"I know you and Nick are dating."

"I'm pregnant."

Shit. I really needed to keep my mouth shut. Obviously, Michelle was annoyed as somehow, she had found out about my new relationship and assumed that I wasn't telling her, not knowing that I was too busy thinking about my pregnancy. Her shock and mouth opening and closing repeatedly let me know that she had heard me clearly, that she knew what I had said but I still had to try and pretend like I didn't say anything.

"I was going to tell you about Nick, how did you find out?"

"No, don't you dare Carla…"

"What? I and Nick literally got together over lunch, how did rumours fly that quick?"

She glared at me at full force now, genuinely furious with me that I was brushing off what I had confessed only moments ago. She pulled her chair closer to the desk and leaned further towards me as she hissed out her next sentence.

"You're… I can't believe you lied, you're pregnant?"

I let the question hang over us for a moment as I let myself breathe and come to terms that I had let yet another person now instead of waiting like I had wanted to.

"yes."

Simple as, I was pregnant, hopefully, I was going to be pregnant for the whole nine months this time and I was having to confess this to my best friend.

"Whose is it?"

Why did everyone care about that? Why was that the question people asked me after finding out I was pregnant, instead of just congratulating me and then moving on? Seriously, was it that important to know who knocked me up? If I told Michelle that it was Peter, I would never hear the end of it, if I didn't tell her and lied, she would go mad when she found out, she would literally kill me. Today had been such a twist of events, mostly good that I didn't want to spoil it by having a lecture and be moaned at by Michelle, so I did the only thing I could do, avoid the question.

"Does it matter right now? I'm sorry for lying I just didn't know what to do."

"Of course, it matters, does he want to be involved? I'm guessing you found out last night then?"

Avoid the questions of Paternity Carla, it's the only way they will go away.

"I took the test in between Nick visits last night, got it confirmed by the doctors this morning, I was going to tell you later, honestly."

Her face changed when I mentioned Nick as she remembered why she had come to the factory in the first place, she was reminded of my other news. She fought hard though to stay on topic the best she could.

"Do you know who the dad is? If it was some stranger, there are still ways to try and track them down."

"Michelle, drop it please, I have just told you I'm flaming pregnant, and you are ruining the moment."

It was a low blow to try and get some pity, but it was the last card I could play, luckily it worked though as she stood up and moved round to me to give me a hug. I could feel the questions racing through her head as she hugged me, and I tried to embrace her tighter to squeeze them from her mind.

For once today was going my way as Sally entered the office looking confused at our embrace as she returned to her desk trying to prove her position to both Michelle and me. As we separated, Michelle positioned herself on the edge of my desk now that her seat had been taken back and dove into the middle of a conversation as though we had been discussing it all along.

"I mean, of course, I was going to find out with foghorn Erica."

What? Erica?

Then I realised the only connection I had with Erica was that now I was currently seeing her baby daddy, and it connected in my head that she had probably seen us kissing earlier.

"It wasn't my fault; I didn't know that she would see us flaming kissing."

"Kissing?"

"What?"

"Erica didn't say anything about kissing, she said Nick told her that you two were an item now after he broke up with her this morning…"

She was still walking into the Bistro as I left, she probably talked to Nick and that's what she was telling Liz about, that is what Michelle overheard. From now on I need to stop assuming what Michelle is thinking as I was just continually getting myself in more trouble.

Michelle was smiling at me, trying not to laugh at the situation as Sally had given up her terrible attempt at pretending not to listen and was eavesdropping blatantly now.

"So where were you two making out?"

"I said kissing…"

"Doesn't matter, where was it? In the street? The Bistro? The factory? The – "

"The Bistro, ok?"

She was never going to stop questioning so it was best just to give her the answers she wanted, or she would never drop it. She grinned wider almost like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland and got ready for her next onslaught of questions, so I tried to beat her to it. I was a bit curious in any way.

"So, what did Nick tell Erica then?"

She replied in a mocking sing-song voice that had me throwing a pen at her.

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend?"

Michelle said it though, using the word boyfriend had me smiling again at her as it felt weirdly good to hear it out loud. She caught my smile easily and waggled her eyebrows at me.

"So, come on then, what happened? I thought you two were too busy pining after each other and making gooey eyes at each other to actually start dating."

Before I could reply, she jumped in again in surprise as she thought of something.

"He not your – "

"No, he's not."

I knew exactly what she was thinking, and I didn't want her blurting out that she was unsure of my baby's daddy is let alone letting Sally know I was pregnant in the first place. I cut her off to protect us both and I glared at her, watching her shoulders drop as the situation caught up with her mouth and she mouthed the words 'I'm sorry. Michelle, quick to cover her mistake, leaped back into conversation not wanting to leave the last bits with Sally too long.

"So, come on then, what happened? When did you two finally get it together?"

"Over my lunch break, he asked me to come for lunch and next thing I know, he was asking me out and I was saying yes."

"Wow, so romantic. Come on, tell me what happened?"

She was eager and she was getting impatient, I didn't really want to confess my feelings and tell the story of my hour's long relationship in front of Sally, anyone else, just not her.

"I'll talk to you later, ok? I really should get some work done; in fact, I have a meeting in town that I need to leave for in five minutes. You know what, I'll leave early and walk you out."

I stood up grabbing my bag with one hand and my files with my other as I tried to push Michelle out in front of me and out of my business. She was resisting against my hand on her back as she slouched and gave me more weight to maneuver, she was acting like a child. We made it out onto the steps and almost down them until her weight was let up and she eagerly shouted over the road trying to stir up more trouble for me.

"Heya Nick, I'm with your girlfriend."

"Will you shut up."

My eyes automatically drifted over to the bistro though and onto Nick as I saw him standing with a delivery and a van blocking most of his business from my eyesight. When he heard Michelle bellowing, just like the whole street probably did, his face lit up and he finished with the man to come jogging over to us as I scowled at the back of my best friend's head.

"Hey, you two."

"Hey Nick, say hi to Nick, Carla."

She sounded like a mom trying to introduce her shy child to a friend, so I just stared at her as she turned to face us as we formed a weird triangle between us. Nick reached for my hand and I didn't pull away, I didn't pull my attention from my best friend who was trying her hardest to wind me up.

"Ignore her, she's in the mood to act like a child and wind me right up."

"Am not."

Nick laughed at us bickering but otherwise said nothing as silence took over and Michelle began to excuse herself, still wearing a knowing smile that I desperately wanted to wipe off.

"Anyway, I best be getting back, I'll see you after your meeting in the Rovers."

It wasn't a suggestion but rather a demand and I knew her well enough to not ignore that. She then walked off back to the pub, causing Nick to turn solely to me and smiled as he asked his own questions.

"So, you told Chelle about us though."

"No, Erica did."

It wasn't until after I said it and saw his smile slip that I realised what I had said and done.

"I was going to tell her later though; I didn't want to deal with all that in the office, but she finds out everything."

His smile looked more secure now, I knew he was happier with the answer I supplied him with this time. As nice as it was to mindlessly stare at my new boyfriend, I had a meeting I actually had to get to and pulled my hand out of his to leave.

"Sorry, I do have to actually get going."

"Yeah, no problem, I'll see you later though, yeah?"

Later? We arranged to meet later at mine, and it had completely vanished from my head, this day felt like it was lasting forever.

"Yeah of course."

"Text me."

With that request, he was jogging back to the delivery van and talking quickly, he was supposed to be working as well but still came over. If we carried on like this, neither of our businesses would last the year. As I got in my car, I took a deep breath trying to process everything before I drove off, just as I had gotten calm, life had other ideas as to when I drove past the street, my eyes automatically connected with Peters as he walked with Simon and set my mind in a spin again.

My car parked, turned off, and had been for the past three minutes, at least, I finally managed to get myself out of the car and onto the street, walking hesitantly to the pub, knowing that Michelle would send out a search party if I wasn't there soon. My meeting was relatively short, but I stopped at a coffee shop by myself just to have a moment of peace, that moment lead to another and another until it was almost dark outside, and I knew I needed to face my actual life instead of hiding.

Walking into the Rovers, it was slightly busier than I expected with Liz, Michelle, and Erica all behind the bar with the two older women gossiping more than actually working. As soon as Michelle saw me though, she became giddy and pushed through the two women to walk around the bar and drag me to sit on the far end of the bar, forcing the others to work.

"Finally, I've been so bored, especially with those two talking about something boring."

"I'm glad I'm here for your entertainment."

"Oh, shut up, you know what I meant."

She sat down on the stool next to me and drummed her fingers on the bar surface, I doubt she was waiting for me to speak, she was probably organising her order or questioning. What to attack me first with, my new pregnancy, my new relationship, or anything else I might not be aware of.

"So, come on then, spill."

"Spill what? Should we get some drinks?"

It was a terrible idea to try and distract her as I realised that one, she wouldn't quit it just prolong it, and two, to order drinks we had an even chance that it would be Erica, the woman who had gotten broken up with for me earlier this morning. Michelle smiled at me sarcastically as she came to the same conclusion I did and nodded at me with her eyebrows raised as she was about to summon Erica over, so I gave a bit to receive a bit.

"Fine, I will tell you everything that happened with Nick today."

"And Yesterday?"

My silence caused her to look further in Erica's direction and raised her hand to get her attention, so I jumped in quickly to agree.

"Yes, fine, I will tell you everything you want to know."

"Good, Liz, can we get two coke's please."

Liz nodded at the yell from Michelle and began to make our drinks as Michelle turned back to me excitedly and tried to calm herself down as I stared at her in confusion.

"What? I don't have anything exciting going on right now so I'm living through you."

"Fine… what do you want to know?"

"How you went from pining for each other to snogging the face of off Nick Tilsley in the Bistro?"

She had such a way with words but terrible timing, Erica brought over our soft drinks and offered me a tight smile when I looked at her trying to hide the look of sympathy that I was automatically sending her. Michelle at least had the decency to look ashamed, but it only lasted until Erica had left and begun to serve someone else. She looked back at me, waiting for me to answer her previous question.

"He came round last night telling me that he liked me and knew I liked him – "

"– he's not wrong."

"Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Yes… sorry, go on."

I almost stopped right there as sarcasm was heavily laced through her voice as my eyes rolled at her, she knew how to push my buttons, but I knew I had to talk or else she would never leave me alone.

"He came round, and I couldn't do it, I felt bad as he was in a relationship, then we were kissing and I sent him packing."

"You rejected him?!"

"Yes, he was in a relationship and I didn't know if I was… you know."

"So?"

"So, lower your voice, I took the test, found out I was and then he came back, threatened to get you if I didn't open the door."

"Wise man."

"Shut up. He started up again, telling me he liked me, and he wanted to be with me, he started talking about how his baby would be fine if its parents were separated and telling me all these things, then we were kissing again."

"Literally, months and months of flirting and then you're having your way with him multiple times in one night."

"It was a kiss; I wasn't flaming sleeping with him right then and there was I?"

"Never know with you."

I slapped her arm playfully, but it was enough to have her laughing again and giggling at her own jokes, soon my laugh joined hers and it felt good to just relax after everything that had happened so far today. She sipped her drink to calm herself down and then turned back to me again.

"So, was that it?"

"No, I pushed him away again, telling him to talk to Erica."

"And…"

"He must have because then he wants to have lunch, he is single and doesn't want to mingle with anyone but me."

I laughed slightly at my bad joke, but Michelle glared at me as if she suspected I was hiding something, so I let her guess away as this the time I didn't want to guess at what she was thinking.

"And you are fine with him having a baby with someone else?"

That was a question. Was I ok with that? Would I have been ok with it if I weren't pregnant with someone else's baby? Luckily, Michelle knew the depth of the question she had just asked me, so she was prepared to wait for my answer, to give me time to consider what she was really asking. Was I ok with it or was I forcing myself to be because I liked him so much? I'm not going to lie and say I have no issues with jealousy because I do but was there anything to be jealous of? I doubted he was the kind of man to cheat on me like Peter did.

Thinking of Peter, seemed to have manifested him as my eyes fell to his appearance at the door accompanied by his dad as they entered the Rovers for the evening. The pair made their way over to the bar giving their drink orders to Erica as they chatted between themselves, looking as though they were having a nice time. As much as I tried, I couldn't pull my eyes from him as I stared at his face trying to think if our baby would get his eyes instead of mine or maybe his nose, maybe it would come out looking just like him.

A gasp finally did the trick as I looked at Michelle as she stared at me with wide eyes looking concerned and then I realised that she must have seen where I was looking. Michelle had connected that I was pregnant with peter's baby.

Once again, thank you for all the love and I hope you like where this is going as things will be changing soon.