Dare to Believe- Wish I could take credit but most of this chapter is Miss Laura's work with my editing & adding :)
Chapter 21- Misunderstandings & Pride.
Lauren woke up the next morning, turning over, expecting to see and feel Joey but found the other side of her bed cold and empty. She sighed a little as she grabbed her dressing gown and headed downstairs to find him at the breakfast table. She sat down next to him, his hand lightly squeezing hers under the table but she pulled away, focusing her attention of her cereal. Joey looked at her confused but quickly hid it as Max and Tanya returned into the kitchen.
"Lauren, it's the bridesmaid fitting tomorrow, remember?" Tanya asked. Lauren nodded as she took a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. She was dreading it to be honest.
"Yes, 2 o'clock on the dot?" She replied, smiling.
"On the dot" Tanya said, smiling as she kissed Max goodbye and left.
"Half an hour, Joey, then I want you at work okay, I have wedding plans to see to" Max told him before leaving himself. Lauren continued to eat her breakfast, as she sadly remembered what the situation would of been a week ago with a empty house. She dragging Joey upstairs quickly fitting in some needed time alone or a morning shower. She sighed as she placed her spoon down.
"Lauren, are you okay?" Joey asked, his voice sounding a million miles away to her.
"Not really, why did you leave this morning?" She asked, taking her spoon, taking her cereal on the spoon and then it slide back off. She repeated this action over and over.
"I heard your Mum. I didn't want to get us in trou-"
"Never stopped you before. You know I like waking next to you but I guess you don't care anymore" Lauren said, cutting across him and rushing upstairs back to her room. A few moments later, Joey knocked on her door, asking to come in before walking in. She stared at him.
"I did knock but yeah.." He said, his voice trailing off.
"Can you just leave me alone please?" Lauren begged, turning around m, as he grabbed her arm, lightly.
"Just go, just go. I can't cope. I can't cope with the barely touching me, barely kissing me, barely anything! I'm sick of it, just get out, please" She exclaimed, turning around, pushing him out of her room, nearly crying.
"Lauren!" She slammed the door as she slid down it, crying, quietly.
Joey knocked on the door again but she ignored him as she tried to calm her tears.
"Joey? What's going on?" Abi asked from behind him.
"Lauren. Can you talk to her please? I need to go to work" Joey replied. Abi nodded and watched him go, knocking on the bedroom door.
"Joey, can you just go away please?!" Lauren hissed through the door.
"It's not Joey, it's Abi" Lauren sighed at the sound of her sisters voice and let her in.
"So what's this about Lauren?" Abi asked, sitting down on the floor, opposite her, crossing her legs.
"Apart from being your freakshow of a sister, nothing" Lauren replied, quietly.
"Stop it. Don't do this. I can't have you beat yourself up over it. It happened, Lauren. It was horrible, I can imagine but accept it and move on. Your always gonna be my beautiful big sister, no matter what" Abi told her. Lauren groaned, standing up.
"Not you and all. If I have to hear I'm beautiful one more time from you or him, I will scream because I'm not, Abi, I'm not. I'm going to be scarred, for life. Ugly scars!" Lauren exclaimed, fresh tears forming in her eyes.
"What's the difference between them and the scar on your leg where you fell over ice skating or the scar on your arm where you burnt it in cooking at school. We all have scars, Lauren. Yes, some are bigger then others but they all have stories and we are still the same person we were before we got them" Abi said, standing up, sighing.
"What's the story here, Abi? I was in the wrong place, at the wrong time? Great story, yeah. Ain't I the hero?" Lauren questioned, sitting on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands.
"I can't deal with you when your like this. I have English Revision to do" Abi said, sighing, sitting down at her desk.
"Yes, perfect Abi. Everyone's favourite. I can't deal with you when your so perfect" Lauren replied, leaving the room. Abi watched as she went and sighed.
Her day didn't get any better. An argument with Jay and Abi found herself at Lola's
"Woah, slow down" Lola proclaimed as Abi walked towards the cupboard, took out a bottle of vodka and had a shot.
"Why? Jay says I'm too studious and Lauren thinks I'm the perfect child so maybe I should just forget about it all" She replied, sighing
"They don't mean it, I'm sure" Lola said, smiling at her as she downed a shot of vodka herself
After a trip to the bathroom, Lauren was making her way through the hallway and to the front door, opening it to see Lola, holding up a half cut Abi.
"What the hell?" She proclaimed, shocked at the sight of her little sister
"Stressful day. Between you and Jay, I don't know who did her worse" Lola informed Lauren
"And you let her get wasted?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow
"It all happened so quickly" Lola replied as Lauren helped her bring Abi into the living room
Five minutes later Lola had left and Lauren was sat watching Abi, noticing a half empty vodka bottle in her hand. Sighing she took it from her, just as Joey walked in.
"I think we need to talk" he informed her, making his way into the kitchen
Lauren sighed and followed him, vodka bottle in her hand.
"It's not what it looks like" She assured him, putting down the bottle on the table.
"Isn't it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow
"No, because if I'd drunk half of this, don't you think I'd be the one passed out on the sofa right now as oppose to Abi? Thanks for the vote of confidence, Joey" Lauren proclaimed, heading upstairs
"Lauren!" Joey shouted after her, as she made her way upstairs into her bedroom, slamming the door the door behind her.
Joey sat at the kitchen table, deciding to leave Lauren to calm down. Half an hour later, she made her way back into the kitchen, flicking the kettle on, not acknowledging him at all.
"Silent treatment, is it?" Joey enquired, trying to fill the awkward silent.
"It's no more than you deserve" Lauren replied "I can't believe you think I'd be so stupid as to get wasted when things get tough. Give me some credit"
"It was an accident, Lauren, I know that now. I shouldn't have assumed. I'm sorry" Joey sighed, standing up.
"It still hurts, Joey. I thought we'd moved past all this?" she questioned
"We have and it'll never happen again. It was just a shock seeing you there with a vodka bottle" He explained, making the move to wrap his arms around her from behind her, being careful of her bandages, resting his head on her shoulder. Lauren noticed he was still acting like she was made of glass but at least he was trying, for now.
"After everything, would you blame me if that's what I did?" Lauren asked, as she let herself have the moment
"No, probably not but you won't, will you?" Joey replied. She shook her head, turning around and leaning against the kitchen side, his hands on her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"No, but do me a favour please?" Lauren asked, looking up at him.
"Go on" He said, looking at her intensely.
"Stop acting like I'm made of glass and your gonna break me. I'm still the same Lauren" She told him, remembering Abi's words from earlier.
"I know you are, baby but I need to be careful with you at the moment. Your healing. Your hurting. I can't be selfish at the best of times with you but now, I need to take more care of you, with you. Everything will be fine though. I'm gonna make sure of it" Joey replied, before crashing his lips against hers.
"So no sex against the kitchen top again at the moment then?" Lauren questioned, smirking, raising an eyebrow.
"Stop it, it sounds tempting, too tempting but I can't. I wouldn't forgive myself if I hurt you more" He told her, groaning a little.
"Be careful then?" She asked, smirking, as she reached up to kiss him again when the sound of Abi being sick in the living room stopped them. Lauren groaned as she pulled away.
"I'm overdue a good sex session with you, mister. I hope your ready when my body decides to stop taking the piss to heal" She told her, taking his hand and pulled him into the living room as they saw to Abi.