Chapter 55.

"Don't walk away from me..." Lucy's voice called out and Lauren froze. Someone grabbed her arm and then Lucy was right in front of her, squeezing her arm tightly. "You owe me an apology..."

"What for?" Lauren gasped, wincing from the pain Lucy was causing... squeezing on bruises she already had from her fall.

"What the two of you did to me... for going behind my back and sleeping together. It's disgusting, Lauren... he's your cousin..." she ranted, barely pausing to take a breath as her voice carried so everyone around them could hear what she was saying, "And anyway, it goes against the best friend's code..."

"What about Whitney?" Lauren asked, wondering how Lucy had found it so easy to forgive her.

Lucy rolled her eyes, staring at her sternly for several seconds, "WELL? I'M WAITING, LAUREN!"

"I'm not apologising to you, Lucy... Joe and I have done nothing wrong..." she said softly, "nothing happened between us while the two of you were together..."

"I don't believe you..." she said, her eyes boring into Lauren's. "You were running away from the square with him... you don't do that with someone you've only been with for a couple of weeks..." She pushed Lauren away from her and Lauren stumbled backwards slightly, looking behind her to try and stop herself from falling over.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked out of the shop, his eyes automatically scanning the street for Lauren. He moved quickly when he saw Lucy push Lauren backwards, knocking her off her feet. He strode over to the blonde and grabbed her arm as she raised it in the air, clearly about to punch his girlfriend. "STOP!" he said sharply. Lucy turned her hard face towards him, breathing heavily as she fought to tear her arm out of his hand. "This stops, Lucy... NOW..." he said forcefully.

"It doesn't stop until she's apologised for hurting me..." she insisted.

"She has nothing to apologise for... and nor do I..."

"You were with her while you were still with me..." she said.

Joey turned his attention away from Lucy, releasing his hand from her arm so he could help Lauren back to her feet. Lauren was shaking as he wrapped his arm around her and he pulled her against his chest. Lucy hadn't given up trying to hit her though, lifting her hand again to strike the brunette in his arms. He moved so he was standing between them and Lucy's hand ineffectively hit his shoulder. Focusing his attention on Lauren he brushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear as he looked into her tear filled eyes. He turned away from her, pushing her behind him so Lucy couldn't reach her again. Lucy was still trying to get to her and Joey grabbed her hand as she went to hit him again, "STOP LUCY!" he shouted and she finally did as he said. "You can't hit her... She's got a fractured skull... She's only just come out of hospital..." he tried to reason with her but he could see his words were having little impact. "Just stop behaving like a brat, Luce... The thing between me and you... was nothing..." he told her, keeping his voice calm to try and deflate the situation. "You were nothing to me... a casual shag... I'm sorry but it's the truth..." he said, seeing the pain on her face. "I felt nothing for you, Lucy... and yes, I was wrong to be with you in the first place... I only ever wanted Lauren... from that very first day in the square... but I thought I couldn't have her... and you were what was available. So, okay, I'm sorry for that... I shouldn't have done it... but you offered it on a plate, Luce..." He took a couple of breaths, "Take your anger out on me, Lucy... Lauren did nothing wrong... When the two of us started, you and I were done..." He stopped speaking and after almost a minute of glaring at him Lucy turned and flounced back into the cafe. Whitney was waiting for her in the doorway, having been watching the fight between them all, a hard expression on her face. Lucy walked over to her and Whitney slipped her arm through her blonde friend's, the two of them making their way back into the café. He turned back to Lauren and she buried her face in his chest, desperate to hide from everyone. "Are you okay?" he asked her softly. She nodded her head against his body, "Let's go home, babe..." he said softly, kissing the top of her head. She was leaning against him as they walked and to be honest, Joey was practically dragging her along the street back towards the house. He was aware of all the stall holders staring at them both and he knew Lauren was as well. He sighed silently because this was the last thing Lauren needed... not after everything else she's been through… that they'd gone through.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren were sitting on the sofa when the family got home later that day. They'd spent the rest of the day watching movies on the TV and Joey was pretty convinced they'd be doing the same for a few days to come.

It wasn't until dinner time that Max or Tanya asked them about their day and at first Lauren wouldn't say anything. They both then looked at Joey and he sighed, "It didn't go quite as Lauren would've liked..." he admitted.

"How come?" Tanya asked, turning her attention to her daughter instead, "Lauren, sweetheart?" Lauren burst into tears and Joey pulled her into his arms, having already been moving to do so, knowing the reaction Tanya would get. "Joey...?" Tanya then said softly.

"Whitney ignored her..." he said, Lauren's hands clutching the front of his T-shirt as she continued to cry. "Lucy didn't though... but she created a bit of a scene..."

"What sort of scene?" Max asked, his voice stern but his face showing how worried he was about his daughter.

"She accosted us in the cafe so we left, not wanting to drag it all out in front of everyone. I was stupid because I went to the shop to get some milk while Lauren waited outside..."

"It's not your fault..." Lauren said weakly.

"When I came back out Lucy had pushed Lauren so she was on the floor and she was about to punch her... I stopped her but then we had a shouting match in the middle of the market..." Joey rocked Lauren slightly in his arms, "We came back here afterwards..."

Lauren turned her head on Joey's chest, staring at her parents, "Everyone was staring at us..." she whispered, "It was like being at the zoo... I hated it..."

"They'll find something else to focus on soon, babe..." her dad said, trying to reassure her.

Lauren pushed away from Joey and got up from the table, walking quietly out of the room and up to their bedroom. Tanya went to follow her but Joey stopped her, telling them to let her be. After the meal Joey took her plate up to their room and Lauren ate it slowly, leaning against him as he brushed his fingers through her hair. They went to bed later that evening and Lauren clung to Joey, almost as if she was afraid he was going to leave her.

A/N: So Lucy really had a go, didn't she? Poor Lauren... At least Joey stood up for her and protected her. Something tells me Lucy hasn't quite given up yet... but I could be wrong. Send me a review. Back tomorrow - although it might be quite late...