More lunch break writing :) Still not sure where this is headed but your reviews have inspired me to keep going.
Peter turned to look at Carla but he had to blink once or twice before he could see her properly.
"Do you two wanna go out back?" Michelle asked because the entire pub was still transfixed on the Carla and Peter reunion that had been so long overdue.
Carla nodded but Peter just stood motionless by the doors. He didn't want to go out back, what he wanted to do was go back to a time when everything was perfect, When it was just about him and Carla, when they were incredibly happy and before he had made the stupidest mistake of his life. This was obviously not a possibility for Peter, so he found himself just shaking his head at the suggestion to go "out back" with Carla.
After all the crazy things that he had seen and heard today, Her new found love with Nick was the last straw.
Carla, who was on the verge of crying looked back at Peter desperately.
"Peter, please... We should talk"
There was a distinct tone of want and neediness in her voice, One that made Peter ache inside. He knew he couldn't walk away from her, not when her eyes were brimming with tears and not when the smile that had been on her beautiful face only moments ago, was now broken.
He nodded at Carla in despair and found himself following her out to the back room of the pub, the very same room where he had poured his heart out and begged her to take him back, all those months ago.
As she walked in front of him he looked down at her tanned legs, he spotted she had on a dinky little ankle bracelet on her left foot and it looked as if it had been bought somewhere exotic, definitely not in Weatherfield.
Now Peter had thought about it properly, he saw that Nick had looked rather tanned too and it seemed obvious that he and Carla had probably been away together.
The thought of the two of them frolicking on a sunny beach somewhere, made Peter feel so weak with jealously, that he had to grab onto the doorframe before entering the room to keep him steady.
Carla sat down stiffly at the table. She was biting down on her bottom her lip as if she was feeling guilty of something. Peter of course, knew that she had done nothing wrong and the fact that she had so obviously moved on was no one else's fault but his own. He sat opposite her anxiously and there were several long moments of silence before Carla spoke first.
"So... How ave you been?" She asked, watching him intensely, He swallowed and then shrugged at her blankly, not knowing where to begin. She rested her arms in front of her on the table and Peter saw that she had her nails painted pink to match her dress. Carla would normally never be seen dead in pink and as she tucked some hair behind her ear absentmindedly, he was starting to think that he was now talking to a changed woman.
"Peter would you please just say something?" Carla asked nervously
"What do you want me to say?" Peter asked back,
"I dunno" Carla said helplessly "Why did you come back?" There was a pause and then a sigh from Peter.
"I've come back ere because Simon's been acting up and then I find out about Deirdre and… Well it's like I've walked into me worst nightmare really" Peter said gruffly, he wished that he had just gone, somewhere, anywhere, anywhere where he didn't have to sit in front of this beautiful woman and try not to cry pathetically.
"What's wrong with Deirdre?" Carla asked, now more worried then nervous.
"You know, she's in hospital" Peter replied but to his shock, Carla didn't know anything about this. She looked startled by the news about Deirdre and shook her head
"Since when?" she asked, horrified that she hadn't been made aware of any of this.
"A week or so" Peter said wishing he hadn't of mentioned it now because he could tell Carla was distraught and that she was trying to make some sort of sense of it all.
"Why didn't Ken say anything?" Carla asked, devastated that Ken hadn't of confided this information to her. She thought that they were friends. Peter shrugged awkwardly at her.
"He said you'd moved on, he said you had a new life... I dunno maybe he didn't want to bother you with it" Peter said sighing. He thought back to the conversation he had with his Father earlier on, that very same day. Ken had told him that Carla had a new boyfriend and that she had even changed her name back to Connor.
It hurt.
It hurt Peter a lot and whilst he had tried to put on a brave face in front of his Dad, it was more than obvious, that he was utterly crushed by the fact that Carla was an official Connor again.
Carla just nodded slowly and disappointedly. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't completely saddened by the idea of Ken keeping Deirdre's illness from her. She thought that Ken trusted in her and she's always imagined that he would tell her if he ever needed her help or support.
The silence in the room was killing them both, It was odd for two people with a history like theirs to be sat together and endure such a silence, when there was once so much banter between them, so much laughter and so, so much love.
Peter cleared his throat uncomfortably and shuffled in his seat
"I'm sorry I'm just in shock" Carla mumbled,
"Yeah well you're not the only one." Peter said and then the door suddenly opened.
Nick was stood in the door way, looking anxiously at Carla and Peter, as if he was expecting to find the pair of them in some sort of passionate embrace.
"Nick" Carla said getting up, She walked over to him and put a hand on his chest to stop him from coming into the room any further. Peter turned and looked at him, the hatred he felt for Nick was evident by the look on his face.
"What are you doing?" Nick asked her but he was looking back at Peter, only with pity rather then hate.
"I'm just gonna talk to him for a bit that's all" Carla said and she got on her tiptoes, as Nick was fairly taller than her and gave him a quick kiss. It was literally a peck compared to the one he had witnessed earlier but Peter still felt his stomach lurch when he saw it.
Peter turned back around dismally as Nick disappeared out of the room and Carla closed the door. She came back over to the table and sat down apprehensively in front of her husband, he was silent for a while and then he muttered two words
"Why him?"
Carla shrugged her shoulders. She was rather at a loss of words. She knew she should have been more prepared, She should have known that Peter would eventually ask this question.
"Peter it just happened" Carla said eventually "We actually ave a lot in common and started hanging out together as mates and... It turned into something more" Carla said looking down at her hands.
"How? After everything you have said about him in the past? How can you have fallen for him?" Peter asked still not getting the situation at all.
Carla shook her head at him She couldn't bare the thought of this conversation, She had never felt guilty about being with Nick before and She thought they were incredibly happy together but the fact that Peter could make her feel so guilty for moving on and they way he was looking at her in disgust was beginning to bother her.
"I don't even know why I'm explaining me self to you, you are the one who cheated on me remember?" Carla said but she said it rather calmly in a way that Peter hadn't of expected, by now he thought that she probably would have raised her voice or maybe even stormed out, yet she was still sat there in front of him as calm as can be. "Did you just expect me just to wait for you?" She asked
"It's not the fact that you ave moved on, it's the fact that it's with him" Peter said shaking his head "I guess I just can't actually believe any of this has happened"
"Peter I know this wasn't what you were expecting" Carla paused unable to finish her sentence, he watched her as she bit down on a hang nail anxiously "I know you won't understand" He nodded at her
"You're right I don't understand, I don't understand how you couldn't forgive me for having an affair yet, you can get with a man who has had plenty of them him self" Peter said bluntly, Carla just sat there and didn't say anything but by the look on her face Peter had guessed what she was thinking "Let me guess, he's changed right ?" Peter said a little dryly, he then looked at Carla closely "You've changed too." he said softly.
Carla looked down at herself and then back up at Peter
"Ave I?" she asked,
"Yeah, I mean you're wearing pink for a start" Peter said, Carla laughed slightly and looked down at her dress again, it was totally the wrong colour but because it had been such a kind gesture on Nick's part she wore it from time to time to keep him happy.
"Nick bought it, It's not really me but... Y'know" She said a little unenthusiastically
"I know that I couldn't of got you in a pink dress if I tried... So I guess you must really really like Nick" Peter said sorrowfully and he looked down at his phone which buzzed with a message. He glanced at the screen, which had Dad on it and read the message he had been sent.
Carla watched him and it was clear that whatever message he had been sent had shaken him right up, He looked tearful as he rose from his chair.
"Wait a minute where are ya going?" Carla cried getting up too, Peter had tried not to look at her directly, He was already distressed enough without having to see the look of confusion and hurt on her face.
He really tried his best to just walk out the room and leave but he swallowed and set his eyes on Carla again.
"Peter don't go yet" She begged tears forming behind those stunning green eyes.
"Look Carla I'm glad that you've moved on, I truly am... Even if it is with Nick I just ... I can't do this right now. I can't sit n talk to you as if it doesn't kill me to see you two together, I ave to go down to the hospital, that was me Dad" Peter said pointing at his phone "It's Deirdre... She's taken a turn for the worst and they've told me Dad that they don't know if she's got long left" Peter said chocking up.
"What?" Carla gasped she had always loved Deirdre even when Deirdre wasn't so keen on her. "Peter wait, I want to come with you, I wanna see her" Carla said her voice cracking but Peter shook his head at her hopelessly.
"Don't do this Carla" he said sadly, unable to stop a tear from falling down his cheek.
"And I need to hear more about Simon"
"Carla please" Peter said sniffing
"But Peter I still care about Deirdre and your Dad and Simon" Carla said "and you."
"Carla five minutes ago you were sitting there blissfully happy with Nick, completely unaware of the latest Barlow family drama. Why not just keep it that way eh?" Peter said wiping his at cheek furiously "Besides... You're not a Barlow anymore" He said hoarsely. Then he opened the door to the back room and then left Carla all alone.
Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to keep it all together. She let a tear fall down her cheek and sniffed hard as Nick came rushing into the back room to check on her.
"Hey" he said looking concerned and wiping the single tear off of her cheek lovingly "What happened? What did he do?" Carla shook her head at him and breathed out deeply.
"I ave to go with him" Carla said overcome, Nick barley had time to react when she said "I'm sorry Nick I just... I ave to go" and she rushed out of the back room before he could stop her.
"Peter!" She cried after him as he left the pub, She flung the doors open leaving Michelle, Steve and the pub full of punters stunned as she ran outside. "Peter!" she shouted as he walked towards his car.
"Carla please" he said sighing wishing she would just go back to Nick and forget all of this. That's what he wanted, that's what she deserved, to be happy.
"I'm coming with you!" Carla said firmly "I may ave changed my name but I still care about all of you and I am coming to this hospital whether you like it or not!" Peter sighed heavily and reluctantly unlocked his car. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop Carla from joining him and as she opened the door to his car, she stopped, looked at him heart wrenchingly and said "FYI... I would ave worn a pink dress if you wanted me to, I would have done anything for you Peter"