Chapter 8
Lindsey and Joe looked at each other, both turning to Kim as Lindsey gestured to her to leave. She turned back to look at Joe as she walked over to him.
"Don't, Linds." He said, taking a step back.
"Joe, please. Just listen to me." She replied, looking down for a few moments before back up at him.
"What is there to listen to? I know what you've been up to." He raised his voice, turning to look at his fiancée.
"You were gone, Freddie was there. He was going to leave and it made me think and then it just happened. Us, sleeping together." Her voice cracked as she fought back tears.
"So, because he was leaving you thought you'd jump into bed with him? To make him stay?!" He chuckled, turning away from her again.
"No! It wasn't like that, not atall. He made me believe that you were gone, that you didn't love me anymore."
"Linds, why did you believe him? You should've known that I wouldn't have walked away from you, from us that easily."
"But I didn't! I didn't know that and I was so worried about where you were that I'd have believed anything. And ever since then, ever since that night, I've never been able to forget how I felt for him, my best friend."
"We were going to be together forever, get married, have a family. We have a baby together and here you are, having it off with my brother whilst I'm left with Junior?" He yelled, turning back around to her.
Lindsey shook her head as she walked over to him.
"I couldn't tell you about us, about how I felt for Freddie, not after we'd started a family. There was a chance that JJ was his and if he was, I would've told you."
"You let me believe that he was mine when really there was a doubt in your mind that he was really Freddie's?"
"I'm sorry, Joe. I know it doesn't mean anything to you, not after what I've done but I am."
"Don't bother, Lindsey. I don't even know you, do I?" He said angrily.
Lindsey was doing all it took to hold back the tears. She was ending her ten year relationship with the person she was supposed to love most and even though it wasn't him that she loved, it still tore her apart having to end it.
"We are always gonna be tied together, we have a baby. But, I just can't do this anymore. I'm sorry." Her voice faded as she took off her diamond engagement ring, looking at it for a few moments before handing it to him and turning away as she left the garage.
"Lindsey, wait!" He shouted. This wasn't the end, it couldn't be. He loved her with all of his heart, despite the pain she'd put him through.
Joe stood on the spot, not moving an inch. He looked down at the ring in his hand; the anger that had overcome him earlier was building up again. He screamed, chucking the ring out of his eyesight and at the garage door before sitting down at the desk, crying into his hands. That was it, it was over.
Lindsey walked in the door to the Roscoe residence being greeted by the family. She spotted Freddie who'd still not sorted himself out after the fight, walking over to him as she fell into his arms, crying into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
Jason, Robbie, Kim and Ziggy moved away from the couple, taking a seat in the front room together. They were shocked themselves. Just a few hours ago, Lindsey and Joe would've been cooing over their new baby, acting like a family when all along Freddie and Lindsey were together.
Freddie rested his head on Lindsey's , keeping her close as he tried to calm her down. He knew that he was apart of this whole mess and he had to do something about it.
"Linds, we don't have to pretend anymore. He knows everything. You did the right thing, ending it." He said, his words fading at the end.
"Did I? Because I think I just screwed everything up between us. I'm tied to him forever and now I'm going to have to look him in the eye everyday, knowing that it's all my fault we split up."
"You can't go on pretending to love someone if you don't. We can start over now, together. Me, you and JJ. We can be a family."
At that moment, Joe stepped into the house, standing in the doorway as he looked at the couple. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms as he looked at them.
"You're not taking my boy away from me." He said sternly to his brother.
Lindsey pulled out of the hug and turned to look at Joe. She could feel the tension between the three of them, the way Joe was looking at them.
"I don't mean it like that, Joe." He replied, looking at him, one arm still wrapped around Lindsey's shoulder.
"So, first you take my fiancé and now you plan to take my son aswell?"
"Oh, just pack it in. I'm the one that'll make the decision about JJ." Lindsey responded angrily.
"Stay out of it, Lindsey. This is between me and him."
"No! I won't let you take it all out on Freddie, this isn't his entire fault, alright?"
"It is! It's all his fault, he made this mess." He said before lunging towards his brother, Ziggy jumping up and stopping the fight from happening.
"STOP IT!" Lindsey yelled, running her hands over her face.
"He deserves everything he gets!" Joe shouted, attempting to get to Freddie but being held back by Ziggy.
"C'mon Linds, it's probably best if we go elsewhere." Freddie said, taking her arm.
"YOU deserve everything that you get. Why can't you just deal with the fact that I don't love you anymore?" She yelled at him.
"What a lovely thing to come home to!" Sandy exclaimed.
The whole family turned to look, seeing Sandy and her suitcases standing in the doorway.
Lindsey and Freddie had explained everything to Sandy. She was in shock herself. She'd sat down at the table with Lindsey, talking about everything that she'd come home to.
"Oh, love. I can't think what you must have been going through with all this." Sandy said, placing a hand over Lindsey's.
"I just. Ever since that night I was with Freddie, I've never been able to forget how I feel. He just, he's different to Joe. I get that warm fuzzy feeling inside when I'm with him." She said, the thought putting a smile on her face.
"Whatever makes you happy, Linds. I just, I want you and Joe to sort things out between the two of you. Joe Junior is going to need you both, you have to be civil for his sake."
"I know, I know. I just need to let him cool off and I'll speak to him." She replied, standing up as she placed her empty cup into the sink.
"Look, I'm here for you, just like I am for all my boys. Come 'ere." She said, pulling Lindsey into a friendly hug.
Lindsey smiled, hugging Sandy back. Just having Sandy home was enough to make her happy, someone to keep the boys in order.
"I'm glad you're back. We've missed you!"
Joe walked into the living room where his family were sitting, standing as he looked down at them all.
"I don't want either of them here. They don't deserve to be under this roof."
"Joe, love." Sandy said, standing up as she walked to her son. "You can't kick them out. He is still your brother and Lindsey needs a place to stay with the baby."
"Oh, no. Lindsey can go, my son is staying with me. Freddie needs to go, I don't care where as long as he's out of my sight."
Freddie got up as he heard Joe. He knew staying in the house wasn't the right thing to do, he couldn't bear seeing their family getting more and more tore apart.
"Don't bother, mum. I'll go."
"Freddie, wait. You have every right to be here."
Lindsey came down from upstairs after settling JJ. She heard everything going on and walked into the front room.
"What's going on?" She questioned.
"You need to go, both of you." Joe said.
"Joe, please. I can't go, I can't leave Junior."
"I don't care, I don't wanna see you."
"I won't have this, not under my roof. Lindsey is staying here, she isn't going." Sandy replied, crossing her arms.
"Bu-"
"No buts. She needs to be with her son."
Joe sighed angrily, turning around and storming off into the kitchen. Freddie wandered off into the hallway to leave the house, getting stopped by Lindsey.
"You'll be okay, won't you? Stay somewhere safe." She said to him quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be fine, as long as you and the little man are safe, that's all that matters."
"Text me to tell me you're alright, yeah? I love you." She stood up on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
"I'll be fine, Linds. I love you too." He whispered, kissing her back before leaving the house.
Lindsey wiped away a single tear as she watched him go. She should've been leaving with him, they should be together. She sighed before walking back to the stairs, looking into the front room. She mouthed 'Thankyou' to Sandy.
Sandy smiled a little and nodded gently in response.
Sorry, this was such a long one! I just had so much to fit in! Hope you're all enjoying it:D.
