Chapter Four

"Peace offering?" he held up a full cup of coffee as he joined her in the office.

She gave him a small smile as he placed it on the desk in front of her. But it quickly vanished when he delved into his trouser pocket and pulled out his phone and placed it next to her coffee.

"You've had that this whole time?" she glowered up at him.

"Alright look," he pulled up a chair so they were facing each other. "You can call Simon, or the police or whoever the hell you want and you'll be out of here in minutes. I don't want you to feel like I'm kidnapping you, or holding you against your will."

"But you are."

"Like I said, I want you to call whoever you need to to get out of here."

She picked the phone up and slowly passed it from one hand to the other, deep in thought. "There's a but coming I assume?"

"Yes."

"Go on then."

"But I'm asking you for just 10 more minutes to say my piece."

"Shouldn't you just have done that in the first place?"

"Like you would've stuck around long enough to listen."

She smiled to herself and leant back in her chair, he did know her better than she cared to admit. "You've got until I finish that coffee."

"Alright, I'll cut straight to the point then," he took a deep breath. "These last few months it's felt like old times, it's felt like it did just before we got together the first time-"

"When you were still married to Leanne you mean?"

"When I realised how much I loved you," he ignored her jibe. "You're my soulmate Carla, I knew it then and I know it now."

"Liam was my soulmate, you're just another bloke that let me down."

"Liam wasn't perfect," Peter replied defensively.

"Do you really think you can compare yourself to him?"

"Would you stop trying to pick a fight, we're on a time limit."

"Peter, we were together for what, three years? In that time, we were both prime suspects in two different murder enquiries, we managed to form a deep deep hatred for each other's in laws, and you fell off the wagon more times than I can count. It was hardly a healthy relationship."

"That was then-"

"Because we're totally different people now? You've still got an addictive personality and low self-esteem and I'm still a mardy control freak. Put all that together and it's a recipe for another dead barmaid."

"You can't reduce our entire relationship to that, like a dead barmaid was inevitable from the beginning."

"I'm just being realistic, you on the other hand seem to have forgotten most of our relationship."

"No I haven't," he told her solemnly. "And I don't think you have either."

"We're just going round in circles here," she picked up the phone from the desk and stood up to leave but he rose to his feet as well.

"We're not those people anymore, what do I need to do to prove to you I've changed?"

"There's nothing you can do, there's nothing you can do that doesn't put my heart at risk again."

"What about when I found out about Billy being involved in Susan's death, I didn't press my self-destruct button then-"

"We'll just paper over the fact you nearly killed the poor bloke."

"What about when everything went down with me and Toyah and Eva, I didn't press the self-destruct button then either."

"What do you want? A medal?"

"Despite everything that's happened, I've not drank in over four years, that's a record for me, I've not cheated on anyone since-"

"Since me?"

"I'm older, wiser, I've got my vices well and truly under control."

"For now."

"Forever."

"Don't write cheques you can't cash."

"Have you got an answer for everything?" he smiled.

"You know I do," she countered, trying her best not to smile back.

Sensing a softening towards him he stepped forward, taking the phone from her hand and placing it back on the desk. He cupped her face with his hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb against her cheekbone, he used to do this all of the time, and she used to relax at his touch each time too, just as she did now.

"I think you've forgiven me, and you're so used to being angry with me you don't even realise it."

She raised her eyes to meet his, as dark and brooding as they had ever been. She hadn't seen them up close like this is years, they were framed now by more wrinkles, they seemed kinder, softer than they used to be.

"I'm petrified Peter," she whispered.

"I know."

"You really hurt me."

"I know."

"And I didn't even see it coming."

"I know."

She brought her hands up to run them through his hair, it was shorter than it used to be but as soft as ever. She rubbed his beard with the back of her fingers, thicker than it used to be, speckled with grey now.

"Can you look me in the eye and say you stopped loving me?" he whispered.

"I don't think I ever figured out how to stop loving you," she finally whispered back.

"Me neither," Peter smiled in return.

She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, they were so soft, so familiar. He smelt the same, a smell she could never conjure when he wasn't there, a mixture of tobacco and pine. He pulled away, his eyes bore into hers as he silently questioned her, wanting permission for what he could only hope was about to happen. An ache opened in her heart as she remembered how gentle and patient he had been with her that first time, every touch, every kiss had been so delicate. She kissed him again with renewed fervour this time, her body felt like it had finally realised that this is what she had been needing all these years they were apart. No need to be gentle now, as she pulled on his shirt, a shock of excitement rushing through her body as he grabbed her hips in return and pushed her up against her empty desk.