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"Doesn't it bother you to see your brother following her around like a lost puppy?" Colin heard Cressida Cowper's sharp, mocking voice coming from Eloise's room.
"Of course it bothers me, but you don’t know how Colin is," Eloise replied, and Colin frowned upon hearing his name. Sure, it was strange not to see his sister glued to Penelope lately. Sure, it was terrible seeing her hanging out with Cressida instead. Obviously, it was upsetting to have her being more cruel in her comments than usual, but what had he done to deserve being dragged into this?
"Head over heels for her?" Cressida teased, laughing, and Colin found her choice of words odd.
"Ew! Of course not, you dummy!" Eloise pretended to gag at the thought, and Colin felt uneasy with her reaction. "No, Colin has this stupid hero complex, he can’t see a lost cause without wanting to save it. And there’s no greater lost cause than her!"
"Are you sure? I’ve always thought their friendship was... peculiar. Maybe they’re just really good at hiding it" Cressida provoked.
"Penelope’s certainly good at hiding things from others" Eloise responded bitterly. "But Colin? He’d never have anything with her, not even in secret!"
"Well, at least he has good taste in girlfriends, right?" Cressida laughed cruelly. "She’s definitely not his type!"
"He’d never look at Penelope that way; it’s impossible for him to feel anything for her! Maybe just pity!" the way they both laughed made him finally step away from the door, disgusted.
How could his sister say such cruel things? Even if she was angry with Penelope, suggesting he would never have feelings for his best friend for such shallow reasons was revolting.
Not that Colin had ever thought of Penelope in that way before. Their friendship was too precious to jeopardize what they had, but not because she wasn’t attractive.
He decided it wouldn’t do him any good to dwell on those thoughts and picked up his phone, opening his messages with Penelope.
"Hey, Pen! Are you busy?"
"Never for you!" she replied almost instantly, and, for some reason, her words sent a shiver down his spine.
"Want to come over and watch a movie?"
"Eloise isn’t home? I don’t want to create any awkwardness!"
“We can just hang in my room!”
"Are you sure? I don’t want to cause any trouble by being around!"
"I’m absolutely sure! Spending time with you is the best part of my day, Pen! Come over!"
"Alright! I’ll get ready and let you know when I’m at the door so you can let me in"
"Perfect! See you soon, Pen!"
Colin quickly tidied up his room to make space for them to lounge comfortably while watching movies on his bed. Once satisfied with his efforts, he headed to the kitchen to make popcorn and prepare snacks so they wouldn’t have to leave the room anytime soon.
"Is all that just for you?" Sophie teased, noticing the amount of food Colin had arranged on the tray. Kate entered right behind her, and they all laughed.
"I invited Pen over to watch a movie," he explained. "Since she and Eloise are not in good terms, I’ve been trying to make sure she doesn’t feel alone."
"Have you figured out what happened between them?" Kate asked, concerned. Colin shook his head, and they sighed. "I’ll invite Penelope to go shopping with Sophie and me this weekend, see if we can cheer her up. We love her, and I don’t want her to think that’s changed because of what happened with your sister," Kate added.
"I’m sure that’ll make her really happy. Thanks so much, Kate!" he said gratefully.
His sisters smiled as Colin picked up the tray and headed upstairs, just stopping when he overheard their laughter and comments.
"When I first met them, I thought Ben was joking when he said they weren’t a couple!"
"Their friendship is so beautiful, but Penelope deserves so much more. He takes such good care of her! Not that I can complain about Anthony, but he doesn’t do half of what Colin does to make her happy!"
"I wish things would work out. There’s so much love between them!" Sophie sighed dreamily.
Colin chuckled, climbing the stairs to his room and shutting the door. He found himself reflecting on the two conversations he overheard about his relationship with Penelope and how vastly different they were. He agreed more with Kate and Sophie, of course, because Eloise and Cressida’s opinion about him not seeing Penelope as attractive was, at the very least, infuriating.
What did it matter what anyone else thought? Their bond was special. And while Colin had never viewed Penelope in a romantic light before, something about this made him start to see what others had apparently been seeing all along.
"I’m here!" Penelope’s message snapped him out of his thoughts. He dashed down the stairs to open the door, finding his best friend smiling warmly at him.
"You’re here!" he said, pulling her into a big hug as if they hadn’t seen each other in days.
"And I brought your favorite biscuits," she said, showing what she carried in her bag. Colin placed a hand over his heart dramatically.
"A woman after my heart, I see!" he teased, as he had many times before. But this time, the words felt heavier with meaning.
“I like reminding you why you keeps me around” Penelope teased as they made their way to his bedroom.
“I don’t need reminders” he replied with a smile, leaving the door open for her to enter. “I know exactly why I keep you around, Pen!”
“Do you now? Isn't it just for your favorite biscuits?” she laughed, turning to face him.
“It’s so I can have my favorite person all to myself!” Colin responded, noticing the soft blush that crept onto her cheeks as she averted her eyes from his face.
“Greedy, Mr. Bridgerton?” she laughed nervously, then paused. “Not that you have much competition, anyway. I think you can be as greedy as you like!”
“Having my favorite person all to myself is definitely my perfect day!” he said, pulling her by the hand to sit next to him on the bed and picking up the remote.
“You’ve prepared a feast for us, Colin!” there was something in her voice that made him feel quite proud of himself.
“Only the best for my favorite girl” Colin said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to snuggle. “You can pick what we’ll watch, darling. Today, I just want to spoil you!”
“You say today as if you don’t spoil me all the time!” she replied, grabbing the remote and scrolling through his movie list.
“But let it be clear that only you have this privilege!” he buried his face in her shoulder, savoring the delicious scent of her perfume.
“That’s a lie! You love spoiling all your siblings, especially the youngest!”
“You’re the only one without my last name. Better?” he joked, watching her give a shy smile.
“What kind of movie are you in the mood for?” she asked, looking through his watch later list.
“I want to watch one of your comfort movies” he whispered in her ear, delighted to see her skin react with his voice.
“Are you sure I can have such power?” she leaned more into him involuntarily, making him smile and nod.
Penelope clicked on Howl’s Moving Castle and rested her head against Colin’s chest, grabbing the popcorn bowl. She took a handful for herself, then fed him as well.
He tried to focus on the moment, blocking out the thoughts stirred by what he’d overheard that afternoon. But the truth was, the more he tried to concentrate on the movie, hoping to understand why it was one of her comfort movies, the more he found himself enjoying their closeness, the way she fit perfectly in his arms, and how intoxicating her perfume was.
Sliding his arm from her shoulders to her waist, Colin stretched his legs under hers, nearly pulling her into his lap. It took a while for her to notice, but eventually, she turned her attention from the TV to him.
“What are you doing?” Penelope asked, surprised. He took the opportunity to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, brushing her cheek softly.
“Getting comfortable” he replied simply. “Do you want another pillow?” she shook her head, her cheeks getting pink in the glow of the TV.
“Want to share a cupcake?” she tried to redirect their focus.
“Yes, I do” Colin whispered near her ear, far too pleased with her reactions.
She grabbed a cupcake from the tray, divided it in two, and handed him a piece. As she licked the frosting off her fingers, Colin’s gaze fixed on her, entranced by her delicate lips, which suddenly seemed so alluring and kissable.
“Do I have sugar on my face?” she asked, noticing his stare.
“No, you already got it” he replied, his voice slightly breathless.
She smiled, took a bite and returned her attention to the film. But Colin found himself too captivated by her, by how perfectly she looks, by the growing ache to kiss her, too distracted to pay attention to anything other than her and how, suddenly, he wanted her in a way he never had before.
“I love how the first thing Howl says to Sophie is actually a response to what she says to him here” Penelope sighed, pulling his attention back to the screen and making him smile. “He’s been searching for her his whole life. It’s so beautiful!”
“It really is,” Colin agreed, pulling her closer against his chest and placing a kiss on her forehead. “It’s funny how sometimes you just… find things” he murmured against her hair.
She lifted her beautiful blue eyes to him, trying to understand what he meant.
“Do you think it’s possible to search for something for years and then, one day, realize it’s been right in front of you the whole time?” Colin asked, unwilling to leave things unsaid.
“Like what?” the hesitation in her voice made him smile as he caressed her face.
“Like the love of your life, for example. You spend your whole life searching for someone, and one day you realize they’ve been right here, patiently waiting for you” she gasped softly, as if fearful of his confession. “Do you think it’s possible to love someone so much that you don’t even realize the depth of your feelings until it’s almost too much to contain?”
“I think love always surprises us, even when it’s been right beside us all along. So yes, I think it’s possible” she said, nodding as his fingers absentmindedly combed through her curls.
“I think I had one of those realizations today, with you here,” Colin confessed, watching her blink rapidly, staring at him in disbelief. “Actually, I’m sure of it. What I want to know is if it can be mutual.”
“What kind of realization?” Penelope asked, adjusting herself to look at him more directly.
“That I’m in love with you,” he said bluntly, watching her eyes widen. “That the love I feel for you is so much greater than the friendship I thought it was. And I want to be with you, to kiss you, to date you, to hold you in my arms like this, if you’ll have me.”
She looked at him as though seeing him for the first time, and Colin felt his heart in his throat, unable to decipher what she might be thinking. Then, suddenly, she cupped his face with her small hands and pressed her lips to his, sending a shockwave through his entire body.
The kiss was brief and hesitant, ending quickly just as it had begun, with Penelope searching his face for confirmation that he truly meant what he said. Colin didn’t let her doubt linger and brought their faces together again for another kiss, holding her delicately by the nape of her neck and savoring their lips together. In a movement that surprised her, he pulled her fully into his lap.
“Colin” she laughed, gripping his shoulders, and he grinned, feeling utterly content as he kissed her again, more fervently this time.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her lips. “So, so beautiful.”
Her fingers tangled in his hair, lightly scratching and caressing his neck as she allowed him to deepen the kiss. She completely surrendered to the delicious caress, soft moans escaping her lips and only fueling his satisfaction.
“I want you so much,” she murmured breathlessly as Colin’s lips trailed down to the curve of her neck, tasting her skin.
“I want you more than I ever imagined, Pen” he replied, leaving kisses along her jawline and up to her earlobe, eliciting new moans from her lips. “I want to do something” he said.
“What?” she responded in a breathy moan that sent shivers through his entire body.
“Could you grab me a cupcake, please?” Penelope looked at him, puzzled, but grabbed the cupcake and handed it to him.
Colin ran his finger along the frosting, offering it to her to lick as she had done earlier, and it was even more sensual than he had imagined. He seized the opportunity to kiss her, sliding his tongue over her lips to taste the sweetness of the frosting left behind, leaving her breathless.
“That was even more sexy than I thought,” he murmured against her lips, kissing her hungrily.
Penelope dipped her finger in the frosting and did the same, offering it to him and then kissing the frosting from his lips. Waves of pleasure rippled through them as they lost themselves completely in each other, letting the world around them fade away.
“Colin, do you still have…” Eloise burst into the room without knocking and froze at the sight of them, taking a few seconds to process the scene before exploding. “What the hell is this?” she exclaimed incredulously.
“I’d think even you could recognize a couple making out” Colin replied, sarcastic. “Shouldn’t I be asking what the hell this is? Do I have to start locking my door to stop people from barging in uninvited?”
“A couple? What do you mean by couple?” she asked, though her tone wasn’t serious, there was no real confusion. Penelope knew when Eloise was mocking.
“Eloise, could you please leave my room?” her brother said, losing patience.
“I’m not leaving until you explain this ridiculous scene you thought was appropriate to perform under our roof!”
“The only one being ridiculous here is you! This is the last time I’m asking you to leave before I kick you out myself, El!”
“What’s going on here? Why are you two shouting?” Anthony appeared behind Eloise in the doorway, and Penelope buried her face in Colin’s chest, dying of embarrassment.
“Eloise barged into my room without knocking and is making the most absurd fuss because she thinks Penelope and I owe her an explanation about what we do in private!”
“You two are the absurd ones! How long has this been going on?”
“Eloise,” Anthony scolded her. “This really isn’t any of our business, and you know better than to enter someone’s room without knocking!”
“You’re seriously going to back this abnormality up?” she turned to her eldest brother indignantly. “Since when is this kind of thing normal in our house?”
“El, are you sure that’s your real problem here?” he tried reasoning with her, but she rolled her eyes and stomped away. “I don’t need to know, but if you don’t want this to happen again, lock the door, be responsible and use protection and don’t traumatize anyone else” he said, pointing a stern finger at Colin before walking away.
Colin wanted to laugh at the bizarre situation that had just unfolded, but Penelope hadn’t said a single word and was curled up in his lap, looking miserable.
“Pen, don’t let her get to you, darling,” he said, holding her tightly and kissing her face repeatedly in an attempt to comfort her. She let out a sob, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t cry, my love!” his heart ached at the sight of her tears.
“She’ll never forgive me, Colin! She hates me now!”
“I don’t know what happened between you two, but I know it’ll all work out, my love! I promise I’ll always be on your side!” Penelope shook her head, succumbing to more tears.
“El found out” she sobbed. “She found out I was writing for the university newspaper, answering some questions that people sent in. It started as an informative column, but we got so many personal questions, asking for advice, and I decided to answer them as Lady Whistledown. But El sent in a question, and I…” she broke down again.
“It’s okay, my love; you don’t have to tell me everything all at once. Just calm down, please” he murmured, holding her close.
“I need you to know. I don’t want you to be mad at me too” she said between sobs.
“There’s nothing you could do that would make me mad at you, darling. Eloise is being completely irrational!”
“No, I really hurt her! She sent a question to Lady Whistledown, and I didn’t respond the way she deserved. I felt terrible about it later because she was so upset with how dismissive I was, and not long after, she figured out it was me...”
“Pen, I understand that you could’ve handled it differently, but nobody’s perfect, my love. I know I’ve made more mistakes than I care to admit, and I’m sure I’ll make more in the future. Do you know what my father used to say about this?”
“What?” she asked, lifting her tearful eyes to him. He gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs, erasing the sadness from her beautiful face.
“That the only people who never make mistakes are the ones who aren’t trying to do the right thing” Colin said with a soft smile, recalling his father’s wise words. “You made a mistake, but that doesn’t justify ignoring all the good things you’ve shared with her over the years. One mistake, and she forgets everything else? That’s not sounds fair to you either”
Penelope buried her face in his chest, crying even harder, and he kissed the top of her head.
“I don’t think things really happened as I planned today for us” he whispered after a while, making her laugh softly.
“I don’t think anything that happened today could’ve been planned” she agreed.
“But, aside from Eloise's interruption, I don’t regret a single thing that happened between us today! And I really hope it keeps happening more often!” he confessed.
“How do you manage to make me love you even more than I already did?” she smiled, enamored, and then realized what she had just said.
Colin cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips tenderly. Only after they finally pulled apart, smiling at each other, he notice the movie’s end credits rolling on the TV, long forgotten.
“I missed the ending” he regretted, burying his face into her shoulder. “Do they end up together?”
“They end up together” she chuckled, finding him adorable.
“Good!” Colin kissed her lips again, holding her even tighter on his lap. “I was rooting for them to have a happy ending!”
Penelope held his face and pressed her lips to his in another kiss, never able to get enough.
“Want to watch another movie?” she asked, their faces still close. Colin shook his head, his eyes fixed on her lips.
“We could put on some music to set the mood” he whispered, making her shiver.
She smiled, leaning closer, but suddenly pulled away, jumping out of bed. He looked puzzled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sounding hurt, but then saw her approach the door, turning the key to lock it. A satisfied smile spread across his face as she climbed back onto his bed, snuggling even closer to him.
“Better not traumatize anyone else” she joked, making him laugh.
Colin wrapped his arms tightly around her, gently laying her down on the pillows in one swift motion. He hovered over her, trailing kisses across her skin, moving from her face to her jawline, and spending several minutes on the curve of her neck, savoring the sweet little moans she made, completely surrendered to his touch.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, making him look at her with desire.
“I’m so glad you still want me” she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty. He raised his face to kiss her lips.
“I’ll never stop wanting you, Pen! Nothing will ever make me want you less than I do right now! I know I took my time realizing what we could be, but now there’s nothing I’d let come between us!”
“When you make up your mind, nothing can stop you!” she shook her head, laughing, and he nodded.
“I’m stubborn! Good luck dealing with me” Penelope laughed.
“I think I’m pretty qualified to handle you, don’t worry!” she saw a different sparkle in his eyes that sent shivers through her entire body. “I’ll never stop wanting you either, Colin! You’re the happy ending I always wished was mine!”
He leaned in, leaving a gentle kiss on her lips, smiling.
“I can’t think of an ending more perfect than the two of us together!”