"Oi you." Tina yelled, seeing the older man try his best to avoid her.
"Not now, Tina. I need to go to work." He brushed her off, but she grabbed his arm.
"You need a word with your psycho girlfriend." She demanded, dragging him into the ginnel.
"What did you call her?" He shouted.
"She just went off on one in the Rovers for no reason. I didn't say a word to her! I am embarrassed, Peter." She lied.
"You must've provoked her!"
"I didn't. I was talking to Jenny and then she started shouting her mouth off."
"Stay out of her way then. You know we live in the Rovers so don't go in there." He shrugged.
"So I can't go to my local boozer because you can't keep a muzzle on-..."
"Don't you slag her off like that! I love her." He cut her off.
"You can do better than her, Peter." She whispered.
"No, I can't. I am lucky to have her. She could've easily found a man better than me. Someone who has never betrayed her, someone who isn't an alcoholic. But she came back to me."
"She's trapping you," Tina shook her head. "You aren't the type of man to settle down and live that boring life. You need some fire in your belly. Someone to keep you on your toes. Is she doing that for you, Peter?"
He ignored her, looking down.
"I thought not. I thought about you everyday in London. All those passionate times between us, it was amazing." She added.
"No, it wasn't." He shook his head, biting his lip.
"You're lying to yourself. This is the hold she has over you. You're not truthful because of her."
"You're wrong."
"Am I? Because you can't even look me in the eye."
Unbeknownst to them, Carla had just walked out to try and find Peter when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her mouth instantly dried and she felt herself sweating.
There they were, chatting secretly in the ginnel. The most suspicious thing going. This is probably where they did it back then too.
But they failed to notice. Unable to bare seeing anymore, she walked back inside and slid down the door.
"I don't love you, Tina. I never did," Peter looked into her eyes, his tone firm. "You were an escape to the struggles in life. But now my life is great with Carla and Si, and I don't need you anymore."
"So, you were using me?"
"Yes," He nodded, satisfied as he saw the disappointment in her expression. "I never loved you."
"Hey hey hey, what's up?" Jenny rushed over to the younger woman as she heard soft whimpers from the hallway.
She crouched down, tilting Carla's head up to face her.
"It's Peter." Carla sobbed into her chest.
"Has something happened?"
"I've just caught him with Tina in the ginnel!" Carla yelled, standing up and exhaling harshly.
"Okay, calm down." Jenny held onto her shoulders.
"I'm furious, Jenny. Why hasn't he learnt his lesson. Is this what I deserve? After I slept with Jordan." Carla cried.
"Now you listen to me, you didn't sleep with Jordan. You didn't consent. It is not your fault, the situations are completely different." Jenny told her, firmly.
"Then why's he run back to her!"
"Because he's weak," Jenny paused. "Were they kissing when you saw them?"
"No, they were just quietly chatting to each other. But I'm not stupid, I know what was going on." She shook her head.
"Let's get him and talk. He might've not done anything. Perhaps you're jumping to conclusions." Jenny suggested.
"I know what I saw, Jenny. I can't even look at him." Carla shrugged off Jenny and walked into the bar.
"Carla? Where are you going?" The older woman followed her through.
"I don't know. Anywhere but here." Carla swiftly exited the pub, her vision blurred by the ongoing tears that cascaded down her face.
Her head was a mess, she couldn't think straight. It was overpowered by betrayal and definitely anger. Her hands shook, her face red as she fought the overwhelming urge to knock out the pair of them.
She was so irate that she failed to see the car that was speeding on the cobbles, knocking into her like she was skittles in a bowling alley.
Her body flew in the air as it whacked into the windscreen, before crashing hard onto the cobbles. She lay, unconscious as blood trickled onto the floor.
The sound of the car screeching as the driver pressed the breaks was deafening, but then there was silence.
"Carla!" Scott, who had been driving the vehicle, sprinted out the car and crouched down beside her. "Can you hear me?"
He recoiled in horror at the blood that seeped out of a wound on her forehead but he tried to focus as he looked for a pulse, releasing a deep breath as he found the ongoing beat it was relaying.
"Oh my god." Paul gasped, walking out of the flat he shared with Billy.
"Is she alright?" Billy shouted, running over and trying to help in the best way he could.
"I-I tried to stop in time but it was as if she was in a trance..." Scott shook his head, distressed.
"Don't worry..." Billy placed a hand onto his shoulder. "I'll get Peter and Jenny."
As the vicar rushed into the pub, Scott carried on trying to talk to Carla, hoping it will be enough to wake her up.
"Carla! Oh my god!" Jenny shrieked, a few seconds later.
She rushed to the woman's side and gently shook her.
"Don't move her. She might've broken something." Billy piped up.
"How did this happen?" Jenny asked.
"She just walked out!" Scott said. "Not that I'm blaming her. I tried to stop b-but..."
"Carla," Jenny spoke to her. "Can you hear me?"
"Has anyone called an ambulance?" Billy asked.
"I'll do it." Paul piped up, pulling his phone out his back pocket.
"Squeeze my hand if you can hear me, Carla. Stop messing about." Jenny attempted to joke, but the longer Carla was unresponsive, the more panicked she was getting.
"Does anyone know where Peter is?" Billy questioned.
Jenny scoffed before lifting her head at the sudden yell from nearby.
"Is that Carla?" Peter yelled, as he left the ginnel and rushed to her. "Oh my god! Baby!"
He tried to cradle her head before crying out at the blood that coated his fingers. Instead, he stroked her hair and looked up.
"What the hell has happened!" Peter cried.
"Scott hit her with his car." Jenny mumbled.
"What?" Peter's eyes darted to the man, blazing with fury. "Why weren't you looking where you were going! Explain!"
"I think it's best we don't blame anyone and focus on Carla here," Billy intervened. "The ambulance is on it's way."
"Why isn't she waking up?" Peter whimpered, delicately tracing his hand over her cheek. "Carla? Please, talk to me. Show me that you're okay."
"Carla, come on." Jenny stroked her shoulder.
"I am so sorry." Scott repeated.
Across the street, Tina looked stunned as she watched the scene play out in front of her. As much as she despised Carla, she didn't want this to happen. It wasn't part of the plan. She scurried off and left Peter to cry over his beloved...
"I want to know exactly what happened." Peter walked around in circles in the waiting room, his hands in the air in distress. "Why wasn't she looking where she was going?"
"I don't know," Jenny shrugged. "I need to phone Johnny. He's gonna want to come back from France."
"What if she isn't okay?" Peter threw himself into his seat, ruffling his hair.
"You can't think like that." Jenny muttered.
"How can't I? Things were left so badly between us." He cried.
"You don't know the half of it..."
"What do you mean by that?" Peter looked up, confused. "Jenny?"
"She saw you." Jenny said, watching as Peter frowned at her.
"Doing what?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Peter. She saw you with Tina in the ginnel. That's why she was in a state," Jenny ranted, carrying on as Peter stayed silent. "Do you have nothing to say?"
"So she got hit by the car because she thought I was having an affair with Tina?"
"Yes!"
"Jenny, I'm not having an affair!" Peter raised his voice.
"Then why have you been talking to her in secret."
"I was telling her to back off and leave us alone! I love Carla. Does she seriously think I'd do that again?" Peter asked.
"She was convinced, she was so upset." Jenny sighed.
"She needs to wake up. I need to talk to her."
"Are you sure you aren't lying to me? Tell me the truth, Peter."
"I swear on my life, I haven't done anything wrong." Peter concluded.
"Carla Connor's family?" The doctor interrupted, walking to the pair.
"Yeah?" Peter stood up. "Is Carla okay?"
I've been so excited to get this chapter out! Let me know what you think. Next chapter will continue from here..