Chapter 19

"Who is it?" Bruno asks. I try to close my phone but he grabs it. When he sees Brendan's name, his lip curls and he drops the phone. "Wait til you fuckin get home? Who the fuck does he think he is?! And why is he acting like he didn't know you were here?" I look down, not saying a word. He lifts my chin. I can't see him cause my eyes are blurred with tears. "You didn't tell him did you?" he asks. I shake my head slowly. "So you lied to him, and than cheated on him?" he says. Thank you Mr. Obvious. "Wow, sounds like you really like this guy." he says, sarcastically. I get off of him and sit at the other end of the couch. "I do Bruno. He was there for me when you weren't." I say, angrily. He scrunches his face. "I've always been there for you Lena! You were the one who cut yourself off from me so don't play that! It's always been me who's never left your side, and now all of a sudden you wanna act like this asshole who you've know for less than 6 months is more important!?" He gets up and walks to the balcony. His face is fuming and I know to keep my mouth shut cause everything he just said is true. He's different than I remember. The Bruno I used to know was happy and outgoing and silly and rarely got mad over anything. I guess I play a big part in him being so angry. And the struggles he's going through now don't make it any better. "We were better at just being best friends." I say quietly. He turns around. "I think you're right." he says. It hurts my heart a little for him to agree, but it's the truth. Our feelings ruined everything. He smirks. "You can count on me like 1, 2, 3, I'll be there" I laugh. "And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4, 3, 2 and you'll be there, cause that's what friends are s'posed to do oh yeah" "I miss those days" I tell him, remembering us laying on the couch trying to come up with those lyrics. "Me too" he says. He sits next to me. "It took you 5 years to write that song" I tell him, laughing. "Hey! You were supposed to help me, but all you did was toss a paper ball in the air" he says, smiling. "I'm not the musician!" I say. "Uh, from what I heard back in Miami, yes you are" My face gets red. Oh yeah, I forgot about singing in front of him in the hotel room. "I was just trying to prove a point." I tell him. "Well you didn't prove anything other than you can sing your ass off and you hid it from me all these years." He says. I hug my knee. Nobody knows that I inheirited Daddy's voice. Not even Daddy. I'm not confident enough to let my voice be heard. I don't have stage presence like him or Bruno. "I hid it from everybody, not just you, so shush." I tell him. He leans his head back. "Sing me something." I let my hair fall in front of my face. "No.." I say, quietly. "Please." he says. I purposely don't look at him. His eyes will make me break. "I can't." I say. "I won't look." he says. I laugh. "That doesn't matter, I still know you're listening." He laughs too. "Will it help if I sing to you first." he says, smiling. "No." I say. His smile disappears. "Come on Lena." My heart beats fast. "Okay.." he says, understanding. I breathe a sigh of relief. He moves the hair out of my face. He touches my chin. "Smile, I don't like to see you sad." he says. I look into his eyes. "Ditto" I say. He smiles showing all of his perfectly white teeth. I laugh, cause it's the cheesiest smile I've ever seen. He laughs with me. My phone vibrates, ruining our rare happy moment. Brendan. Bruno clenches his jaw and looks away. I get up and walk to the other room. "Hello?" I say, scared. "Having fun?" he says. "Brendan I'm sorry--" He cuts me off. "I don't wanna hear you're sorry, it's bullshit! I thought I could trust you, but you were quick as fuck to lie to me and go see this asshole!" "Brendan I had to, I know whatever I say isn't going to matter or fix this...But...." I sigh. "It's just better if you don't understand right now." "I swear Lena, if I find out anything happened between you two....Don't let me find out!" I cringe at how angry he sounds. I've never heard him like that before. "Don't call me." he says and hangs up. I shut my phone, with my heart in my stomach and feeling like the most unworthy person alive. I realize I'm still wearing Bruno's shirt and grab my clothes from his room. "I think I should go now." I say, walking towards the front door. He jumps up from the couch. "What? Why?" he says, holding my arm. "I just need to go." His eyes lose their spark and he looks sad again. "Lena please...I haven't felt okay, let alone happy, since you've been here...Please don't go." I want to cry. How can I walk out after that? I contemplate for awhile, than give up after everything I think of concludes in the same answer. Leaving isn't going to do anything but make you both miserable. "Okay.." I say. He pulls me into his arms and buries his face in my hair. "Thank you." he says. I stiffen a little. I feel guilty hugging him. He lets go and looks at me funny. He looks like he wants to say something but decides against it and doesn't. The buzzer to the intercom makes me jump. Bruno makes a face and yells "What?!" "Open the door and stop screaming at me asshole.." Eric! A smile creeps across my face. Bruno presses the buzzer, looks at himself than at me. "Oh shit!" I say. I jump around on one leg, trying to put my pants on and tear off his shirt and throw it at him. He catches it, and smirks. I glare at him and fold my arms over my chest. I turn my back to him and put my shirt on. Right on time cause the front door flings open and Eric bursts in. "Brun--" His words get stuck in his throat. He stares at me for what seems like years. "Hi Eric" I say, shyly. He grabs me and spins me in a circle, squeezing me with all his might. "LENA!? What the hell are you doing here kid?!" I laugh even though I can't breathe. He puts me down and touches my face. "Are you real or am I hallucinating?" I push him. "Shut up I'm real!" He hugs me again. "I thought I was never gonna see you again kid.." Memories of me and him doing this 7 months ago in Brooklyn hit me. He lets go and looks at Bruno. "Why the hell didn't you answer your phone?" Bruno raises his eyebrows and turns in a circle, looking for it. He sees it and grabs it. "Awe dammit! I forgot that was today." He says looking at the phone. "Yeah, you're lucky he rescheduled you punk ass...This could've been it Bruno! What the hell were you doing?" My face gets red and Bruno looks at the floor. "I was...busy." he says. Eric nods. "You're lucky it's Lena, otherwise I would have your ass right now Bruno! You can't just blow off meetings with record labels!! Next meeting is Tuesday at 1:30...Don't forget!.." he says, sounding more like his manager than his brother. "I won't E, stop sounding like Dad..." Bruno says, in a little kid voice. I smile. Eric hits him on the head and ducks and runs towards the door as Bruno swings at him but misses. Things with them haven't changed a bit. "If you forget, I'm beating your ass!" He says and kisses me on the head. "See you later kid." Bruno flips him off and Eric does it back before slipping out the door. I turn around and smack his arm. He looks at me like I've lost my mind and holds his arm like it really hurt him. "What was that for?! I don't like all this abuse.." he say, making a grumpy expression. "You had a meeting with a record label today and you didn't go because of me!?" I yell at him. He rubs his arm and examins it. "Think you left a bruise..." he trails off. "Bruno!" He snaps his head up. "Huh" I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Yes, I missed the meeting but you're more important." He says, coming closer to me. I shake my head. "First the song and now this? Bruno you can't just blow things off because of me. You're not going to get anywhere like that." He furrows his eyebrow. "Lena don't scold me, I already get enough of that from my dad and E.." "I'm sorry, but I'm not worth you being broke and homeless." He looks up and his eyes glance back and forth. I look behind me, than at him. His face gets concentrated and he starts humming. He bobs his head and sings

I wanna be a billionaire, so fuckin' bad

Buy all of the things I never had

He walks to the closet and pulls out his guitar. Relief washes over me when I see it. As bad as he is, he would be worse off without his guitar. He plays a couple cords until he finds the one he wants.

I wanna be a billionaire, so fuckin' bad

Buy all of the things I never had

I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine

Right above P.Diddy and the queen

I raise my eyebrow. "P.Diddy?" "What?! he's big." "Not The Queen of England status!" I tell him. He looks down and thinks for a minute. He smiles and sings

I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine

Smiling next to Oprah and the queen

Oh everytime I close my eyes

I see my name in shining lights, yeah

A different city every night, oh I, I swear

The world better prepare for when I'm a Billionaire

He punches the air, with this big goofy grin on his face. I scream and hug him. He picks me up and spins me in a circle. "Oh my god, that was amazing Bruno!" He grabs my face and kisses me. My face turns red. "Lena, that's the first new thing I've come up with in two months." He smiles, glowing from happiness. Such a change from almost 24 hours ago, when he told me to get out of his apartment and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. He plays the guitar and sings it again. I smile, watching him. I missed it. I could sit for hours and just watch him strum the chords, or hum to a beat that was only inside his head. He turns his eyes to look up at me. "Don't watch this amazing artist at work please, I can't concentrate." I laugh and pretend to kick him. "I know, I'm sorry my ugliness is distracting you." I say. He snaps his head up. Crap. I forgot. "Lena! Don't fuckin say your ugly god! I can't stand when you do that!" I look down, with my thumb in my mouth. "Sorry.." I say quietly. He shakes his head, looking angry. "It's so sad to think that you don't see what I see...You're so beautiful, I wish I could tell you everyday, but I know when I compliment you, you won't believe me..." I don't say anything. He's right about the not believing him part. "I don't do it on purpose, it's just how I feel." I say. He gets up and lifts my chin. "I'm determined to change that." My stomach flutters with butterflies. My phone vibrates in my pocket. It's Adrian. "Hello?" "Lena!" He sounds out of breath. "What's wrong?" I ask, immediately worried. "Ahmity's walking!" My heart swells. "OH MY GOD!" "I don't want to ruin your trip, but she keeps asking for you.." My heart goes from being full and happy to sinking down to my ankles. Bruno watches me, trying to figure out what my conversation is about. "Okay..." I shut my eyes tight. "I'll leave tommorrow, I'll get there as soon as I can." Bruno's eyes widen. "Thank you Lena." I hang up. "You're leaving?!" I make a face. "I have to, it's my sister." The words are hard to come out. "Well, I'm coming with you." He says. I feel pins and needles all over my body. "What?" "I'm coming with you, I'm not letting you get away from me this time." I stare at him, a little startled. "Bruno, you can't come with me." I say. It hurts my heart to tell him that. "Why not?" he asks. I shake my head. "Please don't make this harder than it already is." I say. His face turns from concern to anger. "I see." he says, in a low voice. I want to cry. "It's not you...Please believe me when I say this Bruno. There's a lot of....drama, waiting for me when I get home that I have to deal with." He turns his back to me. "Like I said before, run away. It's all your good at." The tears roll down my cheeks. I turn and walk towards the door. I open it, and stop. I decide against saying something and instead slam it and run as fast as I can down the stairs. I should've never come here...