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Penelope loved the Bridgertons. She really did. She could still remember the first day she had met them. Her family had just moved across the street from them, into the old family home of the Featheringtons after her grandfather had passed. She had been seven years old and she had been scared, since moving to the new home meant that she had to go to a new school, and it had taken her a few months in her old school until she had found some friends and she dreaded having to find new ones. And that was when the Bridgertons had come into her life.
She had been outside, left behind by her two older sisters who had taken their bikes and run off, and she was just walking when the wind blew her sunhat—which her mother insisted she wore outside—from her head and right into the face of a taller boy on his bike. To her shock, the boy fell down. She started to cry and ran over to the boy to help him. To her great surprise, when she reached the boy, he took one look at her and started to smile. “Well, that wasn't very well done of me, was it!” He picked up the hat and put it back on her head. “There is no reason to cry!” he assured her. “You are bleeding!” she pointed out, her voice shaking. Colin got up and looked at his knee. “It looked way worse a few weeks ago when I fell off a tree, don't worry about it!” He held out his hand. “I am Colin, by the way, Colin Bridgerton!”
And so she had met Colin, almost three years her senior. He had insisted on bringing her home, and there she had met his parents and his three younger sisters. To her delight, she had learned that his second sister Eloise was in the same grade as her and that the two of them would be classmates. Over the next few weeks, she became fast friends with Colin, Daphne, Eloise, and Francesca. But she also got to meet the two oldest brothers, Benedict and Anthony, and the then youngest child, Gregory.
Over the years, she became an honorary member of the family, Colin and Eloise becoming her best friends. Anthony and Benedict regarded her as another sister. She was there when their father died, letting Eloise and Colin cry on her shoulder, and Hyacinth became the first newborn she ever held.
When her own father died, it was Colin and Eloise who would shield her and sit on each side of her during the funeral service, each holding one of her hands.
Over the years, Eloise became her best friend, but Colin grew into something more. She was in love with him. The older she got, the more she felt for him. Even when, after he turned 18, he decided to travel for a year and turned it into a career, becoming a travel photographer and writer. She had expected that their relationship would suffer from the distance, but somehow the opposite came true. The both of them would text almost every day, and often he would call her when it was late and he was lying in his bed in a hotel room somewhere across the world, and they would talk about his travels and her school life, but also share their hopes and dreams with each other. Somehow she spoke more to Colin than the rest of his family did, so whenever they wanted to know where he was and what he was doing, they would turn to her.
When her prom night was approaching and she was without a date, he promised her to come home and be her date for the evening. She tried to tell him that there was no reason to come home just for that one night, but he came anyway, and it had been the best night of her life.
Sadly, that also meant that he ruined her for all other men. For the next one and a half years she tried to fall in love with someone else, even went on some dates, but none of them could ever compare to Colin. And so here she was, approaching her 20th birthday, and she had never even been kissed.
She knew she couldn't talk about her feelings for Colin with her sisters or her mother. They would only laugh at her or tell her to be realistic, and the other people she trusted were all related to Colin, and she couldn't imagine talking about her feelings to any of them.
That was until Anthony had brought his new girlfriend to Sunday lunch a few months back. It hadn't been the first time he had brought a girl, but this time it was clear how much he cared for this woman and how well she would fit into the family. To her surprise, Kate had caught on about her feelings for Colin relatively quickly, and to Penelope's relief, she had been understanding and supportive ever since.
And so when she left another bar after another date, where she couldn't even bring herself to kiss him goodnight, she got into an Uber and texted her friend.
Kate, it was another disaster. I don't know what is wrong with me. Alfred is a perfectly nice guy and I can't even bring myself to kiss him goodnight. At this rate, I will die a virgin. Tell me, what can I do to fall out of love with Colin, so I can finally find a boyfriend?
She put her phone back into her pocket and watched out of the window during the short drive across the city. When she reached her small apartment, she got out of her coat and put her bag on the table. She was wondering why Kate hadn't texted her back or called her. But maybe she was with Anthony and hadn't even read the text yet. She got her phone out to check, when she felt all colour leave her face. She had made a big mistake. When she wrote her text, she hadn't paid attention, thinking the last contact she had texted with had been Kate, but Colin had sent her a text while she had been in the bar, and so she had sent her text not to the older woman, but to Colin. And the message was marked as read.
***
“Oh no, no!” she whispered. “That cannot be happening!”
For years she had done everything to keep her feelings for Colin a secret, fearing she would lose her best friend and maybe even his whole family if he ever found out the truth. She started spiraling. What should she do? Should she call him? Should she text him that it was a joke, that she didn't mean it? Beg him to just forget it?
She started pacing in her small flat, only stopping when her phone, which she still held in her hands, started ringing. She froze. Was it Colin? Was he calling her to let her down or to end their friendship? But when she looked at her screen, it was Kate's name popping up.
She took one deep breath before answering the phone.
“Kate, I screwed up!” she told her without waiting for a greeting.
“Whatever happened at the date, I am sure it wasn't that bad!” the other woman tried to assure her.
Right, her date. She had completely forgotten about it.
“It's not the date!” she said and walked over to her couch. “When I went home, I accidentally sent Colin a text, thinking I sent it to you!”
For a moment, there was silence on the other line.
“I sent him a text asking how I could fall out of love with him!” she told her friend as she sat down.
“You could delete the message. He is in Greece, maybe he is out!” the other woman suggested.
“He has read it!” Penelope whispered, and tears started to stream down her face. “He read it over 30 minutes ago, and there was no reply. Oh Kate, what if he hates me now or thinks I am pathetic?”
“Penelope, I am sure that is not the reason why he hasn't responded. I am sure he is just surprised and unsure what to reply!”
Penelope closed her eyes. Maybe she was right. She knew that Colin hated to hurt people. Maybe he was just trying to find the right words to let her down easily.
“You think so?” she asked.
“I know that he will not hate you just because you are in love with him. I haven't read the text, but I am pretty sure it was obvious that it wasn't meant for him?”
Penelope nodded before she remembered that Kate couldn't see her.
“It was addressed to you, so yeah!”
“Look, Penelope. Just turn off your phone, take a shower, and go to bed. If he hasn't replied to you by the time you have to leave for brunch at Bridgerton House tomorrow, I promise we will call him after brunch, okay?”
Penelope hesitated for a moment. Could she really go to brunch at his family home tomorrow morning as if nothing happened? But then again, if she didn't show up, her phone would blow up with questions about where she had been.
“Okay!” she said. “Thank you, Kate!” she added.
“Get some rest. See you tomorrow!”
She ended the phone call and took one last look at her phone. Still no answer from Colin. So she did what Kate suggested and turned it off.
***
She was woken by knocking at her door. At first, she was sure that someone was just at the wrong door and would realize their mistake and leave. But the knocking continued, becoming more and more desperate. Finally, she got up and went over to the door. Was there maybe an emergency? she wondered as she reached the door. She hesitated for a moment. She was all alone and didn't know who was on the other side of the door.
“Who is there?” she called out.
“It is Colin. Please open the door. I have to talk to you!”
She froze. She must be dreaming. Colin was in Greece. He would not return for another week. He could not be at the other side of her door. “Please, Pen!”
She blinked a few times, but she was still standing in front of her flat door and didn't wake up. Carefully, she opened the door. Colin stood on the other side, his suitcase next to him on the floor, and he looked exhausted.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Colin didn't answer at once; instead, he took his suitcase and walked into the flat. He put it down a few steps into the flat and turned around to face her. Penelope closed her door, but couldn't take her eyes off him.
“Colin?” she asked.
“I don't want you to fall out of love with me!” he whispered.
“What?” She looked at him, unable to say anything else. Colin looked nervous and frightened. She had never seen him like that before.
“I… when…!” he started and looked down at his hands for a moment before he looked up again and searched for her gaze. “When I took you to your prom, I had a plan. I would walk you home, kiss you goodnight, and tell you that I loved you!”
Penelope felt like her heart was bursting. She had to have misheard that, right?
“I… I knew that I was in love with you since I was 19!” he confessed. “After I came home from my gap year and told everyone I would continue traveling, you were the only one who just smiled at me and told me I was a brilliant photographer and writer and of course I had to pursue this career, and I just knew that I loved you!”
Penelope took a step back and leaned on the door for support. She knew she was crying, but she couldn't stop her tears from falling.
“I felt like a creep. I was 19 and you were 16, and I was lusting after you. Suddenly you were in my dreams and every time I… you were all I could think about!” He took a step closer. “So I told myself I would wait till you turned 18 before I told you, and when you told me that you didn't have a prom date, I thought that would be the perfect occasion.”
“But you didn't tell me!” she reminded him. “Why?”
Colin shook his head. “No, I didn't. I just realized that it would be unfair of me. I couldn't ask you to start a long-distance relationship with me. You know I love traveling, but I don't want to travel so often forever. I just need to make a name for myself. I thought I would let you enjoy university, and when you finished, I would be able to travel less. I want to turn my journals and blog posts into books. I will still have to travel, but only a few weeks every year, and I thought if you really become a writer, you might even be able to join me on the travels and I wouldn't have to leave you behind at all!”
Penelope couldn't stop herself. She took the last few steps until she was standing directly in front of him.
“You are an idiot, Colin Bridgerton!”
Colin looked at her, surprised, but nodded. “I know. I just didn't realize you had feelings for me too. I thought I was alone and my only chance to win you would be if I could offer you a life here in London. I wanted to be worthy of you!”
Penelope took his hands into hers. “You were always worthy of me, Colin. Just you was enough. That was all I ever needed!”
She could see his whole face lit up, and he watched her with such loving eyes that she started to feel her knees getting weak.
“And if you don't finally give me that kiss, I swear to god I might die!”
Colin chuckled at that before he leaned down and kissed her. Penelope put her hands in his shirt, and if he hadn't put his arms around her, she might have fallen down because her legs were not carrying her at all.
Finally, he ended their kiss, scooped her up, and brought her over to her bed. Carefully, she was laid down, before he got rid of his jacket and his shoes and lay down next to her. He held up an arm for her, and she cuddled into his side.
She closed her eyes and just inhaled his smell for a while until another thought came to her mind.
“Colin?” she asked and opened her eyes again.
“You are supposed to be in Greece!”
“I know, but when I read your text…!”
“That wasn't meant for you!” she mumbled.
“Oh, I know!” he assured her. “But I am very glad you sent it to me anyways!”
He kissed her on the tip of her nose, and she started to giggle. “Well, after I read it, I had to come to see you. So I packed my bag, checked out of the hotel, went straight to the airport, and boarded the next plane to London I could find. I was lucky, there was a last-minute cancellation on a flight leaving an hour later!”
“But your job?” she asked.
“I was finished with everything I was contracted to do. I had planned to write and edit the piece there, but I don't need to. I just never found a place in London, and in Bridgerton House, it is hard to focus on work, so I mostly stay an extra week to finish my writing on location!” he explained. “I will change that now. I will find a place in London so I can spend more time with you, I promise you!”
Penelope looked at him, stunned.
“Why did you never do that before?” she wanted to know. He hesitated a bit to answer. “Because I feared if I were here more, I wouldn't be able to wait till you finished university to tell you!”
Penelope stared at him for a while before she burst out laughing.
“Oh, Colin!” she told him after she calmed down a bit. “I love you, you stupid man!”
He hummed and pulled her closer to him.
“And just so you know, I have to be in London when I have classes, but the blogs where I just write on my essays, I don't have to be. I email them to my professors for suggestions anyways. I could come and travel with you and write them from wherever we are, as long as there is internet!”
She could see a smile spreading across Colin's face. “Do you have classes right now?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not for the next two weeks!”
***
Penelope's phone had been vibrating for the last half an hour. She didn't check it, but she was sure that it were messages from the various Bridgerton family members, all asking where she was. She had sent a short message to Violet letting her know that she was not coming today, but she also knew the family—that would not be enough to keep them quiet. She took a side look at Colin, who was sitting at the gate beside her and typing on his laptop. This morning she had expected to wake up and have everything be a dream, but Colin had been lying next to her and kissed her as soon as he realized that she was awake.
He looked up and gave her a questioning look. “My family?” he asked.
She nodded. “They all want to know where I am!” she confirmed.
Colin looked thoughtful for a while before he took her phone out of her hand.
“Colin?” she asked and watched as he opened her conversations. To her surprise, he opened the conversation with Kate and started typing.
Hey Kate, this is Colin. Please let my family know that I am taking my girlfriend to Paris. I will bring her back to you in two weeks, but till then we will not be taking any calls or answering any texts.
He gave her back her phone and grinned at her. “Do you think that will do?”
She looked at him with an open mouth. “Do you even know your family? They will not shut down until we answer all their questions. Hell, Daphne and Violet will probably have planned our wedding before we come back from Paris!”
“Good, then we don't have to deal with that!”
She looked at him with raised eyebrows, and he just smiled and looked back at his laptop.
Penelope shook her head, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. She knew Colin was only half-joking. He wouldn't propose to her in Paris—not because he didn't want to; she was pretty sure he would bring her to Las Vegas and marry her today if she would agree. But he knew her. He knew that she would want a career of her own before she became someone's wife. And so he would wait till she had finished university and started her first job.
She took one last look at her phone when she noticed an answer from Kate. When she opened the conversation, there were only three words: Told you so.