Yet another Richpez fic

Part 6

A Few Weeks Later

Joey scrambled around the room looking for the last of his socks and one left trainer that seemed to have vanished completely. His suitcase lay open on the bed, full of unfolded clothes and other things that had been tossed in absentmindedly. He thought that putting off packing and delaying the inevitable as long as possible would make this easier, but it just made things a chaotic mess. 

Lauren sat cross legged on the bed watching him buzz around her room, checking every available space for his stuff. She smiled to herself and glanced back at her phone where she was looking at a photo Corey had sent her. He had taken it two nights ago at the wrap party, everyone was dancing and having a good time but on the left of the photo stood her and Joey, his hands in hers, electricity between them as she stared up into his eyes. Just as she had feared, the show had flown by like a hurricane and now the moment she had dreaded was here. Her heart had ached for a connection like this for years, she couldn't have possibly realised how much her goofball friend Joey would mean to her a few years ago. She struggled to remember a time she'd ever been this happy. And now she was having to say goodbye to him.

"...and I'll make sure to call you as soon as I land. And if I don't book that job than my October will be free, I could fly down for a week or two. And I'll call you every day! I promise! Once when I wake up and before I go to sleep." Joey rambled as he forced the last of his underwear into the suitcase, struggling to zip it up thanks to his haphazard packing.

"That's sweet Joey, but don't make promises you won't be able to keep. Every day? Really? We've both got lives and careers, plus the time difference, it'll be 2am here when you go to bed... Don't put that kind of pressure on yourself. When we're together, we'll be together. And when we're not, I don't want you to stress out about it. Besides, I should be flying to LA soon for Brant's birthday, we'll see each other then." She beamed a smile at him but he could feel how hollow it was and only halfheartedly returned it. 

Joey had lived a fairly care free life, and had never faced something this difficult before. After they had kissed a year ago he couldn't get her out of his head and missed her unbearably. Now, after the best month of his life, it was going to be agony without her.

"And you're sure you don't want to come to the airport?" he asked, sitting next to her on the bed and placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked into his eyes as tears started to swell in hers.

"Please, I'm barely keeping it together as it is. I don't feel like crying in an airport surrounded by strangers."

"Joey! Uber's here!" Brian called from the living room.

Joey wiped a tear that had escaped one of his eyes and placed his hand on her cheek.

"I love you, Lauren."

Lauren sniffed as she could hold the tears back no more.

"I love you too, Joey."

They kissed deeply, trying to absorb as much of the other's presence as they could, the smell of their hair, the taste of their lips, the feel of their touch, neither wanting the embrace to end.

"Joey! Come on!" Brian yelled again.

They pulled apart and Joey pressed his forehead against hers and ran a hand through her hair, savouring the feeling of complete bliss between them. Ignoring the feeling of impending doom creeping into his mind.

"We can do this. We can do this." he repeated to her as she nodded in agreement.

He grabbed his suitcase and took one last look at Lauren. Before turning and leaving, not knowing how long it would be before he saw her again.