Joey woke Lauren up with a kiss to the forehead in the morning, his face going hot when he realised what he'd just done, but luckily she didn't seem to notice, just gave him a still half asleep smile.
He hopped in the shower, desperate to think about anything other than the fact that he was leaving Lauren without even being able to resolve this whole fake relationship thing properly. It would be easy for Lauren to go back to normal, but Joey wasn't sure he could now that he'd had a glimpse into what a life together could be like. He didn't even look at her as he passed her on his way back into the bedroom as she walked to the bathroom herself.
He ate breakfast with her family in a slightly uncomfortable silence, seeing as Lauren seemed as wary of talking to him as he was of talking to her, although he couldn't say why.
"You ready to go?" she asked eventually, pulling on her coat and grabbing the car keys. He stood up, nodding, hugging her parents goodbye as she walked to the door.
"Shit!"
Joey rushed over to Lauren, who was standing at the open door, and immediately saw what had brought out that reaction. Overnight, there had been about two feet of snow, and even now the flakes were falling thick and fast. They was no way they would be able to make the drive to the airport, even if there was the impossible chance that his flight hadn't been cancelled. Joey's heart sunk, realising he was going to have to tell his parents that he probably wasn't going to make it home in time for Christmas.
Lauren was still stood staring out into the snow. Joey gently walked around her, closing the door and then turning to place his hands on her shoulders. She snapped out of her daze, looking up at him.
"It's okay," he said gently. It was a disappointment, of course it was, but there was nothing they could do about it.
"It's not though," she said sharply, spinning on her heel and disappearing upstairs, clearly not wanting to talk about it in front of her parents, who had now come out into the hall to see what was going on. Joey longed to go after her and make her see that it wasn't his fault, but her dad asked him what the problem was, and he had to force himself to stay and talk to them.
He apologetically explained that he wasn't going to be able to fly home because of the sudden snow storm, and Lauren's parents rushed to reassure them that he was still perfectly welcome. Joey had to suppress a sigh. They might be happy to have him here, but Lauren didn't seem to be. He went upstairs to try and talk to her, but was faced with a closed bedroom door. He knocked gently, but there was no answer. He leaned against the wall in frustration. This was as tough on him as it was on her, probably more so, because the longer he had to pretend to be dating her the closer he came to telling her he was in love with her for real. He just wished he knew what was making her so upset. Was she already fed up of spending time with him?
He dejectedly went back downstairs, joining her parents in the living room.
"Is Lauren okay?" her mom asked him as he sat down on the couch opposite them.
Just shook his head with a shrug. "She wouldn't talk to me."
Her mom frowned. "She's been so happy these past two days."
Joey felt an uncomfortable feeling settle in his stomach. To him she'd just been her normal self, and he couldn't work out what it was that made her mom think she'd been happier than usual. Not that it mattered now, seeing as she'd shut herself alone upstairs in her room.
He waited all day for any sign of her, but she didn't come downstairs even to eat. Joey considered camping out in the hallway upstairs, figuring she'd have to leave the bedroom at some point to use the bathroom, but he knew that would just make her more annoyed at him.
