Lauren was lying on the sofa in her Uncle Jack's flat a few days later when she heard the flat door open and Jack came in, followed by Joey.
Lauren sighed 'Another intervention?' Lauren asked him 'Because the last one worked so well'
'Just hear the boy out Lauren' Jack told her. Lauren sighed and she swung her legs off the sofa and stood up, dizziness hit her instantaneously, Joey and Jack rushed to her side each of them catching her arm. 'Are you okay?' Jack asked her
''Yeah I just got up too quick is all' she replied with a frown.
'Did you go to your Doctor's appointment this morning?' Jack asked her
'Yes' Lauren nodded
'And?' he pressed her
'And what? I'm fine, the baby's fine, everything is fine' she said as she pulled her arm out of Joey's grip.
'Good' Jack said 'Now I am going to leave you two here to talk and I will be back in an hour and I expect you both to at least be being civil to one another' he looked pointedly at Lauren
'Hormonal pregnant woman here,' Lauren said 'The baby makes me say things'
Jack smirked trying to hide a smile 'I mean it Lauren. Play nice' he said as he walked to the door 'this time I won't lock you in' he told them both, he closed the door behind him.
Lauren sighed and she walked over to the fridge and pulled out some orange juice and filled a glass and took it back to the sofa and she sat down again.
'So talk' she told him
'I didn't know that you had a doctor's appointment' he told her pushing his hands into his pockets. 'Is everything okay?' he asked her
'Yes you heard me just tell Jack'
'I would have come with you' Joey told her 'So you didn't have to go alone'
'I didn't go alone. Tyler came with me' she replied
'You asked Tyler?'
'No he offered' she replied
Joey frowned and he sat down on the chair. 'I'd like to come next time' he told her
'Tyler's already offered' Lauren replied taking a sip of orange.
Joey licked his lips and he unzipped his jacket and he pulled out a thick envelope. 'I want you to have this' he told her
'What is it?'
'Money' he replied 'My half of the cancellation fees' he told her
'Joey I don't….' she shook her head
'There are no strings attached to the money Lauren. It's yours' he told her 'And I was thinking that if you wanted to move into the flat you could. I've been staying at Alice's anyway' he told her 'If you wanted to redecorate, move things around so it looked different….' Lauren took another sip of orange juice 'I could help you .. if you wanted' he looked at her
'I'm not sure if I'm staying in the square' Lauren replied 'If the money is without strings as you say I could use it to go back to where I lived before'
'It's your money you can do what you want with it' he told her softly. He leant forward and put the envelope on the coffee table. 'I know you said that you hate me, that you don't love me anymore. That you've moved on.' He told her 'and I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't hurt, because it does' he admitted to her. Lauren licked her lips and she put her glass down on the coffee table 'But I'm not going to give up Lauren. You fell in love with me once, I can make you fall in love with me again. I'll do whatever it takes'
'You know Lucy told me something that day at the park. She told me that out relationship wasn't as strong as we thought it was if you could doubt me so easily' she told him 'I think that she was right'
'No she wasn't' he said and he looked at her 'She was.. is a manipulative bitch. She was jealous of you, of us' he told her 'You can't let her win'
'She already did' Lauren looked at him sadly 'We're not together anymore'
'We're having a baby together' Joey said
'No. I'm having a baby, which I plan to raise by myself' she told him
'You don't have to. I can help'
Lauren sighed 'I don't want you to help' she got up and she walked to the window and she looked out at the people milling about on the square.
'I'm not sure you get a choice in that' he said 'The baby is mine too' he frowned at her
'Well then I guess you've made the decision for me' she said 'I'll leave first thing in the morning' she told him
'You hate me that much that you would deliberately take the baby, that we wanted so much, away from me'
'Yes' she replied 'I do'
She heard the chair creak as he stood up, part of him wanted to take the money back from her so that she had to stay, but knew that he couldn't. 'Then that makes you just as bad as Lucy, worse even' he replied, she heard the door open and close as he left. She watched him walk across the street and disappear into the Vic.
Lauren frowned and closed her eyes and she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She picked up her bag and put the envelope in it, she grabbed her coat off the hook by the door and she left the flat.
AN: Jack is having another go at getting the two to talk. But again it didn't go too well.
Where is Lauren going? Is she going to leave? Is she really going to stop Joey from having any involvement in his baby's life?
Read on and find out.
Thank you for all your reviews, they do mean such a lot I am glad that you are enjoying the story.
To the guest reviewer who posted abuse – I think it might be time for your medication! Next time use a dictionary.
Back tomorrow.