Pulling her car up outside of the pub made her smile, she shook her head softly at Peter's name being above the door, how things had changed. Carla made her way down to the bistro, she sighed and pushed the door open before looking around and spotting Michelle at the bar organising the spirits. She bit her lip and walked around to the bar and immediately covered her friend's eyes from behind before she turned around and gasped.
"Carla!" Michelle exclaims before hugging her, she chuckles and hugs her back "When did you get back?"
"Aidan's plus one" she smirks, Michelle shakes her head in disbelief "Thought I'd come and give a recce of the situation before I plonk myself down for Christmas crackers and chardonnay"
"Well, I don't think it will be quite that" Michelle laughs and pours her a glass of wine, Carla shakes her head "Oh come on-"
"I have to drive!" she rolls her eyes, Michelle just sighs and drinks the wine herself "Anyway I thought we could do with a catch-up-"
"About what? I've told you everything on the phone" Michelle says quietly as Carla sits at the bar "Besides I don't want to be all gossiped out by noon"
"Hm" Carla tilts her head to the side before her phone goes off, she smiles at a picture Peter sent through with Oscar wearing a pair of reindeer antlers
"No way!" Michelle gasps, Carla looks at her with a confused expression "You're seeing someone-"
"No I'm not" Carla dismisses her before letting out a small sigh, she puts her phone in her pocket "Anyway what's happened around here in my ever-growing absence?"
"Since you've been down south you've become such an old gossip you know that-"
"Old?!" Carla glares, Michelle smirks and shakes her head before pouring her a lemonade "Ta"
"So what do you want to know?"
"Anything"
"Well...Peter owns the pub"
"Wow" Carla raises an eyebrow feigning surprise, Michelle looks at her "Isn't that like putting a cat in charge of an aquarium"
"It's actually worked out for him...and Toyah"
"Toyah?" Carla looks at her, Michelle nods with a small smile "What about Toyah?"
"Aidan must have forgotten to tell you, Peter's well and truly moved on, he's right in Toyah's bed he is...I mean our Kate, she caught them necking on the doorstep of the Rover's on the way back from town the other day"
"I guess I'm just another distant memory," Carla says to herself whilst Michelle potters with the glasses on the shelf
"What was that love?"
"Um, nothing, it doesn't matter" Carla assures her, the thought of spending Christmas with the family didn't seem all that important but confronting Peter was there right at the forefront of her mind
The tedious greetings and the constant questions as to why she was there was draining enough, the same answer over and over again to the same questions by all of her family. She didn't have the energy to do this, especially with Michelle's unbeknown bombshell and the effect it had on her. All Carla could do was sit through the festivities and pray that it would come to an end soon so she could get out of there and see her son. Her father had other ideas though so she was dragged to the Rover's for another depressing lemonade.
"Oh, what are you doing here?" Tracy barks, Carla shares a look with Johnny who raises his eyebrows
"Just here to see family" Carla rolls her eyes and looks at her former sister-in-law "Besides why do you even care? I'm sure you have bigger fish to fry Tracy"
"Oh do one Carla, no one wants you back here"
"You know what, fine" Carla snaps and gets up leaving Tracy to smirk triumphantly at what she caused
"Carla wait!"
"I have to go-"
"You're seriously not going to let Tracy push you out of your own home"
"This place isn't my home anymore Johnny" Carla laments, her fingers fiddling with the strap on her bag "My home is in Devon with..."
"With who?"
"It doesn't matter" she dismisses him, he looks at her and takes her hand but Carla shakes her head "I have to go-"
"Carla!" Johnny tries but she just sighs before frowning as her phone goes off, she picks it up and sighs before walking off and getting into her car
She drove back to the hotel, she couldnt tolerate being near that place any longer, it just didn't feel right considering everything that was happening behind the scenes with her. As soon as she got in she smiled at Peter who went to hug her but Carla raised her hand up to stop him. As much as she didn't want to argue with him over Toyah flamin' Battersby she knew it was coming but when she turned to look at Oscar who was fast asleep on the bed boxed in with pillows so he didn't fall off, she just couldnt bring herself to taint her relationship with Peter for his sake.
"How was it?" he asks her, she smiles slightly before making herself a coffee
"I was thinking about driving back home," she says quietly, Peter winces and nods "It didn't go too well...at first it was ok but then..."
"What happened?" he places his hand on her shoulder but she shrugs it off "Carla"
"Michelle told me...about you and Toyah" she starts, Peter looks at her and then drops his gaze "How could you lie to me again-"
"I'm not lying!"
"Oh leave off Michelle said that Kate saw you kissing on the doorstep of the Rover's!"
"Carla it's not what you think-"
"You sound like a broken record Peter!" she snaps, he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose
"We're not even together Carla!" he counters, she turns her head to avoid his gaze, she didn't want him to have an effect on her "Unless you want us to be together-"
"No!" she exclaims with an air of indignance "No way"
"So what's the problem then?"
"Oscar," she says pointing to their son "Oscar is the problem Peter, you're doing whatever with Toyah and you said you would be devoted to him-"
"I am devoted to him! I'm here almost all of the time-"
"The last thing he needs is confusion"
"Hold up, what is this about Carla?" he glares at her, she huffs and turns to look at her son "He isn't confused, Carla, he's in a routine..."
"I just want to give him everything I never had," she says quietly, he looks at her and bites his lip "I'm going back to Devon-"
"I'm coming with you-"
"No, Peter!" she snaps and he sighs "Go and see your family, I don't want to speak to you"
