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The first ball of the season Colin scans the room for Penelope, he hasn’t seen her since he left and when he came back this time she wasn’t there.
There were also no letters while he was away, He tried not to read too much into it, so what? She was probably busy, no big deal, although he knew that if Penelope was busy she would make time for him. He knew she wasn’t sick he asked about that once it was obvious she wasn’t coming to welcome him back.
That’s why he was looking for her, he wanted to see her, make sure that she was okay, and because…. he missed her.
He didn’t know how much Penelope was an integral part of his life until he was bereft of her presence.
Even when he was far away, even when she wasn't with him physically he had her words.
He spotted her across the ballroom talking with her sister, she was wearing pink, which was his favorite color on her.
He smiled anticipating the moment her eyes fall on him, the moment her face lights up with the power of thousand suns and she smiles her Colin smile, reserved only for him.
But when Penelope raises her head and sees him, she doesn’t smile, she looks at him with indifference and then looks away.
It felt like a slap in the face, if he doubted before that something was wrong, now he knows. He had no idea what might have made Penelope react to him like this but he was determined to figure it out and he had to fix whatever it was.
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The last ball of the season to say that Colin Bridgerton was nervous would be an understatement. It was just recently that he and Penelope patched things up and she forgave him.
He didn’t know what to expect, he’s gotten used to the cold looks, the apathy and hearing only Mr Bridgerton from her by now. And yes she might have forgiven him but that doesn’t necessarily mean she wanted to be friends again.
He scanned the room feeling the apprehension from last time but then he spots her, and he smiles a little hesitantly lest she rejects him again.
Then she raises her head, and spots him…
And she smiles.
It’s small, and it’s not her Colin smile quite yet but it lights her face all the same and he would take it any day over the uninterested face.
He would take anything she's willing to give.
And just like that he felt his own smile expanding until it threatened to swallow him whole.
And just like that he knew, they will be okay.