Chapter 3: Just Ride

The way her hair managed to always get out of the helmet she wore really did make her realise she should have tied it up but the way people would have been able to see her more always made her choose the option of letting it loose. Cruising down the motorway at seventy miles an hour in the third lane, her hair flapping behind her as she revved her motorbike enjoying the wind battering her body giving her some sort of feeling of freedom. She turned off at Manchester and smirked to herself as she continued to travel totally set on her ways; the ways of Peter Barlow.

The motorbike rode over the cobbles bumping one by one and then she saw him sitting on the curb outside number one as she pulled her motorbike up next to Audrey's, she swung her helmet off and her black hair cascaded down her back, she turned to look at Peter dead in the eyes but her breath was taken away by the sheer force of heels tumbling down the pavement beside her.

"Michelle" Carla states licking her lips showing off the prominence of her red painted lips, her friend or ex-friend glares at her, she didnt really know where she stood "Nice to see you after all this time"

"Is that all you have to say?" she questions in denial at the whole thing, Carla sighs and closes her eyes "You have a nerve"

"Was let out Michelle remember?" she questions jokingly "I deserve my freedom after Gary pinned my sister's fiancee's death on me"

"I dont have to listen to this" Michelle snaps looking at Carla who was standing defiantly in front of her with her arms crossed, her body propped up against her motorbike

"No one's forcing you to listen" Carla mutters looking at her friend dead in the eyes, she watches Michelle visually clench her jaw before looking at Peter who had approached her from the other side of the road

"You're welcome to her. You're both as bad as each other" she spits towards Peter before strutting off, Carla bites her lip and raises her eyebrows

"I must admit I've had nicer welcomes" Carla contemplates briefly before acknowledging Peter's appearance, he looked good which was odd considering the state of the letter she received

"You look...amazing, different..." he trails off, she raises an eyebrow and smirks at him before taking her handbag out of the back of her motorbike "And the bike?"

"Hey...don't diss the bike" she smirks as Peter breathes out in disbelief, she was actually standing in front of him "I got your letter"

"I..." he trails off unable to say what was on his mind, she smiles softly

"I think we need to talk don't we?" she questions, he smiles

"I would like that," he says, she smiles and chucks her bag onto her shoulder "On one condition"

"Oh, so you're calling the shots now?"

"I get a go on that bike of yours" he smirks, she rolls her eyes and laughs slightly before smirking again, the chemistry ever so evident "There's a Costa around the corner as I'm guessing you don't want to go to Roy's?"

"Yeah let's leave family reunions for another day" she confirms as he offers her his arm, she links her through it as they begin the walk, they didnt say anything until they got there

"Here," he says as they sit down on some sofa's, she smiles and sits down "Coffee? Cappuccino?"

"I'll have a cappuccino thank you" she smiles as Peter nods heading to the counter to order, she sighs slightly looking down at her nails painted a deep red, he returns with a tray and places it down on the table

"I'm sorry about the letter"

"You don't need to apologise for the way you feel Peter" she smiles taking his hand, he links his fingers through hers "So how do you feel?"

"Lost," he says slowly, she nods going to sit next to him "Afraid"

"Why afraid?" she questions looking into his eyes as the tears fill his eyes and fall down his face "Oh Peter..."

"I didn't know where you were, whether you were safe, whether you were ok, you disappeared off the face of the earth," he says, she immediately hugs him and holds him "What was I meant to do with that?"

"So you worked yourself up creating all these scenarios and then it got too much" she whispers, he nods sadly "I'm here, I'm ok you see"

"I didn't know that though!" he exclaims, she hushes him knowing his emotions were bouncing around the room and he was struggling to control them

"I know," she says softly into his head, he breathes in the scent of her perfume and smiles at the comfort it brought him "Look Peter, it's been hard for me I'm not going to sit here and say that my life's been all rosy and pink but I'm ok, I promise you"

"You don't get it, do you?" he hisses looking at her in the eyes, she frowns slightly and shakes her head "You don't understand how hard it's been"

"Dalrin' I know...I get it, it was hard for me in there considering I was housed up with murderers, arsonists, the lot knowing that I didnt have the heart to kill anyone, knowing all of that its what got me through I guess knowing that one day maybe justice would be served and then I would get closure"

"I just want to sleep forever Carla, I feel so sad and so alone," he says sadly, she hushes him and lets his head rest on his chest

"Have you been drinking?" she asks gently, he shakes his head "Thats a good start, I'm proud of you for that"

"Do you believe me?" he looks up at her, fear in his eyes, the fear of everyone thinking he was a disappointment

"Of course I believe you," she says softly as he breaks down "Look baby, I'm going to help ok? My pride ain't worth it, not after everything you've been going through inside of your head, we fix each other you and me no matter how much we try and deny so here I am to fix you and patch you up"

"Thank you" he wraps his arms around her, she sighs and relaxes against his body before realising he was trembling

"You're shaking," she says pulling away and looking into his eyes, he responds with sobs "Come on we need to get out of here, stop all these people staring as if we're some sort of freak show"

"Where are we going?" he questions as she helps him put his coat on, she takes his hand and leads him down the street to her bike, she reaches into the cabinet at the back and pulls out another helmet and passes it to him

"Not too much of a wuss are you?"

"No" he chuckles slightly wiping his eyes feeling a lot happier in her presence, he puts the helmet on as she puts hers on, she lifts the visor up and smirks

"Well hang on and enjoy the ride"

And that was that, they were gone...