Just a quick warning, a sensitive topic is mentioned in this Chapter (attempted self injury) Please don't read if its triggering X

PREVIOUSLY

He sighed and headed back into the bedroom, just in time to see Lauren raise the vodka bottle to her lips, the pills gone from her hand...

Chapter 3

'LAUREN! NO!' Joey screamed, bolting towards her. He grabbed the bottle of vodka, threw it across the room and forced Lauren to spit the pills out of her mouth.

'LAUREN! SPIT THEM OUT NOW!' Joey screamed, gripping Lauren's chin between his fingers and tried to force her mouth open. Doing that made two pills get lodged in Lauren's throat. She spluttered them out onto her carpet, Joey hitting her back. She felt him run a finger round the inside of her mouth to make sure that she had coughed them all up. She managed to cough up the ones what had lodges themselves in her throat, just as her body started to tremble as tears cascaded down her cheek. Joey pulled her to him, whispering soothing words to her.

'Get off me! Get away from me!' sobbed Lauren, fighting to get out of his grasp. Joey tightened his arms round her.

'I'm not letting you go, Lauren!'

'LET ME GO!' Lauren screeched, managing to wrench herself free of Joey grasp and scrambled to her feet, rushing towards the bathroom. She went to slam the door, but Joey wedged his foot between the gap and forced his way in, slamming and locking the door shut...

Lauren sat on the edge of the bath, gripping it tightly, her eyes red and puffy, her eye make up streaked down her face. However, Joey thought she looked beautiful. He sighed and headed towards her.

'Don't. Step. Any. Closer' said Lauren, holding a hand out to stop him.

'Come on, Lauren, please' said Joey, ignoring her request. However, he stopped dead in his tracks when she bolted for Max's shaving razor and held it above her wrist. His eyes widened and both his hands shot out in front of him.

'LAUREN! PLEASE! DON'T! DON'T!' shouted Joey. Lauren looked at him and then back at the razor.

'What's to stop me? My family are too caught up in this whole wedding farce to notice their daughter has gone off the rails again. I've got cousin who I've fallen in love with and then went and broke my heart! And my friends aren't speaking to me because I chose you over them! So what's to stop me from dragging this across my wrist and ENDING MY LIFE?' Lauren sobbed, pressing the blade into her skin. Joey panicked and shot forward, wrestling with her for the razor. He managed to grab it and threw it into the bin, holding Lauren back as she screamed and lunged for the bin. Joey tackled her carefully to the floor, holding her tightly as she cried...

After she had calmed down, Joey turned his head and looked at her. She was slumped against the side of the bath, her eyes closed. He reached over and enclosed his hand over hers, but Lauren yanked it back.

'You know when you said you don't have anyone?' asked Joey softly. Lauren didn't look at him but she nodded.

'Well, you're wrong. You've got me. You'll always have me' he said. Lauren snapped her head sideways to look at him.

'Do I? Well, where the hell have you been these last few weeks then?' she snapped harshly. Joey winced. He swallowed and battled with himself whether or not to tell her the truth. He sighed and decided to tell her thr truth.

'Playing the dutiful son in order keep you away from prison' replied Joey. Lauren frowned.

'What?' she asked, confused. Joey sighed and looked at her.

'The night of the crash, at the hospital. Derek riled me up and I said some things I didn't mean to say and he used them against me. In order to keep you away from a prison, I had to break your heart and be the dutiful son he's always wanted me to be..' answered Joey. He watched as it all clicked together in Lauren's mind

'You mean... he's been blackmailing you?' asked Lauren, her eyes wide. Joey nodded.

'So, your saying that your hatred for your dad, is bigger than your love for me?' Lauren shouted. Joey closed his eyes as Lauren said that. He shook his head.

'No! My love for you is massive, but at that moment, at the hospital, my hatred for Dad got out of control' said Joey, gripping Lauren's arms, forcing her to look at him. They stared at each other for a moment, before Joey broke the silence.

'Lauren, please say something..'

'I want to kill your Dad' said Lauren, clenching her fists. Joey chuckled and hugged her.

'Believe me, so do I..' he said, glaring at his reflection in bathroom mirror. He felt Lauren finally hug him back and started to smile, but a voice in the back of his head was nagging at him

Just do it, Just do it, Just do it

Unaware that Lauren was having the exact same thought, they stood in each others arms for a few minutes, until Tanya's scream reached their ears and shattered their bubble...

R&R :D