Annabelle woke up early in the morning after a restless night of sleep. As soon as her eyes snapped open and she let in the cracks of sunlight proving that morning had arrived, she knew exactly where she had to go, what she had to do. Even though she had a throbbing headache that came from not looking after herself properly, she knew what was right.

She pushed herself up, twisting her head from side to side trying to alleviate a little bit of the stiffness that sat there, then Annabelle stood on her shaky feet and she moved through her home with determination in her chest.

Surprisingly, since she had so much confusion racing through her body, Annabelle got herself dressed quickly. She did not wear anything fancy, anything to make her silhouette better or her face look nicer, instead, she simply pulled clothes onto her body and she went outside without thinking too much about it.

“Good morning,” Mark called out to her as she walked past. “It is very early, Annabelle, why are you out at this time?”

Despite the fact that she knew it was probably very rude, Annabelle kept on walking. “Yes,” she called behind her back. “I have things to do.”

“Oh right, well...” Mark, in his typically nosy way, wanted to know what Annabelle was up to, why she was out of her usual routine, but he did not get a chance. She was gone before he could say anything, her feet moving at the speed of light. “Fine, I shall ask you later,” he eventually muttered to himself as she vanished into the distance.

Annabelle would apologize to Mark later, probably. Now she only had one thing in mind and that was all that she cared about. She continued down the familiar path to the home that she had only been at a couple of nights before. Little did she know then that her life would change forever in ways that she did not expect. The proposal seemed to be the spark of dramatic events that no one could have predicted.

It was not until she reached James’s home that she finally paused to take a breath. She stared up at the building, her heart racing, her mind whirring. The truth was Annabelle knew that she needed to be here, she was very aware that she had to speak to James, but she was not aware of what she intended to say. She did not yet know what her decision was, which she was only now realising was an issue.

What am I going to do? She thought desperately. What will I say to him?

All of a sudden, the front door to James’s house creaked open and he stepped outside. Annabelle stared at him, feeling a rush of love racing through her chest. He was such a good man, a kind man, he would give her the best life ever. He did not deserve anything bad to happen to him, especially not the loss of a fiancée.

But her heart did not skip a beat. Not like it did with Floyd. What was her body trying to tell her? That was what she was here to figure out.

Eventually, James seemed to sense the prickle of her eyes upon him and he twisted around to face her with a stunned look on his face. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open. It was normally he who instigated their meetings, he certainly had not planned anything today just before he left for work.

“Annabelle?” He stepped closer to her with a weird sensation in his chest. There was something about this that made him feel like he was not about to like what would come next. “Are you alright? What are you doing here?”

She parted her lips and tried to find the right words, but they would not immediately come. Instead, she needed to stall. “Can I please come inside for a moment?” Her fingers automatically twisted the ring around her engagement finger as if it did not feel comfortable there. “I know that you are busy and you need to get to work...”

“It is fine.” James stepped back towards the house, indicating that Annabelle should follow him. “You know that I will do anything for you.”

Annabelle knew, which only churned her mind up further. “Thank you,” she whispered, before following him inside.

James led her all the way to the kitchen and indicated for her to take a seat. Annabelle sat a little too quickly, hurting herself as she slammed into the wood. She winced but did not complain aloud. She did not feel like she had the right to.

"Is there anything that I can do for you?" James asked. "Would you like a drink or something?" He desperately needed to find out what was going on here, but there did not seem to be any obvious answer.

“No,” Annabelle whispered. “I am fine, thank you.”

She stared up at James through her eyelashes, wishing that this was easier. Her eyes followed him all the way to the seat where James finally sat but did not rest. His shoulders hunched up, almost around his ears, and his face appeared taut and stressed.

“I am sorry,” Annabelle started with a wobbly voice. “I know this must be a bit of a shock to you, me turning up like this.”

“Yes, I am a little...” James started, but he stopped himself at the last moment. He did not want to upset a situation that already seemed very fraught. "Sorry, Annabelle, I might be acting strangely. I am just trying to work out what I can do for you.”

Annabelle could not remain sitting for any longer, her restless legs simply needed her to stand so she did just that. Then she paced the room up and down while she tried her hardest to find the right words.

“James I... I am sorry to be here with this news.” The words fell out of her mouth, almost out of her control. Somehow, she just knew that this was not right and she needed to end it before it got too far. It was not wrong in the way that it had been with Watson, but still, it was not right. "I am so sorry to have accepted your proposal when I do not feel that it is right.”

“Wait.” James slammed his hands down on the table and he pushed himself upright. “You do not wish to accept my proposal?”

Tears filled Annabelle’s eyes. Even though it was the right thing to do it did not make it feel any better. “I am sorry, James, I did not think... I did not know...”

James’s insides were twisted up in knots, he did not know what on earth was happening, but he could not stand to see the woman that he loved in such turmoil. Much as he was angry and hurt himself, he did the right thing and he stepped forward to offer Annabelle a much-needed embrace.

As Annabelle fell willingly into his arms, needing his comfort, she realized that was the closest they had ever been, it was the deepest physical connection they had ever had.

“What is happening?” James eventually asked wearily. “I need to know what is going on here?”

In his chest, without his eyes upon her, Annabelle found it a little easier to speak. “I have told you about the time I ran away from home to escape my betrothal to a brutish Lord who I did not want to marry... but I did not tell you that I was not alone.”

“You were not?” James was shocked, he had never presumed to think that Annabelle had been anything but totally honest with him.

“I left with the stable boy who worked on our family land. Although... I suppose he was not just a stable boy, he was also an Earl.” Shaking her head, Annabelle realized this was not essential to her story. “I left with him and we went to Mr. Brentwood’s home together. We were...” She sighed loudly, feeling terrible and guilty all at once. “We were in love.”

“I see,” James said, a little colder this time. He stepped back and held onto Annabelle’s shoulders so that he could stare into her eyes as they had this conversation. He needed to understand exactly what she was trying to tell him. “And you still are? This is why you cannot marry me?”

“He has come here to find me,” Annabelle admitted. “He spent his whole life after I was forced from Mr. Brentwood’s home making his life better, working towards a future, and now he has achieved that.”

“He wants you?” James gasped finally realising the magnitude of all of this. “Your first love, the man that you clearly risked everything for, he has come back for you.”

“Yes.” Annabelle nodded. “I am sorry.” James went a deathly shade of white but he remained silent. It was up to her to continue talking. “I am sorry, James, I truly do feel terrible about this, but I do not feel that it is right to marry you if my heart lies with someone else.”

“Yes.” James seemed to take the news too well. “I understand; you will always be asking yourself what would have happened if you left with him. You will never be able to commit to me completely. Your mind will always be with someone else.”

He glanced down at Annabelle, feeling his heart shatter in his chest. He loved Annabelle, he adored this woman, he would never have asked her to marry him if he did not... but she did not love him. He could see it in her face, she did not want to crush him, but her heart truly belonged to this other man.

I need to remain strong, he told himself. I have to keep in control. Annabelle cannot see me weep, she feels bad enough about all of this. I shall move on; I will find someone else. It might take me time but I will do it.

“I see,” he said, gravely. “I do, and I know that I deserve someone that loves me wholly.” He gulped noisily, trying to keep his emotion inside. “Just know that I love you, Annabelle, I think I always will, but part of that love is me wanting you to be happy. If this man will make you happy, then that is what I want for you.”

James’s kind words affected Annabelle deeply, she was so touched by his kindness. She knew that she had hurt him, but he was right. He did deserve someone who loved him with everything that his future wife would.

“Thank you, James.” She squeezed his hands and smiled up at him. “You are a very good man.”

Then Annabelle lifted herself up onto her tip toes and she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. As her lips brushed against his skin, she did not get that prickle, she did not feel that burst of excitement which just confirmed that she was doing the right thing. She would never feel the way about James as she felt about Floyd. Just because he was a nice man, it did not mean they could make it forever. As she fell back to the ground, Annabelle pressed the engagement ring into James’s hands. In all honesty, she had felt on edge ever since he gave it to her. It had never felt quite right.

“When will I see you again?” James asked curiously as he stepped back. “Or are you going to leave town with this mystery man of yours?”

“I do not know,” Annabelle told him honestly. She had not known what she was going to say to James until she arrived, she had no idea what she was going to do next. “But I do hope this is not the last time we see one another forevermore. You are a wonderful man, James. I have enjoyed every moment I have spent with you.”

As Annabelle moved to walk away from James, she felt a part of her tear away, but she kept on going. She could not let guilt make her stay, that would be worse for both of them.

Her leaving was the only way.