Annabelle had been confused throughout his speech. Sure, he had given her a ring, but it could mean anything. Maybe it was a friendship ring, or… just a ring that he had thought was pretty that he had wanted to give to her as a birthday present, although that would have been a rather strange scenario as this was only her second time seeing him.
But as soon as his last four words came out of his mouth, Annabelle’s mind went completely numb. This was beyond shock – she felt so shocked that she went pale, and for a moment, felt as if she was going to pass out. She was far too shocked to even realize how completely bizarre this situation was and that it probably would have been smart to pepper spray him.
Speechless, Annabelle stared at him, her eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, and face pale.
...And now he'd shocked her. He couldn't blame her, really. He wasn't quite sure how sane he was, or even what sort of reaction he'd have if the tables were turned. All he knew now was that he'd gambled everything...and lost.
"You probably think I'm crazy, and you know what? You're probably right." He even managed a little laugh, finding humor in the fact that he ever thought this could work. "I'm sorry. I don't even know what I was thinking." He shook his head.
Annabelle had always thought that perhaps this entire marriage ordeal wouldn’t be so bad. If she had a husband, maybe she would be more financially comfortable and could finally pay to attend college, and she wouldn’t have to lie to her parents anymore.
But this was so sudden, and she had never imagined that something like this would happen. Now that she was actually in a situation where she could be marrying someone she barely even knew, she was questioning her former ideals and wondering if it was a good idea. Trying to think logically, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
“But why… I mean, we’ve only spoken once, and…” She trailed off, not able to speak coherently. She looked at him, still shocked, but willing to hear him out.
"True, we've only spoken once." AJ agreed, settling a little back into his chair, trying to force himself to relax. "But that's more than whatever woman the government pairs me with." He decided to go for honesty, as he really had nothing more to lose at this point.
"Annabelle, I know I don't really know you, but you seem sweet, and you're gorgeous and talented. We're close to the same age, and share similar interests." He chewed nervously at the inside of his cheek. "And we'd only be living together until I go back into the army, so you'd only have to put up with me for six more months." He managed a little smile.