Lauren sensed Joey was awake a while before he actually moved, he was curled around her, his arm a heavy but comfortable weight across her body. The house was quiet, Lauren thought it must still be pretty early, they probably should get up and make a move but Lauren was comfortable in Joey's embrace and he didn't seem in any hurry to get up, too busy caught in his thoughts. Thinking about it, Lauren realised they'd never done this. Never actually slept together, they couldn't risk it. They moved so fast but she didn't get any of it. Being with him felt so natural though, she didn't care.
She kept her breathing even and stayed still as she felt Joey move into a sitting position, feeling his gaze on her. Happy she was still asleep, he ducked down to brush a kiss on her temple before getting up and leaving the room. Aware he was needing to speak to his mum, Lauren tried to listen out for him but eventually fell back asleep.
Awaking a little while later, Joey still gone from his bedroom, Lauren sat up in his bed and looked around his room. Other than a couple of pictures, old family shots of him and Alice, on his chest of drawers, his room was pretty plain. Nothing Lauren could feel a Joey vibe from. Climbing out of bed, Joey's top covering her torso and the tops of her legs, she grabbed her bag. Going to grab her phone, she paused. Probably not a smart idea to contact her family or friends, not right now anyway.
Opening his bedroom door, Lauren softly called his name to no response. She stood awkwardly in the door frame of his bedroom, not knowing exactly what to do. Her thoughts were broken quickly. "So you're the girl then." A woman who looked exactly like Lauren would imagine Alice would in twenty years time, obviously Joey's mum, had come to stand in the other living room door way.
Lauren just raised an eyebrow, is that what she is. Joey's mum smiled, seeing under the nerve, s a girl with fire, perfect for her son. "I'm Lynne. Joey and Alice's mum. But I'm guessing you knew that" she said, Lauren letting out a quiet laugh. "I'm the girl" she said with a smirk, Lynne grinning back at her. "But my name's Lauren.". Things went quiet again, Lauren trying to imagine this lady with her Uncle Derek and Lynne trying to work out exactly what her son had gotten himself into.
"I've only briefly seen my son, so maybe you can fill in some gaps for me?" the woman said softly, noticing how tense Lauren still seemed. Lauren just nodded. "Want to sit down darling?" Lauren just shuffled, arms wrapped around her body to sit down on the sofa, Joey's mum coming to sit next to her. Lifting her head to look at her, Lauren could actually see bits of Joey in his mum's face too, now she looked closer.
"Well you are beautiful, I'll give my son that" she broke the silence with a chuckle, Lauren half-smiling "Thank you.". Tucking up her legs underneath her, pulling down his shirt to cover herself more, Lauren wished Joey was here. They were supposed to be in this together.
As if she could tell what Lauren was thinking, Joey's mum spoke. "He'll be back soon", the tension leaving Lauren's face as Lynne spoke more. "Going to fill me in then love?". Lauren just shrugged, not knowing what to say. "What'd he tell you?" she said with a sigh. Lynne looked at Lauren, obviously thinking about something before shrugging. "Well I woke up to my son, sat on the bottom of my bed staring at me" Lauren let out a laugh, making Lynne stop before Lauren waved her hand to carry on. "Obviously I was surprised" Lynne carried on, Lauren rolling her eyes. She knew they should have phoned ahead. "But I got told not 'to freak' but there was a girl downstairs." Lynne paused, watching for Lauren's reactions. Joey had told Lauren last night that she had been the only girl he'd ever brought home, that he was normally a love 'em and leave 'em type, which didn't surprise her at all. "He said that he and this girl were together, and people didn't know but wouldn't like it." Lauren sighed, he'd skipped out the them being cousins part, great. Trust him, to leave it to her to explain that bit.
Lynne saw Lauren's reaction but carried on. "Said Derek knew" Both of the pulled a face, smiling when they saw the other's reaction to Derek's name. "And hated it. My son got defensive, told me he didn't care what Derek thought, and if being you meant leaving, so be it." Lauren smiled at that, she wished she had his confidence sometimes. "He told me to look after you whilst he got stuff done, and he'd be back." Lynne grabbed Lauren's hand, and spoke softly but her tone was serious. "So now, would you like to explain to me just exactly who you are and why you & my son are running away together?"