Chapter Three.

We got into Joeys flat it was just around the corner from my house, so I could just nip home in the morning before anyone got up. Joey locked the door behind us and put the keys on the side board. Surprisingly he took my jacket off for me before taking his own of and chucking them over the banister.

"Go and sit down, I'll bring us some drinks" he said, rubbing my arm. I smiled at him and walked through to the living room. I was surprised at how neat and tidy his flat was, I'd never been in before.. We had always been round Lucy's whenever we hung out or at the carlot when we hung out on our own. I sat down, my head already spinning.

I looked up, hearing Joey come through. "There you go, miss" he smiled. I couldn't help but smile back, I loved his smile. He handed me a cold drink which I had to laugh at because I thought he was going to try and sober me up with coffee or something but no here he was with vodka and Coke.

"What?" I asked him, as he stared at me while I took small sips of my drink.

"Nothing" he said sternly.

I was quite confused with his sudden low tone. "No come on, what's wrong?" I asked him.

"That guy in the club..."

"Brad" I mumbled.

"You know him?" He asked me.

"No, he told me his name while you was talking to that girl, Sienna" I said.

"What did he want?" Joey asked.

"My guess is more than a kiss" I chuckled to myself, looking down into my half empty glass.

"Well why did he think he could just grab you like that?" Joey questioned me.

"I don't know" I said, I couldn't tell if he thought I had been leading him on or not.

"It wasn't my fault, Joey. I told him no" I said, not being able to look him directly in the eyes.

I felt Joeys arm rub the top of my leg which changed my thoughts altogether and I had to take a tighter grip on my glass.

"I know it wasn't your fault Lauren, I didn't think for a second it was, I'm just annoyed some jerk thinks he can touch you like that and get away with it" he said, his tone changing dramatically.

I dared a look in his eyes and all I saw was softness, no anger, no cockiness. This Joey was very different from the one he let everyone see out in public.

"Well there's a lot of bad people out there Joey. Brad wasn't one day f the worst I don't think, there's much worse people out there, willing to do much worse things to you to satisfy themselves" I said, looking away from him, and staring back into my glass again before taking a large gulp.

"Are you talking from experience?" He asked me.

"Yes" I said quickly before downing my drink and getting up, I wasn't as nervous anymore. "Another drink?" I asked him.

"Uh, yeah sure" Joey replied.

I practically ripped his glass away from him and I may as well have ran into the kitchen. I opened the bottle of vodka and poured a generous amount into both glasses. I looked to the doorway to make sure Joey wasn't there and I had three large gulps of vodka straight from the bottle. I knew he was going to question me about my past now and honestly I didn't care, I didn't care what anyone thought anymore. I took another gulp before adding Coke to our drinks.

"Hey, did you find the drinks?" Joey asked from behind me.

Without looking at him I answered back. "Yeah got them sorted" I turned around fastening the top onto the Coke bottle.

Joey smiled and walked over taking his drink and gulping half of it down in one. Maybe I wasn't such a reckless drinker after all, I mean Joey seemed to like a drink too. I joined him in drinking most of my drink.

I looked at him as he downed the rest of his drink, laughing at him as he looked like he was about to throw up. I smiled before downing mine too.

"Thirsty?" I laughed.

Joey smiled. "I'm gonna need the Dutch courage, I know I'm going back on what I said about Brad but I'm hoping this is different" he said.

I furrowed my eyebrows together. "Wha..." I was cut of by Joeys lips slamming into mine. I just froze for like ten seconds but I soon responded back. I couldn't believe it, I was kissing my cousin. I knew how wrong it was but I couldn't stop. Joeys lips pressed harder against mine and I willingly opened my mouth letting his tongue invade mine. His hands slowly made their way down to my waist and gripped it tight, I knew what was happening so I put my arms around his neck. Joey lifted me onto the worktop and leant into me more, as I felt his hands cup my bum.. Realisation kicked in. I was kissing my cousin, my flesh and blood.

"Mhm Mhm! Stop! Joey stop, please!" I begged, I wasn't. Scared though, just desperate.

"What's wrong?" He asked me panicked.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine. I just... I can't, it's not even the fact you're my cousin that's stopping me and it should be, God Joey it really should be"

"Lauren it's okay" he said, taking my hand.

"Well I'm not. I've been through too much, I've been hurt way too much, I just can't" I cried.

"Woah, hey! Whose hurt you? I won't hurt you Lauren, I'd never do anything to hurt you" he said, holding the side of my face.

"No I know you wouldn't and I've not been hurt in a relationship because I've never been in one, I mean hurt as in hurt hurt, physically" I panicked when I said that, realising what I just let slip.

Joey just stared at me.

"I've got to go home now, I need to go" I said, I raced for the front door, ramming the keys into the door to unlock it.

"Lauren it's okay you know, I understand" he said, holding onto my arm.

I pulled it back. "I don't think you do, I don't think you could ever understand the amount of things I've been through, what I'm still going through" I told him, tears escaping this time.

I practically ran through the door and up the street, I probably just made the biggest mistake of my life.