Joey drove home quietly as Hope cried silently beside him.
'So what happened Hope and don't tell me nothing' he said to her 'I asked you to be there to support your mother and help her'
'I didn't do anything' Hope lied
'That's not what James said' Joey replied 'He said and I quote "Hope mouthed off at mum like she always does when you're not around, swearing at her, calling her names, blaming mum for you leaving, told her that she wanted to live with you… and mum, well I guess she had enough" so is that true?' he asked her 'and don't lie to me please'
'She said that she wished I hadn't been born' Hope told him and she cried harder
Joey frowned at her 'I know Lauren better than you do, she doesn't have a mean or vindictive bone in her body. The only time she says or does something to hurt someone is when she's been hurt by them so many times that she can't stand it anymore. And right now she is probably feeling a lot worse than you do believe me' he frowned at her
'I tried to apologise but she wouldn't let me into the house'
'I haven't got time to be dealing with this right now. I was on my way out' he told her
'Where'
'For drinks with a friend' he replied
'Who? The woman you've been seeing?'
'Yes as a matter of fact I am' he nodded his head
'Why?'
'Because that's what friends do' he told her with a sigh 'Look I do not have to explain my actions to you'
'But you do to mum' Hope replied 'Is that why she threw you out?'
'You are grounded Hope for 2 months, no phone and no allowance' he told her 'You can walk to and from school and when your 2 months is up you can get a part time job' he said to her
'But daddy'
'But daddy nothing. It's about time you started acting like a grown up Hope' he frowned at her as they pulled up outside Sarah's house. He stopped the engine and he grabbed her cases from the boot of the car and carried them into the house.
'Another house guest' Joey told her 'Lauren's thrown Hope out too' he said 'Look I have to go …'
'I think your family is a little more important than your social life Joey' Sarah said to him
Joey looked at her 'I'll be quiet when I come in' he said and he walked out of the house
Hope looked at her grandmother and burst into tears.
Joey sat in his car outside the house with the engine running. He frowned and he sighed, pulling out his phone, he dialled a number and waited for the person to answer, it went to voicemail.
'Babe it's me. I know that you're mad at me, but please, please call me back. I love you' he left a message and he hung up and he dialled another number.
In a cocktail bar in the Westend a phone rang close to where Lucy and Peter were sitting
'Please tell me that you are on your way' Hannah's voice came over the line.
'I can't' Joey replied 'I'm sorry but I can't see you anymore' he told her
'Oh? Why?'
'I'm married' Joey reminded her
'We're not doing anything wrong Joey' Hannah told him. Lucy's ear pricked up at the mention of his name. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and pretended to be looking at numbers, instead she took a picture of Hannah.
Joey took a deep breath and he let it out slowly 'No maybe not right now, but we want to' he said 'and I can't do that Lauren or to the kids' he told her 'They're my whole world and I can't lose them' he said 'that is if I haven't already'
Hannah sighed 'I'm sorry to hear that' she told him 'I would never have made you choose between me or your family. I am sorry that your wife has'
'I shouldn't have put myself in this position' Joey replied 'I love my wife'
'Do you? Then why were you so keen to see me to start with if you are so in love with your wife? She sounds like a controlling bitch' Hannah asked him
'She isn't' Joey frowned 'You don't know her'
'I only know what you've told me, I made my own assumptions about the kind of woman that she is' Hannah replied 'Look baby, you know that you and I would be so good together, we have fun, we laugh, we get on well together, just imagine how amazing the sex would be. Look come on come out for one drink? You sound tense'
Joey closed his eyes 'I can't' he told her again 'Don't call me again' he said and he hung up the phone.
Lucy smiled as she saw anger on Hannah's face and then felt a shiver of fear as a sly smile spread across her face. Lucy swallowed, she knew that look, she'd worn that look a few times when she had an idea about breaking Lauren and Joey up.
Lucy knew that she had to warn Lauren and Joey.
Back at Lauren's, Sophie had brought Lauren up a cup of tea and she climbed into bed with her mother. A few minutes later, James and Connor got in too.
AN: So has Joey finally come to his senses? But is it too late? What does Hannah have planned? And will Lucy warn Joey and Lauren and if she does will they believe her?
Back later
Thanks for your reviews
R&R as always