Thank you for your lovely reviews. Please keep them coming! More Carla and Peter interaction in the next chapter ;)
Carla can't believe it when her eyes catch sight of him for the first time. She almost spills her scolding coffee down her white blouse but manages to miss, burning her hand in the process. She curses, shaking her hand before bringing her finger up to her mouth, sucking lightly where the coffee burnt before shaking it some more and sighing in frustration. She juggles with her bag and the almost half empty coffee cup from Roys, chewing on the inside of her lip as she watches Peter let himself into number 1, unaware of being watched at all.
Carla turns on her heels, walking back on herself and towards the place she had just made herself walk past. She pushes open the door quickly and stands in the door way, watching her boyfriend with her head tilted.
Nick grins across from behind the bar and makes his way to stand on the same side as her, his eyebrow arched, "Miss me already?"
Carla's tongue poked the inside of her cheek and she doesn't return the smile. She sighs softly, slipping her bag from her shoulder and walking towards the bar, towards him, putting her stuff on the side and turning slightly towards him.
"He's back."
Nick throws her a confused frown and moves so he stands inches closer, "who's back?"
She fiddles with her ear and lets her eyes catch his, "Peter."
He isn't sure what to say, it feels like a swift blow to the chest has winded him.
"When?" Carla shrugs softly and the look of fear in Nick's eyes makes her heart ache. It's not that he doesn't trust Carla but he doesn't trust Peter, and he hates when things are out of his control.
"I just saw him going into number 1. Nick I need a drink." He sighs in response and shakes his head a fraction, "Carla it's not even 9am."
He opens his arms and before he has a chance to whisper for her to come closer she is already in his arms and against his chest. He's holding her tighter than he means but he's scared she's already slipping through his fingers.
A small while later and they sit opposite eachother at an empty table, her fingers drumming against the wood as he watches her intently.
"What are you thinking?" He asks tentitively, scared of the answer.
Carla sighs and looks up, "do you trust me?"
He nods without hesitation, "You know I do."
She smiles slightly and sips the fresh coffee he has made her. She asked for two sugars but she knows he's made it three, the way she really likes.
She doesn't know what to say now and the silence hasn't been this uncomfortable in the seven months they've been together.
"I love you." Carla says it so simply, as though it'll make all the trouble disappear. She means it though, no matter what is going on in her head, no matter how many times her thoughts slip to Peter, she knows she loves Nick.
He nods and repeats it back with as much meaning as she had and smiles slightly as she he stands, moving to perch sideways across Nicks lap and their foreheads touch, their noses stroking the other as they press gentle kisses to each other's lips. They don't realise they have an audience. They don't see Peter and they don't realise anyone is there until the door slams shut and they're both left confused.
Peter almost runs out of the bistro, not stopping until is he as far away from the sight he has just seen as possible. He thought he was imagining it at first, and then he watched on, telling himself they were maybe two lonely people who had grown close because they had no one else. But then he saw the way she looked at him, the way her eyes looked so intense and her smile so real, her hands stroking his skin and her lips on his like they'd once been on Peters and he knew. She loved him and he'd lost her.
He'd only gone looking for Leanne but the scene unfolding in front of him had been too jaw dropping to leave. But then as he watched Nick whispering sweet nothings into his Carla's ear he had to leave before he did something hed only regret.
He didn't know if his cancer would kill him, but if it didn't, losing Carla to him surely would.