Forever My Girl

Coming Clean.

Penelope heard the door go, she quickly glanced at him before directing her eyes back to her customer Mrs Bodreau, the customer was counting out her money on the counter slowly which Penelope was grateful for, as she needed a couple more breaths before acknowledging his presence.

Why was he here?

"Pen... Can we..."

He called her Pen. It was infuriating, how dare he.

"I'm with a customer Colin."

Penelope didn't even look at him, she couldn't. So he stood behind Mrs Bodreau and waited for her to finish up. She could feel his eyes burning into his skin. She had hoped with her curt tone and ignorance that he'd get the hint and leave, but he didn't...

"There you go my Darling Girl, I thought I'd get this prayer plant for Daphne and drop it round later on today."

Mrs Bodreau smiled while patting Penelope's hand.

"That's so thoughtful Mrs Bodreau, I truly appreciate and adore such thoughtful people."

Penelope said with a little sarcastic undertone while she stared in Colin's direction. Hopefully he'd be able to pick her digging comments at his character. Penelope walked round the counter, put her arm in Mrs Bodreau's and helped her out to the car.

"Heyyyy Mr Bodreau, so nice to see you!"

Penelope said as she opened the car door for her beloved customer, 

"Hello Penelope, you are looking well my dear."

Mr Bodreau smiled at Penelope then the smile quickly turned into a scowl as he saw Colin standing behind them. Penelope nodded in acknowledgement as she knew Colin was watching them.

Mrs Bodreau thanked Penelope again, squeezed her arm, and kissed her cheek, and as she turned around, the old woman finally acknowledged Colin, as he had inadvertently followed them outside. Mrs Bodreau couldn't help but mutter a comment in his direction,

"Idiot."

Colin scoffed at the older lady, which if he did that his mother's company it would have warranted a slap behind the ears. Penelope could see that being away from Ashwell for so long had caused Colin to lose his manners and decency.

When she saw him the other day, she hadn't realised how much he had changed, his hair had grown out from his usual high school buzzcut, his beard was more distinguished, and he had small wrinkles around his eyes. His arms were bigger, he was different, but then so was she. But... his eyes on the other hand, they still hadn't changed from that remarkable shade of blue. Penelope hated how much his eyes affected her, because when Colin Bridgerton looked at you, he looked at you, and that look made you feel as if you were the only girl in the world. She could only imagine the number of times he used those eyes over the years for his own deviant pleasure with other women. She could do nothing but grimace at the thought of it.

Penelope watched Mr & Mrs Bodreau drive off and she turned around to head back into her shop with her ex close on her heels,

"That was quite a punch that you socked me yesterday."

Penelope looked at him with a glare and a smirk curled around her lips,

"That was just a warning shot."

She retreated around the counter and grabbed some flowers that needed moving,

"Oh yeah?"

Colin smiled.

"Mm-hmm."

Penelope replied while trying to avoid his gaze fixing through orders that were due later on today. She was having to organise an earlier restock than normal since the town had basically emptied her shop for Daphne and the Bridgerton's. She had hoped it she ignored him; he'd go away. The thing about Ashwell? When they lost a member of this community... it hit them all hard and Simon was loved, if not cherished in this small town.