Chapter Twenty-nine.

Joey let himself into the house at 1:00am as quietly as he could. He walked into his bedroom and sat down on the bed, leaving the door open. He ran his hands over his face with a sigh. He decided to get ready for bed first and then he would see if Lauren was still awake, which he hoped she would be.

He went up to the bathroom and changed into a pair of pyjama bottoms, he felt a bit cold and he looked for his robe, but it wasn't in its usual place hanging on the back of the door. He cleaned his teeth and used the bathroom before going back downstairs. He noticed the light coming from underneath the lounge door, he quickly looked in his room for his robe but couldn't find it, so instead he pulled on a t-shirt and walked towards the lounge; he knocked gently on the door.

'Come in' he heard Lauren call softly. He took a breath, licking his lips as he opened the door, Lauren was sitting on the sofa in the dark, the duvet draped over her so only her head was showing, the only light in the room was coming from the TV. Joey flicked the lamp on and looked at her.

'Hey' he said softly 'Are you cold?'

'A little' she nodded 'are you just back?'

'Yes' he said 'It was a busy night' he told her, her arm appeared from under the duvet. She turned the TV off.

'Is that my robe?' he asked her.

'No' she lied and her face flushed red at the obvious lie 'Yes….I was … cold' she told him.

'I've been looking for that' he told her softly.

'Sorry' she said sheepishly 'It was hanging in the bathroom….' she said letting him know she hadn't gone into his room.

Joey shook his head 'It's okay' he smiled 'can I sit down?' he asked her.

'Sure' she said, moving the duvet to make some space for him, bunching it around her body.

''I talked to Alice tonight'

'Well she is your sister, I would be worried if you didn't' she replied picking at an imaginary spot on the duvet, avoiding his gaze.

'We were talking about you' he said 'about us'

Lauren nodded and sighed 'you don't have to say anything else, I had a feeling this was coming' she told him 'I've already been looking for other places, and there are a few bedsits I can afford, I can be gone by tomorrow night' she said softly.

'What?' Joey frowned 'you think we want you to move out? You think I want you to move out?' he asked her.

'Don't you?' Lauren asked him, surprise evident in her voice 'Isn't that one of the things you wanted to talk about?'

'No. Of course not' he shook his head 'why would you think that?' Lauren shrugged with a sniff. She climbed off the sofa, crossing the room to the window, pulling back the curtains to peer out. 'Babe…'

'Don't call me that….' She said quietly shaking her head.

He frowned and got up, moving to stand behind her 'Why not?' he asked her. He heard her sniff again, her hand moving across her face and he wondered if she was crying. 'Hey, what's wrong?' he asked her, he tried to turn her around but she wouldn't let him 'Lauren, why are you upset?'

'Look I've already said I can move out tomorrow and you can see that other girl without having a guilty conscience' she told him.

'What other girl?'

'The one from the club' she replied, sniffing again

'Alice was right' Joey said softly 'You think I'm seeing someone else'

'You seemed pretty familiar with her' she replied 'before and after you came back from your mums'

Joey sighed 'I told you. You're the one I want Lauren, that hasn't changed' he told her 'Look at me'

'No' she said, shaking her head and she let the curtain fall.

'Look at me' he repeated firmly. She sighed, closing her eyes and turning towards him. She opened her eyes, he stooped slightly so his head was level with hers; he looked her directly in the eyes, cupping her face in his hand. He held her head in place as she tried to turn it away from him 'Babe look at me please' he said softly. Reluctantly she looked at him, he brushed away the tears that fell 'I love you' he told her firmly but softly 'I want you. No one else' he said shaking his head 'I've told you that'

Lauren sniffed, licking her lips as she pulled his hands away from her face. She pushed him out of her personal space and walked over to the sofa 'No you don't' she shook her head 'This is just you feeling guilty, you feeling sorry for me and I don't need that Joey. I don't want that and I don't deserve that' she shook her head as she sat down on the sofa 'I don't want you to pretend you want to be with me because you think telling me you don't is going to push me over the edge, push me back onto the drink, because it won't' she told him 'and even if it does that's down to me not you' she added.

Joey sighed 'You're going to tell me how I feel now?' he asked her raising his eyebrows in surprise 'I don't pity you Lauren, I don't feel guilty and I am not pretending I want to be with you' he told her as he retook his seat beside her 'Is that what you thought I wanted to talk to you about? Breaking up with you and asking you to move out?'

'There's nothing to break up. We're not together Joey. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend, we're more like…cousins, even Alice thinks so' she said to him 'and I saw the way you were flirting with the girl in the bar'

'The girl in the bar is Robbie's girlfriend' he told her 'Robbie the new bartender and she acts like that with everyone, I wasn't flirting with her' he said shaking his head.

'That's not what it looked like to me and Alice'

'Sounds like you were jealous' he said to her. Lauren sighed, picking at a loose thread on the hem of his robe. 'You don't need to be' he covered her hand with his as she pulled the thread free 'Hey! That's my robe!' he said 'I like it the way it is thank you' he told her, she looked at up at him briefly 'You are my girl, Lauren' he said softly 'maybe I have been over cautious around you'

'You apologised after what happened in the kitchen.' Lauren told him 'you told me it shouldn't have happened' she frowned at him 'you haven't even tried to kiss me or touch me since I got here, you don't want to be with me, you'd rather get yourself off than be with me'

'Is that what you think?' Joey ran his hands over the lower half of his face. He stood up and walked to the fireplace, resting his hands on the mantle, his head bowed.

'It's what I know' Lauren replied, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'It's late Joey. You should go to be.' He glanced into the mirror and saw her sorting out her bed on the sofa, she plumped up a pillow, putting it down again and moving onto the duvet. She shook it and lay it down on the sofa. She straightened up, walked to the door of the lounge, opening it. Neither of them moved, Lauren looked up at Joey and saw he was staring at her. 'Joey please' she frowned at him, on the verge of tears.

He crossed the room slowly, stopping in front of her, Lauren dropped her gaze, she felt him tuck her hair behind her ear, and she looked up at him, his fingers trailed along her cheek, his thumb brushed across her lips. Lauren swallowed as Joey caught her chin with his fingers and raised her face towards his.

AN: So, it looks as though Lauren and Alice added 2 and 2 together and got 5. Is there anything Joey can to do to convince her she's the one he wants? Is Lauren going to move out? R&R as always.