"Nervous, trip over my words
You're so pretty, it hurts
We're gettin' closer, inches away
Lose composure, favorite mistake
(I know that you love me)
Baby, I'm yours, yours, yours"
"i'm yours" by Isabel LaRosa
1817
Penelope felt the air thicken around her as she turned and saw Colin. She knew he had changed, but she wasn't prepared for how much. Before her stood not the young man she once knew, but a grown man with deep eyes, filled with pain and determination that only comes from having been through so much. Colin looked stronger, his features sharper, his gaze more resolute. He was no longer the carefree young man; he had become someone Penelope no longer recognized.
"Good evening, Colin," she said, trying to keep her voice steady even though her heart was pounding so loudly she thought the whole world could hear it. "I was just about to leave."
Colin took a step closer, his voice serious and firm:
"We need to talk."
Penelope closed her eyes as if trying to shield herself from his words, his gaze, his presence, which weighed so heavily on her.
"Please..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "We've already discussed everything, Colin."
She felt suffocated — by fear, memories, and all the emotions she had tried so hard to suppress. Penelope realized she couldn't just get into the carriage and leave. She needed to walk away, to get away from this place. She started walking forward without looking back, but she could feel Colin following her, never straying far behind. She quickened her pace, but her breathing grew erratic, and it felt like she had forgotten how to breathe. Suddenly, she had to stop to catch her breath.
"Penelope, are you alright?" Colin's voice was soft, but there was a hint of concern.
"Don't come near me, please," Penelope leaned heavily against a nearby wall, trying to calm herself, her eyes still closed. Colin didn't move closer, but he didn't leave either. He stood nearby, his silence louder than any words.
"Why are you here?" she asked, still not opening her eyes. Her voice was tired and broken.
Colin didn't answer immediately, but she heard the rustle of paper as he unfolded something. He handed it to her, and reluctantly, she opened her eyes and reached out to take the document. It was the annulment papers. She looked at it, confused about what he was trying to show her.
"You didn't sign it," Colin said, his voice firm and demanding.
Penelope looked at the document again and realized he was right. Her signature was indeed missing.
"This changes nothing," she said wearily, trying to hand the paper back.
"It changes everything," Colin insisted, his eyes burning with determination. "This document is void without your signature."
"You came here to show me this?" she challenged, her eyes glistening with restrained tears. "Give me a pen, and I'll sign it right now."
"No!" Colin snapped, snatching the paper from her hands and stepping back.
"I'm married, Colin!" Penelope cried out, her voice filled with desperation.
"Exactly," he said calmly. "You're my wife."
YOU ARE READING
Reflections of the choices
Fanfiction״I fell in love with him at first sight. From the very first day. And I continued to love him always, even when he didn't pay me any attention. I waited and hoped that he would choose me when we grew older. But he chose not me, but my cousin. And my...
