The deep longing for something she didn't know she needed was prominent in her mind even is she wasn't entirely sure what it was, she knew it was the longing for Peter to hold her but the thing was that she didn't want to get hurt. She spent some of the day with Antoine yesterday and she realised how much she was starting to love him, how he treated her in the way Peter treated her and the appeal was there, he was perfect, the perfect man, he didn't have the flaws of Peter and he was just simply perfect, loving, caring any positive word. She could tell he wanted more, she went along with it and as she went along with it she ended up inviting Antoine out to a hotel for the weekend, it was time to replace some of the memories she had with Peter with new ones made with Antoine.

"Where are you off to then?" Michelle questions noticing the overnight bag, she had an inkling but she didn't want to put her foot in it

"I'm worried about you" Carla shrugs, Michelle frowns causing a cheeky grin from her friend "You're getting too nosey for your own good"

"Funny" Michelle pokes her tongue out at Carla "I'm just worried that you're moving too quickly into things that's all"

"Michelle you were the one who wanted me to move on" Carla reminds her, Michelle sighs knowing she was right "Just let me do this you never know what will happen"

"Well I hope you have fun, I doubt you would be bringing him back here anyway, wise choice"

"Yeah I guess so with you being nosey" Carla shrugs "Oh and the likes of Johnny and Jenny, it would be very offputting I suppose"

"Exactly so I hope you have fun, make sure you remember your meds" Michelle smiles, Carla nods going into the cupboard and picking up her pills, she stuffs them into her overnight bag

"Michelle!" Johnny wanders into the room causing an eye roll "I need you to go down the cash and carry for me"

"Um why can't you or Jenny do it, this is your pub"

"Jenny's helping Rita out with something, I dont know she said she's busy so if you could do it i would be very grateful"

"Ok, fine, I'll do it" Michelle rolls her eyes grabbing her bag, Johnny frowns glancing to Carla's bag

"Oh not you and all" she drones, she was fed up with people wanting to know her business, wanting to know about her relationship with Antoine and her animosity with Peter, it was all getting rather tiresome "I'm going away with Antoine for a couple of nights"

"Oh right" Johnny mumbles "Make sure you remember to take your meds"

"For gods sakes" she mutters "I have my meds so none of you need to ring and check up on me, I'm a grown woman, please just let me be happy"

"Yeah she's right" Michelle grins "Any way have fun if I dont see you before you leave"

"I will"

Carla was thanking the world that she didn't have to see Michelle before she left, she was just too nosey for her own good at the moment and that was bothering her a lot. She was internally fearful of the reception of how other people would take o her showing up with Antoine if they found out about her relationship with him, deep down she knew she shouldn't be bothered but she was. Antoine came to pick her up and they were standing by his car, she leaned up to kiss him, it was passionate and from that point, she knew she would have a good time, she glanced around before she headed off, in a bid to see Peter? She didn't know, she wanted to rub Antoine in his face and she did, Peter was stood leaning against the wall of Audrey's salon with his vape hanging out of his mouth, she smirked at him and he shook his head and tutted to himself. Antoine was a very good looking man and no wonder Carla was interested, he looked like he had the cash and Peter felt somewhat jealous of him, he wasn't going to let these feelings rise though as that would be playing directly into Carla's hands and that would be something he didn't want to do as she would achieve all that she set out to achieve which was no doubt making him jealous.

"That looks joyous, nice motor" Abi appears beside Peter, he just rolls his eyes "Very flash"

"Do you mind?" he chuckles, Abi rolls her eyes "I must admit I'm lowkey jealous of that motor"

"Do you miss her?"

"She's so far in my past I can hardly remember her, time to move on now" Peter smirks, he hated himself for saying that because he loved Carla to the moon and back but like he said before, two could play at this game "I was wondering if you would like to go for a drink? Non-alcoholic of course"

"Yeah go on then, I have nothing better to do" Abi rolls her eyes "I wanted to say thank you for yesterday"

"Oh no problem, I was just doing what any other friend would do, I value you" Peter smiles, Abi nods slowly "Right let's meet around five?"

"Seems good to me" Abi smiles walking off, Peter sighs slightly watching her leave, all he could od was try anything and everything to fill the gap Carla had left...

The hotel was luxurious, good enough for celebrities, even royalty. Carla knew she would enjoy this experience with or without anyone, she thought about Antoine and what they would be doing, no doubt it would be going to afternoon tea, going to fancy meals and no doubt he would want to drink, she thought about that thought for a while, she really did want to drink, she didn't want to be defined by her illness, by her medication and as she hadn't taken her medication for a day she was pretty certain she could have at least one drink to be sociable. They were shown up to their room, their bags were brought up by one of the service staff and they glanced around the room, the silk sheets and the lighting matching nicely with the atmosphere of the room, it really was lovely and she thought about how lucky she was to have some form of happiness.

"Do you want to go down to the bar?" Antoine suggests looking at the menu, Carla rummages through her bag "We could have a couple of drinks?"

"Yeah ok then" Carla smiles slightly standing in front of him, he secures his arms around her resting on the small of her back "There's one thing you haven't told me"

"Oh?"

"Your past relationships" she smirks slightly "I've opened up to you about Peter"

"Ok well I was married then we divorced and that was that really, we just fell out of love with each other" Antoine shrugs, Carla nods slowly "You haven't told me about your past relationships before Peter so..."

"Ok well, I married my first husband Paul and then he was seeing prostitutes behind my back, then I fell in love with his brother but he was with someone else and I got with someone called Tony who killed my first husband's brother who I loved then I fell in love with Peter the first time, he cheated on me, then I fell in love with Nick who I married but then I cheated on him"

"You dont live a quiet life" Antoine chuckles slightly, Carla grins "Shall we get going?"

"Seems good to me" Carla smiles slightly taking his hand and looking into his eyes "Actually why dont we get room service?"

"Oh?"

"I dont need fancy gestures Antoine" Carla smirks wrapping her arms around his neck, she kisses him and he reciprocates, they fall onto the bed and tear at each others clothes the only negative was that Carla wasn't sure if this was what she wanted...

Michelle was roped into helping out at the bar, so much for moving on she thought, so much for the past. Johnny needed her and there was no getting out of it now. She was taught by Carla about what to do and in all honesty, she couldn't believe her friend worked here, it was something that she never thought she would see, it didn't stop the endless jokes though and that's what made it fun. She thought about Carla for a minute and she thought about what she was doing with Antoine, well she could only guess they seemed to be getting on like a house on fire but there was something different about her friend in the last couple of days, there was something awfully shifty about her and she couldn't put her finger on it she just hoped that she wasn't using Antoine as a replacement for Peter but the more she came to think about it the more she thought this was the likely cause but if Antoine was making her happy she could let it slide no matter how bad it may seem. Of course, Peter walked into the pub wanting to collect the rest of his stuff, Michelle sighed and let him up knowing she couldn't exactly stop him from accessing his own stuff, so Peter headed up and into the bedroom he once shared with Carla and collected the rest of his stuff under Michelle's watchful eye.

"I saw you yesterday with Abi" Michelle raises an eyebrow, Peter rolls his eyes "Didn't take you long to go back to her"

"You can hardly stand there and defend Carla," he says, Michelle just shrugs "Where is she anyway?"

"Out at a hotel with Antoine, they booked a weekend away" Michelle bites her lip, Peter narrows his eyes wondering what she was holding back

"And?"

"She's probably sleeping with him right now" Michelle blurts out, Peter chuckles slightly not really caring, he knew the effect that he had on Carla and her body "Not jealous?"

"Why would I be? I know the desired effect I have on Carla so I dont need to worry about him" Peter rolls his eyes, Michelle raises her eyebrows at his cocky attitude, deep down she knew he was right "Is she worried about Abi?"

"Far from it" Michelle states, Peter nods slowly rummaging through the bedside cabinets and frowning at the ring box which was still there

"So you're saying she's moved on?"

"Well yeah otherwise she wouldn't be with Antoine and instead she would be moping around in here not wanting to see the light of day"

"If you say so" he murmurs leaving the ring box right where it was, his heart was beating slightly faster at the thought of Carla still loving him if she still had the engagement ring "That's me done anyway"

"Yeah? I'll send Carla a text saying that you've picked up the rest of your stuff, probably best she wasn't here anyway" Michelle nod as they walk down the stairs

"You're right I wouldn't want to cause her any more upset" Peterb smiles carrying the bag "Right I'll see you around"

"Yeah bye Peter" Michelle sighs watching him leave, she runs back up the stairs and into Carla's room she rummages through the bedside cabinet and sighs when she pulls out the ring box, Peter must have seen it and now it was confirmed to her, and Peter for that matter, that Carla was most likely using Antoine as a pawn in her game to stop loving Peter but Michelle knew it wasn't that easy, if she still had the ring that meant she still loved Peter and she knew Carla, she would always love Peter...