They'd literally ran once they'd been caught. Lauren throwing some half hearted apology over her shoulder whilst pulling her top straight & running out the door. Joey felt so bad, it wasn't how he'd expected to meet his grandmother, not that she knew who he was. They finally stopped. "Lauren, it's not funny", Joey was struggling to see how his girlfriend and cousin, could find such an awkward situation so funny. Sat there in the park when he first told her he loved her, crying with laughter at the fact her, wait their grandmother had just walked in on them making out. Joey was just thankful if she had to walk in, that it was then, not a few minutes later.
"Come on Joey, lighten up. It is a little bit funny. Just a teeny, weenie little bit" she said crawling over to him where he was sat, biting her bottom lip and looking at him with a look he knew meant trouble. She peppered kisses on his jaw whilst trying to persuade him to agree that it was a little bit funny, just a little bit. "Fine babe, you win. It was awkwardly hilarious, but laugh it up now. It's not going to be so funny when she realises who I am, is it?" he told her before leaning it to rest a kiss on her forehead. Lauren was still chucking though "what you mean when she realises you aren't just some hot boy I'm having a one night with in her living room with God watching?"
"No I mean when she finds out I'm Derek's son. And we're cousins Lauren." Lauren paled, but Joey carried on, it had been bothering him for a while. "Everyone's going to kick off Lauren, everyone's going to have an opinion and then what's going to happen, ay?" he said frustrated that she didn't get it.
"Are you going to leave again?" she said but refused to look at him. "God, no Lauren. No, baby I I'm not I promise. In it for the long haul, yeah? That's what I promised you Lauren, and I meant it. I said I'd be around for as long as you wanted me." Lauren let out a sigh and leaned into his chest, "forever then, yeah?"
"Forever. As long as we don't get lynched by the Branning mob & the Albert Square gossips first" Joey laughed, pulling her closer to him. He hated that she still had that doubt there, that he was going to leave the second things got hard, but it was his own fault he knew. He just hoped that she could trust him and his love for her this time, and lean on him because he's there. He's always going to be there.
A little while later Lauren shivered and moved closer towards him if that was even possible as tightly as she was curled in his lap. Joey moved his arm from around her waist to look at his watch; "I think I need to be getting you home babe, before you fall fully asleep on me. And Al will probably be wondering where I am actually" "Don't wanna. Stay here. Please." "We can't spend the night on a park bench Lauren" Joey said with a laugh but knowing she wasn't even listening, she was half asleep and had curled back into his arms. "Hold tight beautiful", that got her attention as he stood up, her still in his arms and started walking. "Put me dowwwwn. 'm too heavy, you can't carry me all the way" she mumbled at him, head buried in the crook on his neck. "You're fine babe, and hey if I pull something carrying you, you can give me a massage once you've had a proper sleep yeah?" he replied with a smirk. "Hmm. Kay". She probably had no idea what she'd agreed to, happily trusting in him to carry her and fell back asleep.
He wondered what people would think if they saw them like this, him carrying her around the Square, her curled up asleep in his arms. He worries sometimes about the hurt he caused her and how she can still manage to love him despite it all, he thinks it's too good to be true, their relationship's changed him. And he's thankful for the second chance that he probably doesn't deserve, he's thankful that underneath the hurt she trusts him, trusts him enough to fall asleep on him, to be vulnerable. He loves that side of her, the side she hates to show.
He let himself in to number 5 with her key, juggling her weight on his hip whilst getting the door open, amazed she carried on sleeping. But he thought she did need it, the drama with her Dad & Kirsty was bothering her far more than she was willing to discuss and bringing up bad memories of the past that she briefly told him about but still clammed up if he asked too much. Both of them had been pretty damaged by their dads in his opinion.
"Lauren?" Tanya called out before she saw them, "Oh it's you darling. Oh Joey, she's been drinking again?" before he could reply, she was already calling out to Max. "Max. You need to have a word with Lauren. She's been drinking again. Joey's brought her home, passed out" "God, I don't know what I'm going to do with that girl" Max said walking into the hallway. Joey couldn't help it, he snapped. "She's not fucking drunk; she's sleeping so keep your voices down. She's knackered; everything's had its effect on her. Me, my Dad, you guys most of all." Joey was so angry at them, he carried on ranting, and had not realised Lauren was awake in his arms. "Tanya, she's worried about you. She only drinks because she refuses to confront her problems with you both because she loves you & you haven't even realised she's struggling. And god Max, your bloody marriage is just reminded her of the past but worst. You are hurting her so much, you're her dad. Fix it." Joey let out a breath; both Tanya & Max looked shell-shocked. "I'm just going to take her upstairs, and then go, kay" he mumbled before starting up the stairs.
Abi had heard it all kicked off. She'd been sat in her room, waiting for Lauren to get back. "Joey?" she stood in her bedroom door. "Ssh. She's still asleep thankfully." He looked down at Lauren who was pretending to be asleep, her head replaying the argument that had just happened downstairs between her boyfriend and her parents, before looking up at Abi who looked worried, "It's alright Abs, everything'll be okay. Go back to bed." Abi nodded at him "okay, thanks for bringing her back Joey. I'm glad you two are together" and with that she shut her door. Joey was surprised, he hadn't realised she knew they were together, he'll have to check with Lauren tomorrow to see if she'd told her or if she'd worked it out.
He opened Lauren's bedroom door, before dodging all the shoes and crap she had piled on her floor, chuckling to himself. He went to lay her down when he was suddenly pulled down with her into a bruising kiss. "Whoa, whoa baby. I didn't realise you were awake. You need sleep and I need to go" he said, pulling away from her before he realised there were tears on her cheeks. He used his thumb to wipe her cheek, looking at her questionly "I heard you. With my mum & dad. Defending me". Oh that. Joey blushed a little; he honestly thought she was asleep. He probably shouldn't have snapped but he hates the way they treat her sometimes. "Thank you baby" she mumbled into his chest, he tucked her hair behind her ear "you're welcome beautiful. Now sleep", she offered him her cheek to kiss before looking up at him "by the way you defending me? Totally hot" she said with a laugh and a wink before pulling off her top "Now I think you had somewhere you needed to be?" he went to grab her to carry on the make-out they had started earlier, "nuh-uh, you're going. I'm sleeping. Tomorrow." She learned away from him and used her feet to push him off her bed. "I'm going. I'm going. And you, you're a tease" he said, laughing as he stood up, watching her as she carried on undressing, down to her underwear. "Mm, and you loved it" she replied, standing up to kiss him goodbye. "Yeah, love you. Night babe" Joey said as he walked out her door, shutting it behind him before walking down the stairs.
"Joey?" Tanya called out to him. "Not now Tan. I just wanna go home. Talk to Lauren, not me", Joey felt bad for not being as polite to her as he usually is but didn't really care. He was tired and somewhat frustrated, how many times had he and Lauren been interrupted that day. He just wanted a shower and his bed. "Oh okay. But I'm sorry Joey", he turned to look at her and replied "you should be saying that to Lauren really, not me". "I will in the morning, I promise. Just thank you for looking after her." She looked at him, the same way she looked at him weeks ago when she realised he was in love with her daughter. "You are just what she needs. See you tomorrow Joey", Joey dunked his head and replied "Yeah, night Tanya", before leaving.