Short Kings Anthem

Part 22

"Are you okay?" Cal asked Lauren, engulfing her in a hug, she just nodded before sighing, did that just happen? She thought.

"Drink?" Harry asked, it was his answer to most things, he wasn't always great in situations like that even if he wanted to help.

"Do you want to come up to ours? You can stay in the spare room tonight if you need," Cal offered Lauren nodded quickly.

"I'll come up," Lauren agreed holding Maple tight as she grabbed her keys from the table.

Within a couple of minutes Lauren was sitting on Cal and Harry's sofa, a glass of straight whiskey in hand as she watched Maple run around chasing a tennis ball.

"What happened?" Cal asked, Lauren shook her head, sighed and took a big gulp of her drink before turning to the boys.

"A few weeks ago he actually messaged me asking to talk which I ignored. When I came back from filming today he was waiting in the car park for me. I have no idea why I invited him up it was fucking stupid of me I know. He was so weird like it was like he had only just realised we'd broken up and he was saying all this stuff about me being his and worshipping him. He couldn't bear the thought that I've moved on." Lauren then downed the rest of her drink and placed the glass on the table with a little more force then attended, the adrenaline causing the glass to clink against the surface,

"Are you going to phone Chris?!" Harry asked not knowing what else to say.

"I dunno, he's just going to want to fly home and I wouldn't want him to do that. We're moving in a few weeks Tom won't know where to find us plus I think he's got the message anyway,"

"I think you should tell him!" Cal prompted.

"No, no I will. I'll do it when he's back." Harry and Cal looked at each other, not liking what they were hearing but unable to change her mind.

In Jersey Chris was none the wiser, him and his family had a family dinner and the drawer in his bedside table now housed the precious metal. The next day when he facetimed Lauren he couldn't help but notice something was slightly off with her.

"Are you downstairs?" Chris asked, recognising the set up behind Lauren.

"Yeah, Maple's having a doggy play date," Lauren replied painting on a smile, the minute she saw Chris her heart ached. He looked so happy and relaxed and she missed him terribly.

"That's cute. How was filming?"

"I'm heading out again in a bit, we've got a few more things to film. How's your dad? Did you tell him happy birthday from me?" Lauren tried to keep her voice happy and stop her eyes watering, she was doing a good job to most people but Chris wasn't most people.

"Good, I did tell him yesterday and everyone's sad you're not here but looking forward to seeing you again. What's up?"

"Nothing. I just miss you," Lauren sighed. She didn't want to lie to Chris but she didn't see the need to worry him especially as he was over two hundred miles and a body of water away. Plus she wasn't lying per say, she was just temporarily keeping something from him but he would know in a day or so.

"My flight leaves in twenty six hours so you'll see me soon." Chris soothed, he knew something wasn't quite right but didn't want to push it, he was too far away to be able to actually do anything about what it was.

"Not soon enough," Lauren replied honestly as she studied Chris, he was so handsome.

"I have no idea how you're not sick of me yet," Chris replied jokingly. In his mind he was massively punching both in terms of looks and personality, how he managed to score someone so kind was beyond him, even if her kindness was one of her huge weaknesses.