That night the couple barely slept, Peter because of his desperate but growing urge to have a drink under all this pressure, and Carla because of the rape trial and everything that had happened because of it. On one side, there was the fact that she had won the love of her life back. Carla hadn't loved anyone properly like this since Liam had died. But Peter was different; he was kind and caring, let alone being completely and utterly gorgeous. But on the other-hand, Frank was on the loose, and she had just wrecked Peter's life, not to mention everything that came with Peter. Simon, Ken, Deidre, but most of all Leanne, and there was no doubt that Tracy would be after a cat-fight or three.
Peter awoke first out of the two of them, his Father and Deidre had been looking after Simon last-night so he didn't have to worry about that little fella. Instead, Peter could concentrate on Carla, and what she needed, which right now was the most important thing in the world to Peter.
Peter made his way to the kitchen and put some toast on for Carla, then headed to the fridge to find the butter. Peter felt a pair of hands slowly move around his waist. There was only woman that Peter knew who had the touch of an angel, and that was Carla. Eventually, Carla's hands reached the front of Peter's stomach and joined together, as she rested her head on his back. "Morning Darling." She greeted Peter, quietly and tiredly. Peter turned around at the sound of her voice and instantly gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Good Morning. I was just making you some toast." Peter told Carla.
"Oh Peter you didn't have to do that." Carla told him thankfully.
"I know that love, but I thought you deserved a lie-in after yesterday." Peter told her softly, swiping a strand of hair out of her face and putting it behind her ear.
"Mmm, you're such an amazing boyfriend." Carla said as she rested her head against Peter's chest, she suddenly felt like a 16 Year-Old girl in love all over again.
"Did you get much sleep last night love?" Peter asked tenderly.
"No, not much at all. All I could think about was that…..Monster, being set-free." Carla revealed. Peter felt Carla's whole-body tense-up as she said the word 'Monster.'
"Heyyy he can't come anywhere near you love." Peter re-assured her.
"Uhhh yes he can Peter. He's a free and supposedly innocent man. Frank can do what he likes and he will do what he wants as he has proved in…..past-experiences….." Carla told Peter shakily.
"It'll be alright love. He won't hurt you again. I won't let him." Peter told Carla as the pair of them hugged whilst she cried her eyes out. It seemed like they were taking-it in turns nowadays.
Later on that morning, Carla met Michelle in Roys to have a chat with her best-friend/sister-in-law.
"Hiya!" Michelle said, her jolly old-self this morning.
"Alright there love?" Carla asked, playing it cool as always.
"Yeah. Of-Course I am…..you?"
"Ahhh what do you think? The man who raped me is walking free….." Carla paused as she looked down, she was here to catch-up with her best-friend/sister-in-law, not to moan at her and make her feel depressed. "Anyway, that's enough about my miserable life. Fancy a coffee?" Carla asked with a put-on smile, not that she could convince Michelle that she was truly happy.
"In a bit, I want to know how you really are first?" Michelle asked, concerned for her friend. "How're things with Peter?" She questioned Carla.
"Ah Peter's been great…..Simon hates me, and I've just taken Peter away from the love of his life…..Yet he's still there for me…..Honestly 'Chelle I don't know how he does it. All of this time I've just been thinking about myself and the trial…..I haven't even given a thought to how Peter might be feeling….."
"Hey, he chose you remember." Michelle reminded her, moving her hand across the table to meet with Carla, she then placed her hand on-top of Carla's hand. "You didn't force him to leave Leanne…..Yeah you gave it a good-shot, but in the end it was Peter's choice. Besides, I should know what it's like fighting against Leanne….." Michelle trailed-off.
"Oh? Why's that then?" Carla asked.
"Well I've been there haven't I?" Michelle replied.
Carla smirked. "What? You dated Peter?" She asked cheekily, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah we tried things out, but the minute Leanne returned there was no-way I was gonna last that long….."
"Oh great so I'm just a five minute wonder am I?" Carla asked, the humour immediately disappearing. "Maybe I didn't know Peter aswell as I thought….."
"NO. Carla, I didn't mean it like that…..The difference between Me and Peter, and you and Peter, is that you're the one Peter loves. Him and Leanne have been over since she went-off with Nick…..Peter just hadn't realised it…..but now he has, and he's gonna be with you for a very long-time." Michelle tried to re-assure her friend that her being with Peter wasn't just going to be a short-term thing.
Back at the Bookies, Peter was desperate for a drink, Simon had been sent home from school for bad-behaviour, so he was upstairs in the flat having a strop, and everyone just seemed to be on Peter's case today.
Stella wandered-into the bookies, more to have a go at Peter than to place a bet, but that was just the way Stella was, family came first, and Leanne came before anyone right-now. She had only just managed to re-kindle their Mother-Daughter Relationship, if she didn't stick-up for her now, then she would risk loosing Leanne forever.
"So, regretting leaving Leanne yet?" Stella asked harshly. "I mean I wouldn't blame ya if ya did regret it…..That Carla…..She's a pain in the neck ain't she?" She teased in a mean way.
"Oh just leave me alone will you Stella. I can't deal with this…..Not today!" Peter shouted-back at Stella.
"Oh, I should leave YOU alone should I? Well maybe YOU should leave Carla alone first, and then…..and ONLY then, I might just consider it…..After I've rubbed-it in your face that is, that you've made a MASSIVE mistake! Peter, I don't know if you've realised, but no-one messes with Leanne, and more importantly…..NO-ONE messes with me. So I suggest you stay well clear of the Rovers, because I can't be held responsible for my actions, if you do so much as step-inside the door!" Stella warned Peter, before she scowled at him then walked-out of the Bookies.
Peter took three deep-breaths in trying to calm-himself-down, but he failed the task miserably and ended-up punching the filing-cabinet behind him, causing his knuckles to bleed. "OW!" Peter shouted, before he decided immediately to close the bookies and headed-upstairs to the flat.
He headed into Simon's room. "Si, are you alright in here pal?" Peter asked his son, trying to appear calm and relaxed as he peered his head around the bedroom-door.
"I'm. Fine." Simon replied in a strop as he sat playing on his X-Box.
"Great." He replied, trying not to be angry with his son, this mess wasn't his fault.
Peter then headed towards the kitchen and frantically searched for a bottle. He didn't care what bottle, just as-long as it had booze in it. He eventually found the bottle and practically drowned himself with it as half the bottle disappeared. Peter forced himself not to down the whole-bottle-in-one as he yanked it away from his mouth.
"Peter." Carla called from downstairs. The voice of his lover made him jump and he dropped the bottle to the ground as it smashed into smithereens, the remainders of alcohol left in the bottle spilling across the floor, as the sound of keys rustling against the door caught Peter's ears.
Peter crouched-down, trying to pick-up the broken-glass as Carla walked-through the door. "Peter, how come the Bookies is closed?" Carla, asked, before she saw the glass everywhere, and Peter trying to pick-it up.
"Oh Peter don't do that, you'll cut yourself." Carla paused as Peter looked-up with her a guilty look on his face, she hadn't realised that the drink on the floor was in fact alcohol.
"Peter you look terrified. What's wrong?" Carla asked, but Peter didn't reply, he just stood-up, and stared blankly into the distance.
"Darlin'?" Carla asked worriedly as she stood-up behind Peter, before walking around him and placing herself directly infront of him. She took Peter's hands, feeling the blood on the right one and worrying.
"Peter what've you done? Why's ya hand bleeding?" Carla asked, almost in tears now.
"Stella came into the bookies, dug-into-me about Leanne, and about how I'll regret leaving her for you. I got frustrated and punched the filing-cabinet, then I came-up here and….." Peter stopped in his tracks, not wanting Carla to know the rest of the story, but she would soon find-out.
"Oh Peter darlin' come-here." She said as she pulled-him in for a hug, gently stroking the back of his head as they were locked in their comforting embrace.
"I've had a drink Carla….." Peter said shakily.
Carla's heart-broke as Peter told-her those terrible-words. "Oh sweetheart." Carla whispered as she hugged-him closer.