Chapter Forty-Eight

Jack pulled into Albert Square 45 minutes later. 'How about some lunch?' he asked her 'call it a peace offering?' he asked her.

'I don't have any money' she told him softly. Jack nodded his head 'Well then I guess I'll have to pay then, won't I?' he asked her as he climbed out of the car. He waited for her and Lauren got out, closing her door and followed him round towards the pub, he held the door open for her as she went inside. 'White wine?' he asked her.

'Please' she nodded her head as her eyes scanned the pub, searching for Jake.

'Why don't you grab a table and I'll bring the drinks over?' he told her. Lauren nodded her head again, and turned and sat down at the first available table. She sat her bag on her lap and she pulled out her phone and checked to see if Joey had been in touch. He hadn't. She sent Joey a quick text message and turned her phone off and pushed it into her pocket.

Jack brought the drinks over to the table along with a menu.

'Thanks' Lauren grabbed her glass and took a long drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

'So, you've run out of money already?' he asked her.

'Sorry?' Lauren frowned at him, not understanding what he meant.

'You only got paid two days ago' he replied.

'Oh…yeah…'she said a little flustered 'I need to learn to make it last' she said with a nod of her head.

'Tell you what, I'll have a word with Sharon about giving you a pay rise, hey. A cash in hand one, would that help?' Lauren's eyes shot up to his, she was about to say no, but thought better of it

'Please' she whispered softly, looking down feeling embarrassed that Jack had obviously worked out Jake took her wages.

'Good, that's settled then. In the meantime' he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out £200 and held it out to her 'consider this some back pay' he told her. She shook her head as she felt her eyes fill with tears 'take it, Lauren. You've earned it.' Jack saw her hands were shaking as she reached out and took the money from him.

'Thank you' her voice filled with emotion as she took the money from him. She wondered briefly where to put it so Jake wouldn't find it. She tucked the money inside her bra and smiled at Jack.

'So what are we having to eat?' he asked her.

'Can I have a burger and fries please?' she asked him.

'Absolutely' he nodded his head 'I think I will have the same. Do not go anywhere while I order the food'

*JB*JB*JB*JB*

Joey watched Jake as he paced the floor of the kitchen. 'Where is she?' he frowned 'she should've been back by now' he said and he turned to look at Joey.

'I don't know' Joey said to him 'If you hadn't thrown her out of the car she'd be here now wouldn't she?'

'I was just angry with her, she answered me back…' Jake explained to Joey, trying to justify his actions..

'Technically it is her car' Joey replied 'You have to understand why she's upset you want to sell it'

'She doesn't use it' Jake tried to reason with him.

'Like you said, you took the keys away from her so she couldn't use it' Joey tried to make him see sense. 'Jake, will you stop pacing, I'm sure she's fine' he told him 'she's probably just sitting somewhere feeling sorry for herself or feeling pretty pissed off at you and who can blame her, forcing her to get out of a car 10 miles from home'

'Whose side are you on?' Jake frowned at him.

'I'm on your side, Jake, you know that' he told him 'but to be fair I'd be pretty pissed off with you if you left me to walk 10 miles to get home'

Jake sighed and he pulled out a chair and sat down at the dining table. 'She gets me so…crazy sometimes' he admitted to Joey.

'That's what women do' Joey said 'it's why I'm happy living the way I do' Joey told him 'maybe you need to apologise to her, mate'

'I just wish I knew where she was' Jake said again.

'She'll be back' Joey told him as he phone beeped, alerting him to a text message, pulling his phone out of his pocket, he looked at it and saw it was from Lauren.

"At the Vic with Jack, he's buying me lunch…"

*JB*JB*JB*JB*

Lauren unlocked the door an hour and a half later. 'Lauren is that you?' she heard Jake's voice.

'Like you care' she shot back.

'Baby, I know you're angry with me' he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen and walked down the hallway towards her, 'I am so sorry, I shouldn't have left you like that. You just got me angry'

Lauren frowned at him 'I got you angry?' she asked him 'I got you angry? Because you weren't expecting me to be upset you've decided to sell the car I brought with my own money and keep the profit for yourself?' she snapped at him 'yeah I can see how that would get you angry, Jake'

'Honey, please…' Lauren headed for the stairs

'Leave me alone, Jake' she snapped at him and fled up the stairs.

Joey came out of the kitchen and Jake looked at him. 'You knew she was going to be pissed off and she does kind of have a point' Joey reminded him. 'Look, you need to be heading to your meeting with your solicitors. So why don't you go and I'll stay here, watch Lauren?' he suggested.

'Are you sure?' Jake asked him. 'I'll be gone for a couple of days'

'Yes' he nodded his head 'I'm sure' he licked his lips, wanting to make sure Lauren was okay and find out what Jack had said to her.

'Great, thanks' Jake said, grabbing his keys, jacket and phone from the side. Joey watched him leave the house, once he was gone he flipped the latch on the door so he couldn't get back in before heading up the stairs. Lauren was sitting on the bed.

'Hey' Joey said softly from the doorway 'are you okay?'

'Is he really mad?' she asked him, glancing over her shoulder.

'Actually he's pretty upset with himself' Joey told her.

'Which will be my fault' she looked down at her hands 'I'll pay for that in some shape or form later' she sighed 'thank you for sending Jack after me'

'I wasn't going to just leave you there was I, hey?' he told her walking into the room 'why didn't you tell me you were getting your cast off today? I would have taken you to the hospital'

'I was going to get the train but he wouldn't give me my Oyster card' she told him 'he insisted he was going to drive me'

'Look, he's gone to meet his solicitors about the new restaurant, he's going to be gone for at least two hours, if you pack a bag we could be gone…' Joey told her.

'Do you think if it was as simple as packing a bag and leaving I would still be here?' she looked at him 'I have no money, I have no passport or drivers licence, birth certificate….I have nothing' she shook her head 'where would I go? What would I do?' she asked him 'I'm not going to live for the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, being afraid he would find me again' she got up and walked to the window and peered out onto the square. 'There isn't a way out and we both know it. So stop pretending there is'

Joey crossed over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders 'Babe…'

'Don't' she shrugged his hands off 'Just go, Joey…please. I can't do this anymore' she whispered.

'Lauren…' he whispered.

She spun round 'Just go…please…just go…'

Joey blinked at her, nodding his head 'okay, okay I'll go' he told her.

Lauren heard him go down the stairs and the front door open and close, she watched him walk out of the house and across the square.

AN Thanks for all your reviews Poor Lauren…Jack knew she didn't spend all her wages but at least he's worked out a way for Lauren to get some money that Jake doesn't know about. She just needs to find a place to hide it! Good thinking on Joey's part for being at the house when Lauren came home. I don't think Jake would hurt Lauren with someone else watching. I wonder what she meant when she said she couldn't do this anymore? Are you all thinking the same as Joey? That she means their relationship? Leave me a review. Back tomorrow