Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter :)
All I will say is... Everything will be revealed over the next few chapters :0
Enjoy Xx
The next morning, Alice arrived home from staying at the Brannings and unlocked the front door, creeping in, not wanting to disturb Joey. She quietly closed the door and opened the living room door, finding it empty. She frowned and then looked to the stairs. She felt her hopes raise slightly, but she didn't let them soar. She crept up the stairs, managing to miss the ones what wre creaky and headed for Joey's room. She listened for a minute, before opening his door just a crack. She smiled and did a little happy dance on the spot, at the sight what she saw. Lauren was curled into Joey's body, with his arms wrapped round her tightly, protecting her from the world. She closed the door quietly and let out a little giggle, before composing herself and heading for the bathroom...
Half an hour later, Joey stirred in his sleep and his eyes slowly flickered open. It took him a second to remember the previous nights events, before he looked besides him and felt a smile arise on his face. Lauren had her back to him, still dead to the world. He slid up behind her and lightly stroked a piece of hair away from her face, making her nose twitch. He smiled down at her, feeling like all his Christmas's had come at once. He watched as Lauren turned over to face him, her eyes flickering open as she did so.
'Morning babe' Joey said, smiling at her. Lauren looked at him blankly for a few seconds, before smiling.
'Morning' she said
'You okay?' Joey asked. Lauren smiled and nodded
'Yeah. You?' she asked
'Of course I am' he replied. He watched as Lauren sat up, still clutching the sheet to her chest to gain some modesty, and reached down to snag his top from the floor, throwing it over her head and watching as it came to rest halfway down her thighs.
'Looking sexy, baby' Joey said. Lauren giggled, before grabbing her underwear and sliding it up her legs, before grabbing Joey's sweatpants and sliding them on, giggling at the look on Joey's face.
'You trying to kill me?' he questioned, reaching for her waist. Lauren laughed and placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. She leant down and pecked his lips.
'Got to go. Abi will probably be freaking out, and I have a few things to sort out myself' said Lauren. Joey groaned and kissed her neck roughly. Lauren gasped quietly, managing to keep her self control on a leash.
'Joey... I swear to God if you give me lovebite... I'll kill you' she joked. She felt Joey smirk and she knew he'd fullfilled the promise of a lovebite...
Lauren slammed her bedroom door shut, running a hand through her messed up hair. She sighed and leant back against the door. She let out a long breath and smiled to herself. She moved to sit on her bed and reached for her medication, when she realised it wasn't where she left it. She frowned before searching high and low for it. After ten mninutes looking for it, she came to conclusion someone had gotten their hands on it. She rushed downstairs and saw it on the kitchen counter. She breathed a sigh of relief and took two of the tablets, swallowing them down with a glass of water. She heard her mobile ringing upstairs and rushed to answer it.
'Hello?' she answered...
It was mid afternoon and Abi, Max and Oscar were walking back from having a day in London. They headed through the market, Max and Oscar talking to each other about the days events, when Abi stopped and swung an arm out to stop her dad from walking any further.
'What?' he questioned
'Is that smoke coming from our house?' Abi questioned. Max squinted and saw smoke coming from the Branning's back garden, the smoke dark and horrible.
'From round the back' said Max, before running off, aiming to find out what was causing the fire. Abi grabbed Oscar and rushed to find Joey, who was sorting out the beer and drinks for that nights shift at R&R.
'JOEY! You've got to come now! It's Lauren!' Abi panted, before swing Oscar up in her arms and rushing back outside, Joey hot on her heels. They arrived at the Branning house in about a minute, rushing through the house and seeing Lauren standing over a pile of burnt things.
'LAUREN! What the hell?' Abi screamed. Lauren looked at her.
'That is my past, Abi... All the clothes I used to wear, all my old stuff what I don't need anymore...' Lauren answered, her tone emotionless. Abi gaped at her sister, unable to believe what she had done.
'So, you decide to burn your clothes! Lauren, what is going on inside you head?' Abi questioned. Lauren didn't answered for a few minutes.
'I had to do it, Abi. It was the right thing' she said, before turning round and walking through the house to the front door, leaving Max, Joey, Abi and Oscar staring at the pile of burnt clothes and accessories what used to be Lauren's...
They found Lauren in Queen Vic, slowly drinking a Vodka and Coke at the bar. Joey and Max sighed, before joining her at the bar.
'Two pints please, Kirsty' Max asked. Lauren's head snapped to the woman who had served her.
'Your Kirsty?' Lauren stated, her tone skepical. Kirsty nodded
'And you must be Lauren! Heard so much about you' Kirsty replied. Lauren snorted
'I bet you have...' Lauren muttered, before turning her attention to her Dad
'You always did have a thing for blondes' she said spitefully, making Max raise an eyebrow at his daughter attitude.
'Lauren!' Joey hissed, from the other side of her. Lauren rolled her eyes and finished her drink. Max moved the glass away from her and quickly told Kirsty not serve her anymore alcohol.
'What! I'm not eighteen anymore, Dad!' Lauren excliamed, before walking off, round to the other side of the bar to where Tracey was and ordering another drink, Max, Joey and Kirsty watching her...
Lauren was on her third drink of the night, ignoring the looks of disapproval Max and Joey sent her way. She didn't need them to tell her to stop drinking. Even since she had been in Greece, she had managed to sort out her drinking, limiting herself to three alcoholic drinks and then the rest soft drinks. She was abut to ask for a orange juice, when an arm grabbed her and spun her round.
'Found you! Don't ever do that again!' exclaimed Richard. Lauren's face lit up
'Rich! What are you doing here?' she questioned, noticing Joey and Max heading towards them from the corner of her eye.
'I'm here to talk to you... In private' stated Richard. Lauren smiled and nodded. Just as they were about to leave the pub, Joey grabbe dher arm adn pulled her back to him.
'Whoa! Hands off, mate! She's mine!' he said, slipping an arm round Lauren waist protectively. Richard chuckled for a second before setting his jaw
'And who are you?' he asked Joey
'Joey.. Who are you?'
'Ah! so you're the ex who break her heart!' Richard questioned. Joey raised an eyebrow
'Was her ex.. I'm not anymore! Who are you?' he repeated
'I'm her step brother. Now, if you don't mind' said Richard, grabbing Lauren from Joey's grip and tightly holding her, so Joey couldn't get her 'I need to talk to my little stepsister!' he finished, before opening the Queen Vic doors and ushering Lauren out. Joey and Max watched from the doorway as Lauren and Richard headed back to the Branning house, Lauren's arm linked Richards. Joey jumped slightly when his voice blasted to life.
'Hello?' he answered, without looking at the caller ID, his gaze on lauren and Richard
'Joey? Where the hell are you? You said we going to dinner tonight?' asked Carli, on the other end of the line. Joey's eye widened in realisation and mentally slapped himself.
Shit!
R&R :D Xx