Hometown

Chapter 24

Somehow things seemed to be getting a bit better, the realisation that she had a purpose to do something about the way she felt. She was scared, of course, she was and after everything that she had been through she had a right to be and at this point in time, she knew that it was completely normal for her to feel that way because the more she thought about it who wouldn't. Somehow taking a suitcase and lobbing it into the back of her car and driving off into the distance without telling anyone felt more and more like the right thing to do. She had her plane tickets and a couple of days after booking her tickets for LA she found the strength to get her affairs sorted, except she wasn't going to the airport, not right now, she was going to Nottingham.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

"Hmm" she smirks slightly before offering her hand for him to shake "I know I seemed panicky on the phone to you but I have a proposition which you might be interested in"

"I'm listening"

"I want out, I want a fresh start" she starts as he raises an eyebrow "I want to sell Underworld privately and I thought you might be interested"

"Me?"

"Well do you see anyone else around who would want to buy a backstreet knicker factory with the history it had"

"How much?"

"One fifty," she says, he nods slowly putting his laptop on the table and raising his eyebrows "No can do?"

"I can do one ten at a push," he says as Carla sighs in response "You could be a sleeping partner I can manage it for you that way you won't have regrets"

"Hmm," she thinks about it briefly before sighing "Ok we have a deal"

"If you don't mind me asking this is all very out of the blue..." he trails off picking his drink up and drinking it, she sighs biting her lip

"I know it seems that way, I just want to be free from some of it not have the stress of it all as I don't need it right now"

"Because?"

"I've just come out of a relationship, a not very nice one at that, I met this guy down in Devon and...well it didnt go to plan"

"Do I know him?"

"Lucas...Lucas Kempton" she says quietly, he nods taking her hand "You know him?"

"Hmm one of the big businessmen eh?" he chuckles, she nods slowly narrowing her eyes "He seems respectable though?"

"He wasn't, he isn't, he's in prison for abusing me" she whispers as his eyes widen "Peter found me, battered and bruised on the floor, raped by him...remanded in custody I don't know when he's going to be let out so I need to get away for a bit"

"Oh Carla I'm so sorry"

"Don't, I'm healing slowly but surely, last time I was...it helped going away to get better and to get my head straight so that's what I'm doing and I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone where I was going?"

"Of course I completely understand" he smiles, she nods slowly "What about Peter though?"

"What about him? I'm grateful for his help and support but a relationship isn't what he needs right now let alone me and especially with me after all of this has happened. It's not fair on him not when that could push him back to the drink, I can't do that to me, his family or Si its not fair"

"I get it," he says tilting his head to the side watching her pull out the contracts

"So one ten?"

"One ten" he nods as she writes the amount in the contract and passing it to him so he could sign which he does, she signs it as well before handing him a copy

"I'll get this to my solicitor, and thank you especially after everything I did"

"It's ok Carla, I'll look after the place"

"Thank you Nick" she smiles collecting her bag and the contracts, she sighs slightly ready to move on, it was time to get on with her life and if that meant doing it alone then she would because right now thats what felt right to her...

The plane journey was long, she slept for most of it and went for the first-class flight, this made her feel a bit better and gingerly she placed her hand on her tummy rubbing her thumb over the material of her top making her smile slightly at a future. Of course, she questioned whether this was the right thing running away but to her, it felt perfectly within character and she could live with it. There wasnt anything she would change about the current moment, she didn't want to change it even if she tried and that was ok because, in reality, she was as happy as she could be. Getting off the plane she breathed in the LA air, luckily it was warm and she was happy, she met up with her friend Suzy who offered her a place to stay whilst she got her head sorted.

"Come here"

"Hmm" Carla hums letting out a sigh and accepting her friends hug "I'm ok, I promise"

"Come on let's get you back to mine then we can relax on the balcony," she says, Carla yawns and nods allowing Suzy to drive her back to her flat "So how are you really?"

"I just need to be away from all that's going on back home and being here helps me relax"

"Well, I hope you're ok with the spare room-"

"You know I am" she sighs placing a hand over her tummy, she smiles softly at the thought of her and Peter's baby growing inside of her

"So you're keeping it then?"

"Yeah" she nods, Suzy smiles pulling her car up, Carla gets out "Even though the way it happened was awful I know this is our future now, a future which I don't know where it will be but I know right now this is the right choice for me"

"I'm always here for you, you know that" she smiles, Carla nods with a small smile pulling her case into the house

"And I couldn't be grateful" she smiles walking into the spare bedroom and lifting her case up onto the bed, she just hoped that Peter understood with the letter she left him...

Carla had been doing better and he was happy that her spirits had been lifted all of a sudden by an unknown force. Well, she knew the force, the force of the happiness she would experience when going to LA. All he could put it down to was the fact that she was opening up more to him and he was happy. He was walking home from a shift at StreetCars as Carla had told him to go to work as she just wanted some time alone which he was happy about as it seemed like she was making process. When he entered the bedroom he saw that practically all of Carla's stuff was gone, he glances at the bedside table seeing the letter propped up against the light, he tore it open and the tears filled his eyes.

"No!" he says as he sits on the bed re-reading the letter, he grabs his phone and tries to ring Carla

"This is Carla's phone, if you cant get hold of me I'm probably-"

"Dammit" he ends the call, the realisation seeping in as to why she was so happy, turning the letter over he sighed at the words 'Please don't look for me until I come looking for you' all he wanted to do was hold her and protect her but now that seemed impossible, that was because it was.

Peter loved her but Carla couldn't admit to herself that she loved him even if just saying the words to him made him feel so much, she didn't feel love when she said the words to him and she said them down to seeking approval and she knew one of the reasons why she went to LA was to clear her head and she knew she would do it far away from him. Carla wanted to be her own person once more, not living in the shadow of a man, she just wanted to be herself and she was determined to find the person she once loved, it would take time, effort and a whole lot of determination, but in the end, she knew it would be worth it. It had to be worth it.