his room, with a shirt on and different pants. He plops down on the couch next to me. Phred finds something in the cabinets and is munching. "So I called that new restaurant they just opened, to see if we could play, but they haven't gotten back to me yet." He says to Bruno, chewing. Bruno nods. "Man, I hope they do, I need the money. I only got til Friday." he says. Eric is watching something about panda bears on t.v. He looks intrigued. "So the asshole finally came to ask for the money?" he says, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Yeah.." Bruno trails off. I hear his ringtone go off and he jumps up, spinning in a circle looking for it. Phred dips his hand in a bowl of chips. "Looking for this?" he asks, dangling Bruno's phone. I stifle a laugh. Bruno grabs it. "Hello?" I watch his expression turn from normal, to shock, to excitment. "Yes sir! Thank you so much sir! I promise you won't be disappointed!" he says. He hangs up and stares at us. We all stare back, expectanly. "He wants to sign me!" he yells. Phred spits out whatever was in his mouth, Eric drops the control and I jump up from the couch, screaming. Bruno spins me in a circle. "I told you! I told you!" I say over and over. Eric hugs Bruno, lifting him in the air. "You fuckin did it bro!" Phred is dancing in the kitchen. Bruno punches Eric out of excitment and he's jumping around the room like a monkey. I go to hug him again, but my mouth starts to water. Oh no. I run to the bathroom. I puke nothing but water. I'm shaking when I come out of the bathroom. I try not to let Bruno see me, I don't want to ruin his moment. But what was I thinking. He stops jumping and laughing with the guys, and runs over to me. "Were you throwing up again?" he asks. I shake my head. He touches my face. "Lena, you're shaking." he says. "I'm fine." I say. I try and brighten up. "Oh my gosh! You're signed to MoTown Records!" I jump up and hug him. I feel like passing out. He hugs me back, but he doesn't act excited. His concerned expression makes me feel bad. "I'm okay Bruno, please stop worrying and enjoy this moment. Your signed to a record label. You're an actual artist." I say, trying to get him pumped up again. He stays with the same worried look for a minute, than a small smile creeps across his face, and I see his dimples. I smile with him, even though I feel like shit. "Celebration toniiiight!" Phred sings, dancing again. Bruno dances with him.

* * * *

"Lena! Let's go!" I hear from the living room. I ignore him and take my time fixing my hair. A minute later, the door opens. He's dressed in a blue, brown and white plaid shirt, dark blue skinny jeans and a brown fedora. I won't tell him outloud how sexy he looks. He stares at me. I look at him through the mirror, than continue to do my hair. He throws his head back, and I smirk. He grabs the straightener out of my hand. "You look amazing, just the way you are." he says. He pulls my hand, "Now let's go!" We meet Phred and Eric at The Club. Yeah, the same one Bruno got arrested at. I'm not as nervous as the first time I came here. I let myself get more loose. After all, we are celebrating. I don't know how they do it, but all 3 of them already have a drink in their hand. I take a sip of Bruno's and make a face. He laughs. He yells to the bartender and hands me my own drink. "I think you'll like this better!" he yells in my ear. I take a sip. It tastes like Kool-Aid. Before I know it, it's gone and I want another one. I lose track of how many I drink, but I feel numb and everything is swaying to one side. I sit down on one of the stools to steady myself. I see Bruno in the crowd of people, dancing and looking at me. I smile and he comes towards me. He leans against the counter. "So, you come here alot?" he asks. I laugh. "All the time!" I say. He leans in and kisses me. My senses feel magnified and his tongue in my mouth drives me crazy. When he pulls away, I grab the front of his shirt and pull him towards me again. I feel him smile through his kisses. "Whoa! Whoa! Save it for the bedroom!" I hear behind me. Phred has this goofy smile on his face and his eyes are droopy. He keeps moving his shoulders and dancing. He squints his eyes at me. "Lena Osssssvala, are yooou drunk?" he slurs and taps my nose. I bust out laughing like it's the funniest thing in the world and he joins in. I lean against Bruno cause I start to feel sleepy. I vaguely remember walking out of the club. I hear somebody arguing. Bruno and somebody else. I feel my arm being grabbed, but I'm too drunk to pay attention to who it is. I hear yelling, than I feel myself being carried before I black out.

* * * *

I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling. I try to lift my head. Bad idea. I shut my eyes again. The pain shoots through my brain and cutting my head off would be a relief. I feel someone touch my forehead and move my hair back. I make a face from the pain. "It's okay Lena, just lay here for a minute." "Okay." I say, but than my whole body feels like pins and needles. I turn and look at who's talking to me. Green eyes.......