Dinner went better than Carla had expected even though they did enjoy each others company in silence. She had been keeping an eye on Peter out of the corner of her eye because as he had picked up his fork and lifted his first mouthful of stir fry to his mouth his hand had been shaking. He seemed jittery and as if he was on edge. It worried Carla but she didn't want to be afraid of him and so tried to suppress the worrying thoughts that were trying to consume her.
She barely touched her food, after having been so hungry when she was alone she had now completely lost her appetite. She pushed the food around the plate between taking gulps of her wine in an attempt to calm her nerves. Peter wasn't paying her any attention though he was shovelling in his food like a starved man. When he was finally finished he looked up to see her sat there, eyes down and spinning the wine glass gently by its stem at her side.
"Carla, you've not touched your food" he noted making her jump as his voice boomed out breaking the silence.
"Not hungry" she mumbled lifting the glass and draining it of its last drops before she got up and took her empty glass back to the kitchen to get a refill. Where drinking was concerned in the past they had tried to stop one another and if it was Peter, Carla still did but he watched her pour another glass and down it in a few gulps without interfering at all. Carla couldn't help thinking as she poured another glass to sip on that Peter seemed very serene since he'd returned this evening. What she didn't realise was that all he was waiting for was for her to turn in for the night so that he could wallow in his own self pity and drink away his blues.
He was missing his son like crazy and all that had happened with Leanne today had him so upset that she was going to keep him away from Simon because of what she thought he'd done to Carla. That may have been the case, he knew the abuse towards Carla was to be frowned upon but he would never do that to Simon, he couldn't. He turned away from Carla not able to watch her drinking without craving one of his own and focused his efforts on gulping down the glass of water he had started with his dinner and then he lit a fag, anything to control the urge he had to crack out the bottle out in front of her.
Suddenly feeling very light headed and dizzy Carla clung to the counter and took a minute to collect herself. Her eyelids were heavy and her body ached. Their bed was definitely calling her now. She didn't bother to say goodnight, instead just silently slipped away to the bedroom. Peter didn't seem to care that she was dragging herself to bed alone either and she hoped tonight that he would be joining her as they seemed to have made progress enough tonight that he hadn't tried to hurt her in anyway.
The second her head hit the pillow she was out for the count and snuggled up safe and tight in the duvet and lost to a world of sweet dreams that almost nearly every time consisted or her being reunited with Liam, which she loved.
Peter listened just outside the bedroom door and then after a while opened it to peer in and see her asleep. He pulled the door to but not closing it so he could hear if she suddenly began to stir disturbed by his movements. Then creeping back across the room he collected the stashed bottle he had hidden away earlier. Removing it from the carrier bag he took it to the sofa and appreciatively admired it through the bottle before giving into his cravings. He broke the seal on the bottle with one twist of the cap and threw it down in front of him. It span on the table as it settled and the bottle found its way to his lips where he took his first heavenly sip.
It hadn't taken him long to consume most of the bottle as he pondered his thoughts and wallowed in his sadness. His phone lay on the sofa by his side as he waited for a reply to a message he had typed to Leanne. He had told her that no matter what she thought about everything with Carla and still denied any of it being his fault but promised that he would never lay a finger on his son. In some ways he figured it probably confirmed his guilt but he didn't care. Leanne had to know that Simon was precious to him and he may have in the past not looked after him to the highest of standards but now he did and he'd be damned if anyone accused him otherwise.
He was relaxed, leant back with his head draped over the back of the sofa. The bottle was loosely grasped in his hand and he was just enjoying the pain numbing sensation the alcohol provided throughout his body and mind. The amount he had now consumed left him somewhat disorientated and not entirely with it. In the bedroom Carla began to stir, having a nightmare and waking in a state of panic. She was dripping with sweat and her heart was pumping away painfully in her chest as she sat in a state of fright. She was panting hard and struggling to come to terms with the disturbing images she had just conjured up in her head. Peter had been stood over her, ready to give her a beating and when he delivered his first blow that is when she had woken. He had such hate present in his eyes in the nightmare, almost as if their colour was black. The sheets too were soaked through with her sweat and she felt dehydrated. How could her lovely dream of her and Liam turn so quickly to something that resembled her current domestic situation?
Peter didn't hear her get up or creep out into the living room. She gasped as she wandered further in not expecting to see him just sat there in the semi darkness staring into space. His eyes slowly moved across to land on her and his top lip curled as he scowled at her. Seeing her just made him blame her again, it was her fault he was drunk, it was her fault he was filled with hate, it was her fault he had alienated his friends and it was her fault his son no longer lived with him. He felt the rage building inside him as his eyes followed her to the kitchen and watched her get a glass of water.
As she was sipping at her water she avoided his gaze, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and as if he was just waiting to pounce. She hadn't yet seen the bottle in his hand but as he slowly rose to start approaching her she noticed it. He came over to the counter, it being the only thing parting them and slammed the bottle down so she could clearly see it. The smell of alcohol on his breath was potent and enough to make her gag, but who was she to talk after she had consumed that entire bottle of wine only hours before on an empty stomach. She was anxious as Peter gritted his teeth and made a growling noise at her.
"Peter" she gently sighed as she sadly looked at him.
"Don't pity me Carla" he warned in a stressed tone. "Do not, this is all your fault. You know that? Your fault" he harshly accused as he lifted the bottle to take a further swig.
Carla suddenly felt anxious not sure if she liked where this was going but accepted Peter was right. It was all her fault she had wormed her way in to his heart and planted a seed to make him love her, pull him away from Leanne, which destroyed his family. She nodded in understanding and apologised hoping it might stop him from drinking any more of the poison but it didn't. He continued to take swigs as he slowly edged around the counter coming closer to her. Her breathing hitched when he grabbed her arm and dug in his fingers.
"I hate you" he spat at her and she began to cry.
He had an evil twinkle in his eye and they narrowed almost evilly as he delivered the sentiment again. "Really hate you"
"You don't mean that Peter" she blubbered as her bottom lip trembled and tears began to roll down her cheeks. He was being so evil, so cruel and she didn't understand why.
"Oh I do" he confirmed digging in his nails as he slowly started pushing her further back into the kitchenette trapping her further.
Carla was so focused on him and the look of hate that was now spreading through his eyes. How could he resent her so much so suddenly over something she didn't fully understand? Peter reached beside him to the draw and opened it. It caught Carla's eye and in her peripheral vision she saw him reach in and withdraw one of the chopping knives. Now she had reason to fear him and what he might do with such a weapon.