When morning came around, Annabelle felt no clearer on what she wanted from her life, which left her with very little choice. There was only one place in the world where she could clear her head, which was exactly where she intended to go. With no work to head towards for the day, she had all the time she wanted to clear the fog from her brain.

She walked towards the beach with a shake in her step. There were other people on the soft, yellowing sand: families, couples, other people alone just like her, but they all melted into the background in Annabelle’s mind. Nothing else existed, it was just her and the splashing sound of the ocean as the waves crashed against the rocks. It was a musical sound that Annabelle could have listened to all day long if she was given the choice.

This is the calmest place in the world, Annabelle thought gleefully to herself. How on Earth would I have lived never knowing that there was anywhere like this?

She breathed deeply, inhaling the salty air, allowing it to relax her. It did a little, but there was still something that did not feel quite right. It was a sensation that she could not shake off however hard she tried.

Something stopped Annabelle in her tracks. She was not even sure where it came from, it was just a prickle on the back of her neck alerting her to... something. Confirmation that she did have a reason to worry. Goosebumps popped up over her skin, she was dragged from her little, confused bubble, she needed to find out what had caused it. This was not a sensation that she had ever experienced before and she needed to work out what it was.

Her eyes scanned the beach as discretely as she could manage. She tried to look at everyone without alerting them to the fact that she was looking at them...

Who is that? All of a sudden, Annabelle’s eyes fixed on a shadowy figure at the other side of the beach. Her heart unexpectedly skipped a beat, which seemed very out of place. It does not matter who that is, she tried to convince herself. It is no one, just look away. Keep looking away...

Annabelle could not look at her feet, however hard she tried. Her eyes kept dragging back up towards the figure as if there were magnets pulling together. There was a sensation in her gut, a desire for the person to be someone life-changing, but she had to keep telling herself not to be so silly.

I was right. Yesterday, I was right.

She shook her head rapidly. Of course, she was not right. Yesterday she had a moment of panic where she thought she saw Floyd but she did not. He was also not here either. She was slowly driving herself crazy.

Just keep walking, she said crossly in her mind. Stop acting crazy.

But the next time she looked upwards, her stomach lurched. The figure was walking towards her with purpose, almost as if he was coming right for her. Maybe he was the reason she felt those prickles all over her body...

“Annabelle?”

Oh, my God, I have to be dreaming. There is no way this can be the truth.

Annabelle reached her hand across her body and she lightly pinched her arm to confirm that she was actually awake. As the pain stung her skin, she knew. As insane as this was, it was all really happening. It was unbelievable... but she needed to start believing it. It had not been her imagination last night, he was not a ghost from her past, he was very much present and about to push himself back into her life once more.

“Floyd? Is that really you?” He looked the same, but completely different too. He had grown up in a wonderful way, growing broader, looking wiser, dressing better...

Actually, much better.

Something had clearly changed for the greater in Floyd’s life, and Annabelle could not wait to find out what. But that was not her top priority. First, she needed to work out exactly what was happening.

“So, it is true,” Floyd smiled widely, causing his face to crinkle up. “The very well-known Annabelle Hathaway does live in this town.”

“I do not know that I am well known...” Annabelle started before realizing that she was focusing on the wrong thing. She shook her head and tried to regain control of her brain. “What are you doing here, Floyd? Is this a coincidence.”

“Maybe in a way.” He shrugged. “I suppose I did come looking for you.” He laughed but stopped when Annabelle did not join in. She was too busy trying to work out how she felt about the man she had always loved being so close, yet somehow so far. “I did not have to look far, many people in this town know that you enjoy spending time at the beach.”

“Well, it is just such a lovely place,” Annabelle declared while making a sweeping gesture with her hands. “And so, different to the city, to anywhere we have been actually.”

“Yes, it is.” Floyd could not keep the grin off his face. He could not believe how lucky he was to have found Annabelle again after all the years that had passed them by. “A lovely difference.”

Why are you here? What do you want? Annabelle wanted to vocalize those questions, but she was not sure that it was the right thing to do. No, actually I will ask. I am strong, I have proven that. I will ask what I want.

“Floyd, I need to ask what you are doing here. It is wonderful to see you, but why have you come to find me?” Her heart was still in tatters from the last time they were together. She could not get her hopes up just to have them dashed once more. “Is something going on?” When Floyd looked at her curiously, as if he expected a better reaction, Annabelle felt compelled to continue. “As soon as I managed to escape my father’s clutches, I came to find you at Mr. Brentwood’s home and they told me that you had left. But you did not come to find me...”

“Yes,” Floyd chuckled. “Catherine told me all about your wedding day.”

“Catherine?” That felt like a gut punch to Annabelle. Had Floyd and Catherine been in touch the whole time? Her best friend knew what this man meant to her, why would she be so cruel? “You spoke with Catherine?”

“Actually, she spoke to me.”

“Floyd, I do not understand. You will have to explain everything to me.”

“I shall.” He nodded. “I fully intend to tell you everything. First, I just wish to say how much I have missed you.”

Annabelle's heart fluttered, she did not know just how much those words would mean to her until he spoke them. She had spent the past five years pining for and trying to move past this amazing man to absolutely no avail. Now that he was here again, she could not help hoping that he was here for good and that he still loved her too. If not, she did not think she would ever get over him.

“I have missed you too,” she replied in a gravelly tone of voice. “Very much.”

“When your father took you away, I knew that it was because of me. If I was more worthy of your hand in marriage, he would not have reacted so strongly...”

“That was never your fault,” Annabelle jumped in quickly. “I do not ever want you to blame yourself for what happened. That was always my fault. I was childish and I thought that love would pull us through.”

She gulped noisily. Annabelle did not intend to bring out the big ‘L’ word so quickly until she understood what Floyd wanted, but it came out accidentally. Luckily, Floyd continued as if he had not heard her.

“I know he had already arranged a wedding for you, but he knew that it was one you did not want. I blamed myself for not having the right title for you. That is why I did not come after you.”

“I almost got married,” she replied in a warning tone of voice. “My father very nearly pushed the wedding through. If you had come back for me, that would never have happened.”

"We could not have been on the run forever. I knew that, and I think you did too. I had faith that you would make your father see... and you did."

Annabelle pouted, she was not sure how to take that. It was a nice compliment, but she felt irritated by the fact that he had simply trusted that things would work out without him doing anything.

“So, I left Mr. Brentwood’s home with a solid determination that I would finally be worthy once I saw you again. I worked hard, I focused on nothing else, I knew I would not stop until I had my riding school.”

Oh... maybe he did do lots after all.

“Did it work?” Annabelle gasped. “Judging by your fancy clothing it has worked very well.”

“It has.” Floyd’s chest puffed out as he felt sheer pride in himself. “I now own a very successful riding school.”

Annabelle could not hold back anymore, the emotion overwhelmed her. She was so proud of Floyd for achieving everything that he desired, even with all the odds stacked against him. Even with her interference with him getting to his goal.

She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him. “Floyd, that is incredible news. I am so proud of you.” Her heart beat faster, the physical contact was almost too much. “You must have worked very hard.”

“I did.” Floyd eventually pulled back. Hugging Annabelle brought all of his feelings rushing back. He needed to keep a clear head if he was going to get it all out. “But there was more to it than just that. Even if you were not there, you helped me out in ways that you do not understand.”

“I… I did?” Annabelle clutched her hand to her chest in shock. She had spent such a long time assuming that Floyd had merely forgotten about her, but it seemed that she had affected his life just as much as he did her. “What did I do?”

“You probably do not remember,” Floyd replied with a smile. “But there was a time very long time ago, just as we were leaving your home. You suggested that I see if I have an inheritance from my father, but I shot you down immediately. I was too proud to even consider the idea.”

“I remember,” Annabelle whispered. She had not forgotten even a single thing that had happened between herself and Floyd.

“Well, after a while, once we parted ways I realized that I needed to swallow my pride to go and find out.”

“Did you have anything?” Annabelle asked while clutching her hands tightly together.

“Not much, but it helped me a lot. Without it I would not be where I am today.”

“So, I can now call you Earl Brewer?” Annabelle asked with a smile. “Although that feels very strange to say. I should not think I will ever get used to it.”

“No, me neither.” Floyd shook his head rapidly. The Earl was his father, he could never follow in those footsteps. “I do not think I would like that at all.”

“Well… I am very proud of you. You have achieved a lot.”

“All for you” Floyd interrupted in a gushing manner. “I have always had you in mind the whole time. I have wanted to be good enough for you forever.”

Annabelle’s eyes welled up, she felt a thick ball of emotion lodging firmly in her throat. “So, you did not forget me?”

“Of course not,” Floyd gushed, shocked that she would even think that. “I could never forget about you. Do you know what an impact you had on my life? Do you know how much I have always loved you?”

“You love me?” Annabelle gasped desperately. Why was this happening to her now? Everything that she had ever wanted was occurring... but it was much too late. It was not fair.

She clutched onto her chest and stared at him desperately, wishing everything could be different. She wished that he had not come at all, so she could marry James without thinking about it. She wished that she had never met James – or at the very least not accepted his wedding proposal – so that she would be free to love the man who had always had her heart. She wished that the last five years had not been lost to them.

Why does this have to happen now, just as I was piecing a different version of my life together? It does not feel fair.

“You have not said anything for a while,” Floyd said with concern in his face. “Is everything alright, Annabelle?”

“I... I...” she gasped desperately. “I cannot believe this. I...” She wanted to tell him that she loved him too but she could not. It would not be fair to anyone. "I cannot..." She stepped back with her head shaking from side to side. "I cannot." Tears filled her eyes, she wanted to weep and never stop. “I cannot have this conversation with you, Floyd, it is not right. I am...” The words now felt strange to say, but she absolutely had to get them out somehow. “I am engaged to be married. To someone else.”