Do you want to marry him?" Peter stopped in front of her, pressing close.<br />"You know I don't."<br />"Do I? Do we know each other anymore? It's been a long time. I'm not the same person I was."<br />"You are," she insisted. "I know who you are." She knew it was ridiculous, to feel so strong so fast...but she did. It just felt like they belonged together. She took his hand and held it tight.<br />His face softened. "All right, then. There may be one way,,,." he said out to the faint silver hue of the moors on the horizon.<br />Valerie looked at him blankly, her mind racing off on its own.<br />"We could run away," he said, speaking her mind before she's quite reached the thought. He came even closer, almost touching his forehead to hers.<br />"Run away with me," he repeated the words, smiling a real smile, full and dark, in that terrifying way he had, as though his actions were self-contained, as though there were no consequences. She wanted to be a part of his ripple-less world.<br />"Where would we go?"<br />His lips brushed her ear. "Anywhere you want," he said. "The sea, the city, the mountains..."<br />Anywhere. With him.<br />He pulled back to look at her. "You're afraid."<br />"No, I'm not."<br />"You'd leave your home? Your family? Your whole life?"<br />"I-I think I would. Anything to be with you." She heard herself saying it and realized it was true.<br />"Anything?"<br />Valerie pretended to think a moment, for show, to be able to tell herself she had.<br />Then, almost meekly, "Yes."<br />"Yes?"<br />"Yes.