Can't have you.
39.
“Where’s she going?” Nick asked immediately.
“She’s going to her cousin’s grave.” Claire said sadly.
“Is this the cousin who was 10 months old?” Nick asked Claire.
“Yes.” Claire mumbled.
“Give me direction; I need to go to her.” Nick said to Claire, sadness in his eyes.
“Ok.” Claire said before giving Nick directions to the place where Lauren would be, at her cousin’s grave side.
Nick instantly ran to the cemetery and walked around until he saw Lauren. She was crouched down, her head in her hands, by the side of a grave with teddy’s bear all over it. Silently, Nick walked over to Lauren and knelt beside her, wrapping his arms around her gently.
“Lauren, its ok, Joe’s fine. Your brother didn’t do anything but scare him a little.” Nick whispered soothingly.
“It’s not ok Nick. You don’t understand, that was the first time ive acted like that for over a year. I didn’t know what I was doing, I lost control of myself. And then, seeing your faces afterwards broke my heart.” Lauren sobbed.
“It’s fine Lauren. Shh.” Nick said as he pulled Lauren onto his lap.
“I need some flowers.” Lauren sniffed as she stood up.
“Do you want me to get you some from the shop over the road?” Nick asked.
“Yes please. Ill sort it all out.” Lauren said as she began pottering over the grave, pulling dead plants away and placing the bears back in the right places.
Nick walked away silently and went to the flower shop. Claire and Joe were stood outside of the cemetery, looking in with worried expressions on their faces. When Nick walked out, Claire instantly began asking him questions.
“Is she ok? What’s happened to make her like this? What’s she doing?” She asked in one breath.
“She’ll be fine. She said the way Joe and I reacted to her back at her house broke her heart. And she’s sorting out the grave.” Nick said, also in one breath.
“Where you going?” Joe asked Nick.
“Im gunna get some flowers for Lauren to put down.” Nick said before darting across the road and going into the small flower shop.
He brought 2 bunches of flowers and then took them back to Lauren who sat on the floor looking at the almost empty grave.
“Here you go.” Nick said passing Lauren the flowers.
“Thanks.” Lauren muttered.
She sorted out the flowers and then stood.
“I wanna go. Bye Daniel.” Lauren said, taking Nick’s hand.
“Ok.” Nick whispered while lacing his fingers with Lauren.
The couple walked out of the cemetery, hand in hand. Lauren was no longer crying, just hiccupping from the tears. When they walked out of the gates, Claire pulled Lauren into a hug, knowing that coming to the grave was hard for her.
“Lets go somewhere.” Lauren said, pulling away and holding Nick’s hand again.
“Where?” Joe asked in confusion.
“The waterfront.” Lauren smiled.
“Good choice.” Claire grinned.
“What’s the water front?” Nick asked.
“It’s the water front. Its got pubs and clubs, little café’s and amazing boats out on the water.” Lauren smiled at Nick.
“Are you going in the pubs and clubs?” Nick asked looking worried.
“No, I don’t feel like drinking. I wanna sit on the bridge and look at the boats.” Lauren grinned.
“Its looks amazing on a night. Trust us.” Claire smiled as she took Joe’s hand.
The two couples left and got into a taxi that took them to the waterfront. Lauren climbed out after paying for the fair and then walked along in silence. She walked past all the drunks on the street, the various different types of clubs and pubs and the little late night café’s. She walked straight to a bridge that was situated half way down the waterfront and sat down in the middle of the bridge. Her legs were hanging off of the side while her arms rested on the bar just in front of her. Claire, Nick and Joe followed behind her, also in silence. Each took a place on the floor beside Lauren, Nick to her left while Claire was to her right and then Joe to the right of Claire. All took the same positions as the looked out across the water and the different lights illuminating it.
One single boat bobbed along the water, the lights shimmering off of the water and onto the still boats surrounding it. Laughter filled the air around the couples as they looked out across the sun that was almost set, the different colours ranging from yellow to pink to purple, reflecting off of the water and causing silhouettes of houses and apartment blocks to be changed in colour.
“It’s really nice.” Nick whispered beside Lauren.
“I know, it’s not like this during the day though, it’s pretty nasty then.” Lauren said, screwing her nose up.
“Never mind, at least its nice now.” Nick smiled.
“What time is it?” Claire asked.
“Wait a minute.” Lauren said.
Lauren put her hand in her pocket and pulled out her phone, checking the time before putting it back in her pocket again.
“Nearly 9.” Lauren mumbled.
“We have to go soon then, we gotta get up early to start sending stuff out to LA. And we’ve gotta go to work tomorrow.” Claire groaned.
“I know, talk about spoil the moment.” Lauren mumbled annoyed.
“Looks like its time to take you two to your hotel so we can go home.” Claire said standing up.
“Why do you have to work?” Joe asked.
“Because we are going to need money to move out to LA and even though we both have money saved, we’re not going to be able to live on it.” Claire said as she dragged Joe to a standing position.
“Oh right.” Joe smiled sheepishly.
“Come on then boys, let’s take you to your pretend home.” Lauren grinned as she led the way to the hotel.
Nick ran and caught up with Lauren, lacing their fingers together as they walked. Claire and Joe were just behind them. The 2 couples walked along, Joe, Nick and Claire chatting idly between themselves while Lauren walked in silence, thinking of all the different things that are going to be happening over the next 2 weeks.
After 5 minutes, they reached the boys hotel. Lauren and Claire tried to say their goodbyes outside but were pulled into the hotel and up to the boy’s room. After demanding why they were dragged there, the girls found out that Nick and Joe wanted them to say goodbye somewhere that there would be no chance of paparazzi or crazy fans stalking them.
“She’s going to her cousin’s grave.” Claire said sadly.
“Is this the cousin who was 10 months old?” Nick asked Claire.
“Yes.” Claire mumbled.
“Give me direction; I need to go to her.” Nick said to Claire, sadness in his eyes.
“Ok.” Claire said before giving Nick directions to the place where Lauren would be, at her cousin’s grave side.
Nick instantly ran to the cemetery and walked around until he saw Lauren. She was crouched down, her head in her hands, by the side of a grave with teddy’s bear all over it. Silently, Nick walked over to Lauren and knelt beside her, wrapping his arms around her gently.
“Lauren, its ok, Joe’s fine. Your brother didn’t do anything but scare him a little.” Nick whispered soothingly.
“It’s not ok Nick. You don’t understand, that was the first time ive acted like that for over a year. I didn’t know what I was doing, I lost control of myself. And then, seeing your faces afterwards broke my heart.” Lauren sobbed.
“It’s fine Lauren. Shh.” Nick said as he pulled Lauren onto his lap.
“I need some flowers.” Lauren sniffed as she stood up.
“Do you want me to get you some from the shop over the road?” Nick asked.
“Yes please. Ill sort it all out.” Lauren said as she began pottering over the grave, pulling dead plants away and placing the bears back in the right places.
Nick walked away silently and went to the flower shop. Claire and Joe were stood outside of the cemetery, looking in with worried expressions on their faces. When Nick walked out, Claire instantly began asking him questions.
“Is she ok? What’s happened to make her like this? What’s she doing?” She asked in one breath.
“She’ll be fine. She said the way Joe and I reacted to her back at her house broke her heart. And she’s sorting out the grave.” Nick said, also in one breath.
“Where you going?” Joe asked Nick.
“Im gunna get some flowers for Lauren to put down.” Nick said before darting across the road and going into the small flower shop.
He brought 2 bunches of flowers and then took them back to Lauren who sat on the floor looking at the almost empty grave.
“Here you go.” Nick said passing Lauren the flowers.
“Thanks.” Lauren muttered.
She sorted out the flowers and then stood.
“I wanna go. Bye Daniel.” Lauren said, taking Nick’s hand.
“Ok.” Nick whispered while lacing his fingers with Lauren.
The couple walked out of the cemetery, hand in hand. Lauren was no longer crying, just hiccupping from the tears. When they walked out of the gates, Claire pulled Lauren into a hug, knowing that coming to the grave was hard for her.
“Lets go somewhere.” Lauren said, pulling away and holding Nick’s hand again.
“Where?” Joe asked in confusion.
“The waterfront.” Lauren smiled.
“Good choice.” Claire grinned.
“What’s the water front?” Nick asked.
“It’s the water front. Its got pubs and clubs, little café’s and amazing boats out on the water.” Lauren smiled at Nick.
“Are you going in the pubs and clubs?” Nick asked looking worried.
“No, I don’t feel like drinking. I wanna sit on the bridge and look at the boats.” Lauren grinned.
“Its looks amazing on a night. Trust us.” Claire smiled as she took Joe’s hand.
The two couples left and got into a taxi that took them to the waterfront. Lauren climbed out after paying for the fair and then walked along in silence. She walked past all the drunks on the street, the various different types of clubs and pubs and the little late night café’s. She walked straight to a bridge that was situated half way down the waterfront and sat down in the middle of the bridge. Her legs were hanging off of the side while her arms rested on the bar just in front of her. Claire, Nick and Joe followed behind her, also in silence. Each took a place on the floor beside Lauren, Nick to her left while Claire was to her right and then Joe to the right of Claire. All took the same positions as the looked out across the water and the different lights illuminating it.
One single boat bobbed along the water, the lights shimmering off of the water and onto the still boats surrounding it. Laughter filled the air around the couples as they looked out across the sun that was almost set, the different colours ranging from yellow to pink to purple, reflecting off of the water and causing silhouettes of houses and apartment blocks to be changed in colour.
“It’s really nice.” Nick whispered beside Lauren.
“I know, it’s not like this during the day though, it’s pretty nasty then.” Lauren said, screwing her nose up.
“Never mind, at least its nice now.” Nick smiled.
“What time is it?” Claire asked.
“Wait a minute.” Lauren said.
Lauren put her hand in her pocket and pulled out her phone, checking the time before putting it back in her pocket again.
“Nearly 9.” Lauren mumbled.
“We have to go soon then, we gotta get up early to start sending stuff out to LA. And we’ve gotta go to work tomorrow.” Claire groaned.
“I know, talk about spoil the moment.” Lauren mumbled annoyed.
“Looks like its time to take you two to your hotel so we can go home.” Claire said standing up.
“Why do you have to work?” Joe asked.
“Because we are going to need money to move out to LA and even though we both have money saved, we’re not going to be able to live on it.” Claire said as she dragged Joe to a standing position.
“Oh right.” Joe smiled sheepishly.
“Come on then boys, let’s take you to your pretend home.” Lauren grinned as she led the way to the hotel.
Nick ran and caught up with Lauren, lacing their fingers together as they walked. Claire and Joe were just behind them. The 2 couples walked along, Joe, Nick and Claire chatting idly between themselves while Lauren walked in silence, thinking of all the different things that are going to be happening over the next 2 weeks.
After 5 minutes, they reached the boys hotel. Lauren and Claire tried to say their goodbyes outside but were pulled into the hotel and up to the boy’s room. After demanding why they were dragged there, the girls found out that Nick and Joe wanted them to say goodbye somewhere that there would be no chance of paparazzi or crazy fans stalking them.