"It's like you've seen a ghost" he comments with an eyebrow raised, Michelle bites her lip and closes her eyes "Don't act too shocked"
"It's the sort of deluded mind game you would do" she hits back with a smirk, he returns her smirk "What are you doing here?"
"Saw an opening, went for it, and here I am standing in front of you"
"As arrogant as ever" she shakes her head in disbelief glancing at the bistro "Do you want a drink?"
"Hmm go on then" he smirks as they walk towards the bistro, Michelle smirks at him once more as they enter…
Carla was sitting up against the soft pillows on her hospital bed flicking through some of the wedding magazines Michelle left behind wishfully thinking she would be able to walk down the aisle on her own. The more she thought about having a wedding the more it made her crave the opportunity to be normal and the more she realised that she would have to fight so hard for that. Every day she questioned whether she had the fight left in her, it was more of a case of wishing she had enough fight in her to fight her paralysis. A gentle tap on the door warranted a glare from her as in front of her Peter stood, she dropped her gaze to the magazines not even acknowledging his presence.
"I'm sorry"
She rolls her eyes picking up the phone,
"Sorry"
She nods sarcastically,
"For what? Trying to drink yourself to death?"
"I don't know what to say"
"Well neither do I, Peter"
"I just want you to get better, it's so hard seeing you like this, at your weakest"
"And I understand that but I need you Peter, we need you, I can't do this without you"
"I know and I will try harder, I promise"
"Will it be an empty promise though?"
"No, I mean it. I know in the past my promises have meant nothing, especially in the realms of drinking but I mean it now. I want to be there for you. I've been referred to an alcohol liaison nurse and I've been going to meetings. I want to get better for you and the baby, I need to do this for both of you and for me. I don't want to die Carla"
"Tell me how you feel"
"Lost" he admits "I feel lost without you"
"Did Michelle give you a hard time?"
"Not really" he responds "How did you even find out?"
"I'm not revealing my sources"
"Fair enough" he comments with a frown "How are you?"
"I feel bloated"
"Oh, love" he murmurs sitting on the edge of the bed, she takes his hand "Michelle's been keeping you occupied I see"
"Yeah"
"Are you ok?" he questions, hooking a couple of his fingers under her chin, she just turns away from him and sighs "Speak to me?"
"N-No" she shakes her head with a glare,
"I'm not offloading my feelings onto you not whilst you're so weak"
"Carla this isn't going to work unless you're honest with me" he replies, she just rolls her eyes and sighs gently
"F-F...i-i...ne" she huffs in annoyance picking her phone up again
"When I marry you I want to be able to walk down the aisle to greet you at the end of it but I'm scared in case I can't"
"Come here" he brings her in for a hug, he kisses her on the top of the head "You know I won't view you as any different if you can't walk, if you're not the same as you were before. I love you, Carla"
"I know you do"
She smiles softly at him
"But before we think about this we need to get you better don't we?"
"I guess" he mumbles, she looks at him pointedly "Yes we do"
"Good lad"
"No, you didn't!" Michelle gasps before laughing slightly and pouring more wine out "What did she say?"
"Oh you don't want to know" Lucas chuckles lightly pinching the bridge of his nose
"Actually no I don't" Michelle grimaces before laughing slightly "You haven't told me what you're doing here"
"I'm working at Underworld"
"Oh?"
"Yeah manager job, they needed someone experienced as Sarah she's not really up to it"
"Hmm yeah," Michelle hums looking at the bar "How about I treat you to a cocktail?"
"Go on then" Lucas smirks watching her saunter over to the bar, she returns with two cocktails "I have a feeling you're trying to get me drunk Michelle Connor"
"As if" she scoffs "I'm just bored, especially with the cousin in hospital, I can hardly have a laugh plus I don't start working until next week"
"Well let me know if you want to go out any time" he smirks, Michelle blushes slightly fiddling with her straw which was sitting in her glass
"You have a deal," she says with a wink "So tell me, what have you been doing since the last time I saw you…"
Simon was leaning against the wall of number one. It was weird now he knew what it was like to keep up pretences which he wished he didn't have to. He pulled out Carla's bank card and sighed gently shaking his head, he couldn't go there, could he? Simon couldn't find a way out of this mess, he had heard the rumours, even when you pay drug dealers off they will come back to find you once more. He convinced himself that this was different so he found his way to the nearest cashpoint and inserted Carla's bank card into it and soon he came out with two hundred quid only to be taken aback by Kelly's appearance, it was like she was his own personal stalker.
"What?"
"I thought you were skint"
"None of your business" Simon mutters as he slings his bag onto his back "Why are you following me around like a lost puppy anyway?"
"Where did you get the money from?"
"It doesn't matter" Simon states with a roll of his eyes "Leave it"
"No" she shakes her head defiantly standing in front of him "Tell me where. Was it from the drugs?"
"No. I'm paying them off"
"How?"
"With money"
"Which you obtained...how?"
"Fine!" he shouts "From my step-mum, she gave me her bank card"
"Wow, and she trusts you? A lot wouldn't-"
"Gee thanks" Simon rolls his eyes "What are you doing anyway?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to go out for something to eat? Milkshake at Roy's we can just talk?"
"Hmm" Simon hums "Alright then, you're buying though"
"Hark at it! You're the one with the cash" she reminds him as Simon laughs…
"We should probably slow down" Lucas grimaces, Michelle just laughs slightly leaning forward and shaking her head "You're evil you are"
"People change Lucas" she smirks before giggling "You're not going to be driving home anytime soon are you not with the amount of booze you've been chucking down your throat"
"Partly your fault as well"
"Oh leave off" she chuckles slightly "It's not like a forced ya"
"I'm gonna get a hotel room I think"
"No need" Michelle smirks as she pays for a drink "Rover's has a bed and breakfast and from what I understand you need a place to stay. There is a slight problem though…"
"And that is?" he smirks leaning forward, she looks into his eyes before dropping her gaze to her straw which she suggestively puts into her mouth
"You'd have to share a bed with me" she whispers suggestively, he narrows his eyes
"Well I'd have to give it my urgent consideration" he grins as she collects her coat and bag, he does the same before leaving a tip on the bill, they make their way down the street, Michelle pushing Lucas up against the wall and kissing him as she giggles, she immediately drags him down the alleyway only to be clocked by none other than Peter…
On the promise of another kebab from Dev's, Carla was waiting patiently for Peter to return with what she craved. Usually, she hated the thought of a kebab but ever since her pregnancy she was craving them so bad. All the grease, the meat, it just sounded so good and if she was honest she didn't really care about her figure now. Peter entered with her kebab wrapped in plain paper which she beamed at and immediately ate, they had been caught many times smuggling food into the hospital for her but the nurses didn't really seem to care so they managed to get away with it along with Peter charming them all into keeping it their little secret which Carla found hilarious.
"Good?" he questions, she nods licking her fingers "I never thought I would see the day"
"Hmm" she hums before shoving more of her kebab into her mouth
"I got you some more magazines, I know you will probably have a go at me for giving you this one in particular" he mumbles, she frowns watching him get it out of the bag, she smiles slightly seeing it was a baby magazine "I just thought it would be a good idea to think about things, this way I know what to get you when the time is right"
"T-Th-Th...an-n...ks" she nods with a small smile taking it from him as she finishes off her kebab, she grabs her phone
"That was so good"
"I'm glad" he chuckles sitting on the edge of the bed
"Michelle was meant to visit me earlier"
"Oh" Peter falters "I saw her with some guy, she was snogging his face off, dragged him into the ginnel"
"Dirty cow"
"Hmm" he chuckles as Carla grins "It'll give you something to grill her about tomorrow"
"I guess"
She smiles before taking Peter's hand, she gingerly lifts her top up and places his hand over her tummy with a small smile on her face, he bends down and kisses her on the lips.
"It'll be fine"
"Will it?"
She questions with a small smile
"I was thinking maybe we could do a paternity test?"
"I don't know Carla" he had his doubts, in a weird way living in a fantasy land with assuming the baby was his way of helping him through some of his demons, the ability to convince himself of something which may not necessarily be true "I just don't think you should run any more risks, that's all"
"Ok, it was just a suggestion"
She smiles at him
"I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie? Michelle got me my laptop"
"Go on then, stick one on"
