Work Text:
“Pen, are you okay?” El asked beside her, yanking Pen out of her thoughts.
“Yes, of course! I’m so sorry! That was so rude of me! I promise-” she was cut off by a large, warm hand covering hers on the table and her head snapped around to El’s brother Colin sitting beside her.
“Easy there, Pen,” he said, his smile intoxicating. “Nothing to apologize for, we all zone out from time to time. No big deal.”
“I- Thank you.”
She felt stupid for her little outburst, but in her defense, it was the first time she was having dinner with the Bridgertons and she still felt out of place between all these people who seemed to just.... like each other.
When she met Colin two weeks ago, she had been sure she’d be yelled at for causing him to fall off his bicycle, not introduced to his family, and even less being invited to join family dinner by his sister. She still couldn’t believe El had called her her best friend. She had never had a best friend. Or a dinner this peacefully pleasant. And despite having had both of which for a very short time, she was terribly afraid of messing it up with one of her many quirks and bad habits and making them realize she was nothing but a burden to this lovely family like she was to hers.