Chapter Text
Beep-beep-beep.
The steady beeping of what seems to be a machine has woken up Penelope. She slowly opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
Where is she?
She moved her head sideways and felt a bit of discomfort. Ouch. Is she... is she in a hospital? Her eyes widened in surprise.
Penelope raised her hand and saw her wristband, it reads Penelope Featherington.
What happened? The last thing she could remember is driving on the way to the airport to escape. To escape the hell hole she had built after breaking up with the love of her life, Colin Bridgerton.
A few more blinks and the memories came flooding in. A newspaper boy who is riding a bicycle had cut her out of nowhere, making her swerve and eventually hit a concrete barrier. Fuck.
She slowly sat up, looking around for her personal things. She was about to move out of the bed when the nurse came in.
"Oh. Ms Penelope. You are awake!" She smiles and pushea a button that signals the nurse station. "I shall call the doctor. I'll let your boyfriend know you're awake."
The nurse left Penelope baffled. Boyfriend? Shit. Colin is her emergency contact, right?
Before she could concoct any ideas, the door swung open and revealed a handsome but slightly disheveled Colin Bridgerton.
He is wearing a black plain shirt with a V-neckline and a denim shorts that has a rugged lining. He paired it with his white crew socks and his favorite white sneakers, that look and his wolf hair made him look so much like a dilf.
He is your ex, calm down, Penelope thinks to herself.
"Pen!" He almost ran to her, sitting on the chair beside her bed and immediately holds her hand.
Penelope blinks. Fuck, she can't deal with this right now. Not the heartbreak and separation. And before she could think it thoroughly, the words escaped her mouth. "Who.. who are you?"
Colin physically flinched. His eyes reflected all his worries. "Penelope."
Penelope gulps. Fuck. Might as well go with it. "Sorry... uhm.. mister. I cannot remember anything. Who are you?"
Colin had to stare at her for a while, tight lipped and dumbfounded. His mind races, wait.. she broke up with him because of her insecurities are eating her up, and she insisted that she wanted to heal those parts of her alone. But what if this is their chance? Her chance to heal. His chance to prove that she is perfect and loved?
He clears his throat. "I am your.. boyfriend, Pen. My name is Colin."
Penelope almost broke out of character. What is he doing? Oh, God.
She blinks and tilts her head. "My boyfriend?"
"Yes." Colin nods. "Yout fiancè actually."
"Fiancè?" Penelope raises a brow. She must have forgotten that the love of her life is the most chaotic person in the universe. Of course he will do a fix it thing for them. Of course he will exaggerate.
"Yes." Colin kissed her hand. "I will.. help you remember.. I promise."
It warmed her heart how vulnerable and sweet Colin looked at the moment. Maybe she needs to see how this ruse will change their lives?
Penelope reaches out for his long hair. God, how come he is so handsome even if he is brokenhearted? "That sounds nice."
Colin leans his face on her palm. "I shall tell you about us... about you bits by bits." He kissed her palm. "I will be patient."
"Thank you." Penelope nods.
The nurse and the doctors came back to check on Penelope. They were surprised that Penelope could not remember a thing since the moment she graduated from Uni because her scans from a few hours ago looked perfect.
Penelope had to modify her ruse and told them she could rememeber everything until she started working. Good thing Colin was too worried to remember that she asked who he was when he first came in.
She stayed at the hospital for a few more days for a series of tests and consults. Finally, after almost a week, it was time to go.
Colin was fixing her take home medicines and her hospital bag, when she decided to play with him.
"Love?" She sweetly said.
"Hhm?" Colin looks at her. "What is it?"
"You said you were already my fiancè. But where is my ring?" She raised her hand.
"Oh." Colin smiled and blushed. Why is he blushing?
"Its in the flat." He answered.
In the flat? Penelope was curious, does he really have a ring for her? "Your flat?"
"Our flat." He replied.
She wondered how Colin would play this out. All her things were already out of their shared flat, how will he play this make believe? "Oh.. we live together now?"
"Yes, babe." He walks to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Penelope tests him further. "Since when?"
"Well.. two years after you got a job.. we decided to move in together." He smiles. "Thats when I toned down my travels."
"To take care of me? Your anxious girlfriend?" She frowns. This is one of the reason why Penelope needed to broke up with Colin, he always make sacrifices for her, sometimes to the detriment of his own life.
Colin shook his head. "We both know of your insecurities since you were highschool. But it was not the sole reason, Pen. I love you and I want a life with you, thats why I recalibrated my contents."
After moving together, Colin built his own travel and leisure company while still doing lifestyle contents, and Penelope had always been proud of him. However, she had always thought that he gave up a part of his dream just to hover her and make sure she is okay.
"Travelling is your passion. Your dream. Your purpose." She blurts out.
"Not since I realized how much I love you, Pen." He sat on her bed to hold her hand. "The moment I confessed to you during your graduation, it was clear to me how my purpose in life is to make you happy."
"But how about your happiness?"
"You are my happiness." He smiles. "Hope you could see it."
Penelope gulps. That is too much to handle for today, she decided not to push further.
"I am still capable of loving the adventures and exploring. I just enjoy them more with you,now." He kissed her cheek. "Ready to go?"
Penelope nods. "Sure."
___________________________________________
The moment she stepped in the car, Penelope knew it was a good thing that Colin called Dunwoody to drive for them to their flat at Mayfair. She is fucking scared.
Colin must have felt her apprehension because he pulled her closer to him, too close that she is almost on his lap but she doesn't care. It calmed her heart, he calmed her heart.
"Its okay, my love." He kissed the top of her head. "I am here. I will protect you."
Penelope closes her eyes and burried her face on his chest, maybe pretending was not a bad idea after all.
Colin rubs her back to soothe her. "You know.. the family already knows by now. I informed mine and yours."
"Thank you." She taps his chest. "I did not want anyone to visit."
"Its okay. They understand your sentiments.. well.. except for Portia who I had to gave a lengthy talk."
"Ugh."
"I know." He kissed her forehead. "Do not worry, I took a week off, I shall guide you at home." He shares.
"Off?" Penelope's voice hitched. "But you own the business, there is no breaks there."
"I asked my brother to look over it for a week. And before you get mad, Penelope I would not be able to work if my thoughts are occupied by you and your well being."
Penelope blushes. Why does this ruse is beginning to feel like its their second chance? She initially decided that she woukd tell him the truth once they arrived at their flat. But hearing Colin now makes her want to change her mind, would it be selfish if she would grab that one week with him? She could tell her after that, right?
"Okay, babe." She mutters.
"Good." Colin chuckles but his mind is in a different direction. Is it selfish that he wants to have all this borrowed time with Penelope? He knew the time would come that he would need to come clean or that she might come back to her senses. But he is selfish, he wants her back.
Right there and then, Colin had decided, he will win her back.
___________________________________________
They arrived at their flat and got in quickly. Penelope looked around and was truly shocked to see the changes. How did he do it?
The flat was back to how it looks like before she left a month ago. All the furnitures, all the decorations, and all.. her stuff? How the fuck?
"This is our home." Colin opens her arms wide to present their simple but clearly expensive flat.
"Oh..Wow." Penelope gulps as she walks to the couch. "It is beautiful." Colin had less than a week. How did he make this happen? Wait. How about her clothes?
"Uh.. love.. my closet is where?" She asks.
"Oh. Come here." Colin grabs her hand and they entered the master suite together. "This is our room."
He pulls her farther and opened an adjacent door. "This is your closet."
Penelope audibly gasps. She is actually shocked. How did her things eneded back here? "Oh." She glanced around to subtly inspect her closet.
"Go and see your things." Colin encourages her.
Penelope opened the closet and saw all her stuff. But what surprised her is what seems to be a new section. She went near to inspect it and saw a lot of pieces that she dreamt of wearing but could not muster the courage to do so, not with her many insecurities. "Oh.. I wear these?"
"Yes." Colin smiles, hoping she would not see through his bluff.
Penelope gulps, all these sleeveless clothes, fitting dresses, clothes that are not black. Bikinis, mini skirt, the list is endless. What is he doing? "Are you.. sure?"
"Yes." Colin hugs her from behind. "Babe, you've overcome those insecurities. You are proud to flaunt those tits.. thos legs.. arms.. all of you." He whispered in her ear. "But.. its up to you whichever you want to wear."
Penelope bit her lip. Oh he's trying to change the narrative, and now she is helpless as she is supposed to not know that those were untrue. "Wow."
Colin kissed her cheek. "No pressure, my love. Anytime your comfortable."
Penelope nods, she distangled herself from his embrace and went to the small drawers, she opened one and was surprised to see a variety of sex toys. Oh she is fucked, what is this now?
"Oh. Thats our intimacy drawer." Even Colin blushes. "But it can wait.. till we are comfortable again."
Penelope looks at the vibrators and dildos, they always talked about trying these things but Penelope's anxiety about her body have hindered that dream. She wonders what Colin is thinking. "Have we.. used these?"
"No." Colin shook his head. "But you wanted to try."
Penelope gulps, atleast he is honest. "Well.. let us see." She flutters her lashes. "Maybe one day."
"I hope so." Colin grabs her hand and intertwined their fingers.
"Looks like we have a lot of things to learn.. Well..I mean me." Penelope lets out a nervous laugh.
"We'll learn it together, Pen." Colin assures her. "But first..." Colin walks to the safety deposit box and pulled a small jewelry box.
"Your ring." He opened the box and shows the ring to Penelope.
"Oh, wow." Penelope gulps, she knows this ring, its Violet's engagement ring.
Colin puts the ring on Penelope's finger. "There."