"She's gone. Dad too." He literally opened the door and his girlfriend pretty much fell into his arms "She's gone Joey, and so he." she sobbed. Joey wasn't fully sure what she was talking, but wrapped his arms around her as he shut the door. "Who's at the door Joey? You're going to miss the film" Alice called out, coming to stand in the living room door "Lauren! What's happened?"
Lauren pulled away from Joey, "Hey Al. Doesn't matter, you guys are busy" she wiped at her face with the sleeves of her jacket "I shouldn't be here anyway"; she took a step away from him.
"Hey. Hey. No you're upset, and you came to me" he grabbed her arm to hold her still "babe, what happened?" Tears started streaming down her face "Kirsty, she's gone. I went to see her before she left and she was so nice, Joey." Her voice cracked. "And she really loves him. She only left for him"
Joey pulled her close and let her sob against him. "You get it, yeah? She left because she was hurting him. She loved him enough to leave, because her being here was hurting him." Joey got what she was telling him straight away. He broke his heart, after breaking hers and hurting her. Kirsty broke her own by leaving, after Max's heart was torn and he was hurting.
He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her as she broke down against his chest.
"That's a good thing though, isn't it?" Alice interrupted, "now Auntie Tanya & Uncle Max can get married". Lauren pulled away from Joey and let out a bitter laugh. "Like it's that simple. God, Alice. It doesn't work like that"
Alice looked upset and Joey was torn if he should step in or not, the last thing they need is another fight. "You're a Branning. It's never that simple" Alice was looking at Lauren, confused.
"You really don't get it, do you?" Lauren said directed at Alice, but she turned to look at Joey. "He loves her. He does love Mum, he does" she nodded to herself mainly, "probably more than he loves anyone else, but he loves Kirsty too. And he can't pretend he don't"
Lauren looked blank before shaking her head "So Mum kicked him out. So now she's shut in her bedroom, crying. She don't want me around" tears slid down Lauren's face, "between us all, we broke Kirsty's heart and made her leave" she let out a broken sob and sighed "and my Dad's at Uncle Jack's. I've helped break up my family and everyone's miserable" the tears were coming fast.
"What am I going to do Joey?" she looked at him, eyes full of so many emotions. "Seriously, tell me because right now I have no idea."
He tugged her into his arms, where she broke down. "It's going to be okay, baby, it's going to be okay" she scoffed. "Let me finish. You're going to text your mum and dad, and Abi actually. Tell them you're staying here tonight" she stayed silent so he carried on, "We're going to go to bed, yeah?" he kissed the top of her head "And we'll work things out in the morning"
"Okay" she said, voice soft and muffled, head pressed into the crook of his head. "Al, go get Lauren a glass of water, yeah" Alice quickly nodded and walked off. "Babe?" she looked at him, eyes red and she looked drained, "I'd have come back." She looked confused "I'd have come back. I wouldn't have been able to stay away from you ever." She smiled. "If it's meant to work out, it will. We did, right?"
Looking up at him "You believe that?" Joey nodded "Yeah I do babe. Things will be work out eventually" "Both us and our messed up family" they both let out a laugh. He leaned to tuck her hair behind her ear "It's going to be okay" she nodded. "I love you" "I love you too", she replied before leaning in for a kiss.
They broke apart, and she put her head back in the crook of his neck whilst he hugged her close. He felt the vibrations of her voice against his skin as she spoke "I almost didn't come here" he looked down at her but her face was hidden by her hair. "It was a toss up between you and vodka", she sounded so tired and broken. He sighed and spoke "Glad you picked me then baby", she laughed.
"Here Lauren." Alice was back, having listened to the two of them for a while before speaking. She passed her the glass of water, and Lauren nodded her appreciation of it. "Go upstairs baby. Sending you text, then bed."
He said before looking at her; "I'll be up in a minute" she nodded. She leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth and mumbled her thanks to him, before turning to climb the stairs. "Night Alice. Sorry for earlier" "It's fine. Joey's right though. It's all going to work out. Night Lauren".
Joey waited until Lauren had climbed the stairs and shut his bedroom door before letting out a sign, running his hand down his face and leaning into the wall. "Go on Al. Spit it out." He knew his sister well, knew she'd have something to say. "You really love her, don't you" he looked at her before rolling his eyes.
"Do we need to have this conversation?" "It's great Joey. You're so good for each other." He looked over surprised. "She needed comfort and she came to you Joey. And you made everything better for her. You'll work everything out, together" He smiled at his sister, full of wisdom. "Thanks Al" he gave her a hug "I'm going to head up aigt? See you in the morning" She said her goodnights too as he climbed the stairs.
He smiled as he opened his bedroom door and found Lauren, in one of his shirts and underwear, curled up in his bed, texting. "You know I think I like this. You, my clothes, my bed." she jumped at his voice, having not heard him climb the stairs.
"May just keep you here Miss Branning." She laughed, which was his intention even if he was partially serious. He pointed to her phone and raised an eyebrow as he started to undress for bed. "No reply from Mum" he heard a sigh "Dad said okay and that he'll see us tomorrow" Joey nodded, glad she'd at least got a reply from one of his parents, and not really that surprised it was Max.
"He did say no funny business too" she said with a laugh. He climbed into bed next to her and pressed a kiss to her shoulder "I think I can resist you for one night." She put her phone on the side and snuggled into him
"Abi'll be over first thing. She didn't want to leave Oscar" she sounded worried about her siblings and Joey made a mental note to keep an eye out for them all. "Told her to text us if she needed us" she mumbled, into his skin, her full body pressed against his.
"It's always a drama, isn't it." She said with a sigh, "With you?, Always miss drama queen" he said with a laugh, trying to break the tension. She looked up to him, pouting and he pressed a kiss to her pout. joke baby" she curled back into him "Proud of you though." He paused, "For coming here, instead of the Vic." She sniffled "Don't cry. It's a good thing yeah? We're together, so we'll deal with things together"
She lifted her head up and looked at him to see if he was serious, he matched her intense gaze with his own. "Sounds good." They kissed, before he pulled the covers up over her properly and threw out an arm to turn out his lamp.
"Now sleep. We'll deal with the fall-out tomorrow. Sleep baby" he said, before kissing her forehead, she mmm'd already half-asleep, drained from the day and comfortable curled up with him. "Love you" she mumbled out. "Love you more" he said before heading to sleep himself.