A bit of a filler sets it up nicely for the next chapter...

Emptiness. It was a simple thing, the prominence of love as well as the feeling of deep and utter sadness it would always be hard to comprehend and that was her struggle understanding the events of the night before and the events of the morning. She stretched out in need to find the warmth of who was next to her but she was greeted by the stark coldness of the empty sheets next to her. She frowned and rubbed her tired eyes and glanced around her room but there was no indication of anyone being around, she glanced down to her body and she was still fully clothed which put her into a further sense of confusion, she got up and wrapped her robe around herself and slid her slippers on, she padded out into the hallway and frowned slightly, she checked the bathroom then sighed and went downstairs and looked around the backroom and then the bar but nothing, maybe she was dreaming before, she didn't know, she glanced down to her hands the cuts were there which just made her feel even more uncomfortable. Michelle entered the room and took note of Carla's odd behaviour and her confusion as she boiled the kettle.

"You seem confused" Michelle observes, Carla hums sitting down on the sofa "Do you want a coffee?"

"Yeah go on then" she smiles slightly glancing down to her hands and picking away at the cuts, comprehending the moment would come later

"How did you do those?" Michele asks placing the coffee down on the table noticing the cuts Carla was displaying on her hand

"Oh I smashed a glass last night I thought should clear it up but I was just so tired I obviously didn't do a good job"

"Ouch" Michelle chuckles, Carla nods slowly, her life represented a lie "So what are you doing today?"

"Me?" she questions still feeling rather dazed "Probably underworld or I might end up going out with Antoine haven't decided yet"

"Sounds good" Michelle smiles slightly, Carla just shrugs "Look babe you seem really down"

"I'm fine Chelle stop worrying I just didn't get a good night sleep overthinking things and that" she rolls her eyes "Don't worry about me eh?"

"Alright but you promise you will speak to someone if you dont feel right yeah?"

"I promise" she sighs already knowing it was a broken promise but either way if it kept Michelle off her back then it was a win...

Carla decided to go into Underworld, she wasn't really needed but spending the day with Michelle who was in one of her moods where she wanted to interfere or going to do work it was a simple choice, Underworld ruled out and seemed more appealing. She got dressed and then headed out, not taking her medication as always and decided to just get on with what she had planned in her head, she entered the factory and very much to Nick's surprise, she chuckled slightly at the thought of working with him still but she took her seat and he passed her coffee. He noticed she seemed a bit preoccupied and he could hardly blame her but somehow with everything which is going on in his life the appeal to indulge himself in Carla's possible problems was there instead of facing his own because in all honesty he was exhausted with his life. She noticed his shifty behaviour and the possible need for him to speak, she couldn't lie that she was intrigued by his constant loitering around her desk, she placed her mug on the side and watched his moves.

"I am trying to work" Carla chuckles slightly, Nick rolls his eyes "What's bothering you anyway? Sorry...god sorry as if that wasn't obvious"

"It's ok" Nick smiles slightly sitting opposite her "How are you? I heard about your set to with Peter"

"That's what he gets for trying to propose to me whilst attempting to nurse a former flame up to full health" she chuckles slightly glancing to her laptop screen "I bet Simon's enjoyed informing you and Leanne"

"Leanne has bigger things to worry about"

"God...yeah I dont know what's up with me lately, I need to stop making these comments" Carla sighs "Everything has gone too far right now, I just need to chill"

"You'll get through it, that guy you were hanging around to seems decent, probably fewer flaws than Peter as well" Nick smirks, Carla just rolls her eyes playfully knowing there wouldn't be any love lost between Peter and Nick

"He's amazing, I'm thinking about giving it a proper go as well"

"Life's too short, take it from someone who knows" Nick smiles taking her hand, she nods slowly thinking about his words for a minute, he was right it was time to move on from Peter it was time to rid all of her feelings associating with him, it was time to step up and live her life the way she wanted to live it not in the shadow of Peter's love

"You're right" she nods grabbing her phone proudly and ringing Antoine's number "Antoine...hmm you too would you like to meet up tonight, I have an interesting proposition for you...yeah ok the pub you know where it is...good see you later"

"That was to the point" Nick laughs slightly standing up and going to the filing cabinet

"You should know that by now Nicky" Carla grins slightly "Do you mind if I clock off now so I can get ready?"

"Go on then" he rolls his eyes "There's not enough work for me, you and Sarah anyway"

"Hmm take care yeah and give Leanne my love"

She stepped out the factory doors and breathed a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes and leant against the door and let out a shaky breath. Nicks words sat with her well, surprisingly she was actually taking an exes advice and she felt like a hypocrite but now it was time to look to the future, she decided to go and see Roy and Nina for something to do to pass the time, she walked down the street past the Platt's, past Sally's and Peter was sat on the bench outside Audrey's with Abi holding a bottle of whiskey between them both, she tutted and held her head up high and walked past them both to collect her order from Roy's. She spoke to Nina for a bit whilst she waited for the order of two cakes to be processed and then she headed off again, passing Peter who was downing a bottle of whiskey sharing it with Abi as well.

"So you're not going to say anything?" Abi pipes up, Carla frowns leaning against the wall of the salon "Surprised you dont want to share this with us. From what he's been spouting you used to be a fan of the good old JD treatment"

"Well I know better than to stoop to lows like you two have" Carla chuckles slightly getting ready to walk off, Peter stands up and grabs hold of her wrist, she slaps him on the cheek obviously infuriated with him invading her personal space like that

"Oi, get off her!" Antoine marches over and punches Peter in the face, he immediately holds Carla "Are you ok?"

"Yeah just want to leave now" she whispers obviously distraught with the whole thing, she flinches as Antoine touches her so she just rushes into the pub and through the bar and up the stairs into the back room with questioning looks from Michelle

"What happened?" Michelle questions pointedly at Antoine

"She was having it out with that ex of hers and that blonde one-"

"Abi?"

"I think?" Antoine shrugs, Michelle nods slowly "He was drunk with her and grabbed hold of her, it wasn't anything serious, she slapped him but she still seemed rather distressed"

"Oh" Michelle gulps knowing what was going on, the memories she probably experienced from that, she glances back into the back room, she couldn't leave the bar and it would be cheeky to ask Antoine to mind it for her "If you go through the back, upstairs, last room on the left"

"Right thank you Michelle" Antoine smiles walking through the back and up the stairs into Carla's room where she was lying on the bed "Carla? Did he hurt you is that why you walked off?"

"No" she shakes her head patting the bed beside her, Antoine gingerly sits down beside her not wanting to startle her or hurt her even, she rolls her eyes "You dont need to act like I'm a china doll"

"Sorry" he sighs putting an arm around her shoulders "Why did you run off? I saw the fear in your eyes"

"He didn't mean it, he was drunk he overstepped the mark, he didn't know what he was doing, a while back, I'm talking years, I was abused, sexually, raped even and it just brought back reminders"

"I'm sorry" he sighs rubbing his forehead "And Peter?"

"He built me back up, but he was drunk and when he's drunk he's reckless doesn't think" she smiles, Antoine kisses her forehead "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to treat me differently act like I'm made of china"

"I would never have done that if you didn't want me to" Antoine chuckles slightly, she just smiles awkwardly "I'm glad you've told me"

"Yeah" Carla gulps, she wasn't glad, with Peter she didn't have to tell him these things to get him to understand he would just know "Me too"

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, I did" Carla sighs taking his hands "I was wondering if you would like to go away with me, on holiday abroad, this country a staycation even?"

"I would love to" he grins kissing her on the lips before glancing down to her hands seeing the cuts in them "How did you do that?"

"I smashed a glass late last night, was so tired I wasn't really focussing correctly on clearing it up" Carla smiles slightly hating the lies which were spilling out of her mouth "So when do you have time off next?"

"It's funny you say this now because I have all of next week off so that would be ideal wouldn't it?"

"I guess, I think Nick wants to get on and do some stuff, there's not really enough work for all three of us who work in the office so he would be glad to let me have a week off"

"That's that sorted then, how about I surprise you with the destination?" he questions resting his forehead against hers, she smiles "I promise it'll be hot, there will be sand and there will cocktails like no tomorrow"

"That sounds perfect" she bites her lip, the images in her mind overwhelming her with a sense of happiness "Go on then, you surprise me on Monday, send me a text Sunday so I know what to pack"

"Good" he grins kissing her on the forehead "Do you want to do something or we could stay here?"

"Hmm, stay here" she smirks kissing him on the lips "Here's perfect for me, just time alone, me and you"

"Good" he smirks "Just what I wanted as well"