Set 2016. I was tempted to cut this into two parts but instead opted for a one shot. I'm also quite proud of the title, I don't know why but I just love it pahaha..

She knocked on the door a second time, more forcefully. The May evening breeze brushed against her skin as she felt herself getting increasingly impatient with every second. He was back. And he was avoiding her. But Carla wasn't going to let him leave again without a single word, she wanted answers. She was tempted to kick the door down but she wasn't that reckless. Yet.

Carla had been waiting at the old number one door for too long, noticing where the the black paint was peeling away and the letter box was open, stuffed with envelopes. She could hear their family dog barking from inside and a muffled voice clearly telling it to stop. It was Peter. Eventually the door opened cautiously.

"Oh it's you," He said with a bizarre sigh of relief. Carla had nearly forgotten the sound of his voice. "I was upstairs when heard the banging, I thought it was something important,"

He must have known what he was doing, suggesting she wasn't important. He knew how to rile her up.

"Excuse me?"

He looked uncomfortable with Carla's questioning, "Oh, no I didn't mean-" He opened the door slightly further and she could see him completely. He was dressed in his typical white tee shirt and jeans trade mark, his softly bearded face looking healthier, his dark hair gelled back. Maybe Carla was expecting to see him again and feel nothing but burning hate. That not thinking or talking about her ex husband for months on end meant she would obliterate him from her memory. That he would just fall out of her head. Then, every so often, he would crawl back, flashing through her mind. Something might remind her of him. Someone might say one of his old stupid jokes. Going down the street and she would see a member of his family. She would even, subconsciously, find herself comparing Nick to him. They were so different, Carla always told herself that Nick was by far the better choice. The safe option. And now Peter was stood in front of her, the sunset only highlighting how attractive he was. This wasn't a good idea after all. And it was too late.

"What is it?" He added, with a look of concern. Their bodies were half a metre apart yet it was the closest they had been in years. As they met eye contact, the pair gave each other a half smile. Almost a mutual acknowledgement of how overwhelming this simple moment felt.

She paused. How could she answer his question when she didn't know the answer herself? What was she doing at his doorstep? She had happily moved on with her life and, by the stories she had heard, so had he. She responded with the only way she could. "I just fancied a chat."

She moved past Peter before he had chance to answer, striding through the Barlow hallway. There was a familiar scent in the room, a mixture of Peter's aftershave, Ken's cooking and the dog. It wasn't unpleasant, it was homely.

"How long are you back for?" She called out to him, in an attempt to sound light hearted as she opened the living room door. Like she didn't care.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," He confirmed as she noticed his cases still packed as they lay on their sofa. She hoped she had managed to mask her disappointment. And her relief. "I was in Liverpool for work so I wanted to visit everyone,"

Everyone except her.

"How did you know I was back?" He continued, shutting the door behind him and they stood awkwardly in the lounge.

"I saw you this morning getting out of your taxi," Carla chose not to explain how she had then sat in her factory office, mind racing about his sudden return back into her life. Wondering when he was going to beg her to take him back. Envisioning how she could gloat that she is now shagging Nick. But there was none of that. He had planned to not communicate in any way with her. Just like the last time. And she couldn't take it again, having him so close but nothing at all to settle her mind.
Peter nodded as the tension stifled. Was he going to mention Nick or was that her job? She determined that now wasn't the time, she didn't want their union to end before it began.

"Do you want a drink?"

Carla was thirsty for a glass of red, though it wouldn't have been entirely appropriate. "A coffee, please. Milk n-"

"Milk no sugar, I know." He finished her sentence before exiting to the kitchen. She could finally breathe as he left, trying to gather her thoughts. She sat down on one of the dining chairs before leaning onto their table, it creaking as she did so. She had suggested one Christmas to buying them a new dining set. Her offer was shot down, albeit gratefully, by Ken and Deirdre; the table seemed to be a family member. And now in some ways Carla was glad they had refused, this whole room was filled with nostalgia. She finally noticed the music playing in the background.

"Didn't realise Ken's an Oasis fan," She tried to lighten the atmosphere as Wonderwall continued to drone on.

Peter smirked as he brought in the coffees. "It's Simon's, all my stuff is back home,"

It was an unusual sensation when he described Antigua as home. Weatherfield was his home, or so she had thought. He was a Northern man, somebody that looked forward to his next fag and bantered with the lads about the last football match. She never thought life in paradise was something Peter would see as his home. She never thought the move was anything but temporary.

He offered to turn it off but she refused, deciding that hormonal teenage music was far better than the alternative silences. She took a sip of the coffee as she watched him, her heart didn't feel like it was about to explode with nerves anymore.

"Where is everyone then, this isn't exactly a welcome home party."

"My dad's gone to take Simon back, Tracy's checking on her shop," He seemed uncertain to Carla, perhaps not pleased she had put them both in the situation he wanted to elude. But she needed it, if only for her own sanity. "Why are you here, Carla?"

"I just wanted..." She didn't know how to finish, she didn't desire to win anymore. "Some things still need to be said, I suppose."

"Like what? You've got Nick now, talk to him about your issues," He suddenly reverted to his child act that Carla despised, his eyes still furrowed as he took some more of his coffee. And there it was; someone finally mentioned the elephant in the room.

"Stop it, Peter."

"After all that's happened-"

"What?" She interrupted, "You expected me to mope after you for the rest of my life? You want me to say that after all you had done to me, I couldn't cope getting up every morning? Is that it?"

"Of course not," He sounded a little defeated.

"Because, sure, for a long time things were that way. But then I got on with life, it was hard but I did it," Carla could feel her anger boil inside her as she retained her composure.

"I get that," Peter breathily admitted as he stared down to his mug, "I just don't understand, of all the men you could pick, why him?"

She tucked her hair behind her ears. "I didn't choose him to spite you, it just happened and I'm happy." Though she knew she didn't need to explain anything to him, for some reason it helped to clarify things for herself by speaking it through.

"I know I shouldn't ask, but were you... Attracted to him when we were together?"
He shouldn't have asked, the man that had an affair with the babysitter. He knew how she much she used to pathetically worship the ground he walked on. But she also knew how his mind could go into overdrive.

She retorted simply, "No."

There was a brief point of quiet before he spoke, "Well the best of luck to you both,"

"Really?"

He didn't reply, leaning back in his chair as he looked to her again. She had forgotten about her intentions as she stormed to see him earlier, their exchange wasn't how she had imagined.

"Are you seeing anyone?" She asked, not sure if she wanted to know.

He shifted slightly, "Yeah but it's early days,"

She almost laughed in his face, she knew this man was not the sort of person that would mourn a relationship for two years but how he had just hypocritically grilled her about Nick, made her want to snap his neck. She wasn't jealous.

"Do you have a picture?"

He looked at her suspiciously before taking his phone from his pocket. She didn't need to know her name, her job or her personality. She just needed a face.

"She's stunning," Carla replied honestly as she saw a blonde haired woman, roughly her own age, smiling through the screen with Peter. They were somewhere abroad looking very content, it was an unexplainable feeling to see another woman with arms wrapped around him. She handed his phone back to Peter. "Promise me that you won't treat her like you did me,"

He agreed, she wanted to believe him and accept that he had changed but she couldn't. He never will change but that wasn't her problem anymore.

"Do you love her?"

Her question came out before she realised and she knew how desperate she was sounding.

He dodged her interrogation, "Do you love Nick?"

"Yes," She replied instinctively.

"Well, it seems we've both moved on then,"

They knew that never will be the case. She could see how he still looked at her, knowing the sheer thought of her and Nick together contaminated his head just as the image of him and Tina or this new woman made her scream internally. They didn't want the other to be happy with anyone else but they'd pretend to, just to prolong their conversation, regardless of how they might feel for their subsequent new partners.

She had finished her coffee, licking the rim before realising Peter's laugh. "What?"

"No," He grinned, "You always do that, it used to drive me mad,"

"Oh, yeah? What about the way you would call everyone love, it went right through me." She quipped back with a smirk, secretly missing it.

"Sure it did, love," He chuckled, his smile still sending her crazy. "Well, I don't miss your cooking either,"

"I'm getting better at it actually," She hoped he didn't mentally see Nick teaching her, rather enjoying how their conversation altered.

"Okay, I'll believe that from the lady that once tried to cook pasta without water,"

"Don't bring that up!"

They giggled together and it seemed almost as if they were one again. Yes, she still hated his guts but she hadn't remembered how much she adored to just talk to him, they had so many memories in the years they shared together. Seeing Peter now, she could nearly fall in love all over again. And then she would just vision Tina and want to throw him under the nearest bus.

"How is life, Carla, I mean really?" He asked as their laughter broke away.

She chewed her bottom lip before she spoke, "It's good, right now it's good,"

He genuinely seemed pleased for her as he looked on warmly, "I'm glad," their eye contact held for seemingly eternity before he continued, "I heard about the gambling,"

She breathed slowly, don't ruin it. She said, "It's done with, don't worry." It was truthful as they nodded knowingly at the other, "You?"

"Ditto,"

This was probably the first time in a long while she looked at him and actually liked him. And they weren't even together. She didn't feel hugely guilty either, he was like an old friend.

Her mobile alerted at that moment before she reluctantly checked it. A text from Nick.

Where are you? X

Peter must have noticed her change in mood as she hurriedly put her phone away. "Was it him?"

"I probably should head off soon,"

"Yeah," he stood up with her and they both unthinkingly wrapped their arms around each other, into a not quite platonic hug. "Look after yourself, won't you?"

"And you,"

They pulled away, scared she otherwise wouldn't let go. Neither of the two conscious of the music still playing. She wanted to ask him why he had to ruin her life, why did he have to betray her when some of her happiest times were with him? Why did he have to kick her heart down? But she didn't, turning away to the door.

"Oh, Carla,"

She spun around to face him once more.

"See you then,"

She smirked at his comment, though her eyes filled. "Not if I see you first," As they repeated their parting words again, she knew at that moment it wasn't weak or even forgiveness. But it hadn't been a goodbye either. Because it wasn't the end, it never really will be.

Thanks so much for reading and I always appreciate reviews *hint hint* With all the Narla loving, I'm feeling very nostalgic for Carla and Peter. I quite like Nick and Carla's scenes together but I'm Team Carter forever!