Give in to me

What a Time.

Anthony's Realisation November 13th 16:23pm.

"Anthony Bridgerton. You have missed three family lunches. Two important dinners and not to mention you have neglected your own mother for months!"

Violet Bridgerton stood in Anthony's kitchen with her hand on one hip and the other one pointing directly at him. She was worried, he could tell.

"Mother, I've been busy."

"Oh PISH Anthony."

She raised her hands above her head, and placed something down on the counter, and walked back towards the door.

"When you are ready to grow up my boy, you can finally start living instead of just existing."

She closed the door. Rather loudly, and Anthony gritted his teeth as his head was tender from a rambunctious business meeting that happened last night. Whiskey was the devil, yet a very dear friend of his recently.

He walked towards what his mother left on the counter,

It was Penelope's album.

He had made a point to stay away from social media, family chats, and even newspapers; he couldn't bear to see her. He even struggled when he heard her on the radio, which was becoming increasingly frequent as her popularity was growing, especially in this part of London. 'Local Girl Shines' was one headline he saw around a month ago.

The Article had lied. Those 11 weeks had come and gone, and he was still ruined.

He poured a hair of the dog, clenched his jaw, and looked at the album again.

Fuck it. What's the worst that can happen?

He played it track by track.

She sounded amazing.

.... No wonder she left. He poured another whiskey, and as track four played, he nearly dropped his glass...

Stop Runnin'
"So maybe we could stop running tonight...."

Those were his words...

"They say home is where the heart is..."

Was this about him?

He picked up his phone and messaged her.

Using my words against me? Stop Running?

Say Don't Go
"I'm yours but you're not mine..."

Fuck.

Only Want You
"I don't want somebody like you, I only want you..."

Another Whiskey.

The Other Side
"I don't want to know what it's like to live without you."

She was hurt.

He was hurt.

The realisation hit. He was petrified of how she made him feel in such a short time. He was petrified over the power she wielded over him, over his heart. It wasn't her leaving that broke him, it was his own selfish pride. His own damn stupidity. He was in love with her, and it wasn't going away.

"Fuck I love her what am I doing?"

He picked up his phone and scrolled through what he had been avoiding the past 4 months, he saw how well she was doing, how happy she looked...

He picked up his phone again...

I can't stop thinking about you, I just want you to know.

He wanted nothing more than to jump a plane, travel instantly to where she was. But he had to let her have this time, she deserved it...