<div style="text-align: justify;">His words made Alannah's stomach drop well beneath the ocean floor. The wild, irresponsible, seventeen year old girl inside her was screaming at her that yes, <span style="font-style: italic">of course</span> she should drop everything and run deep into the forests with him and forget everything else forever. The part of her that often spoke with Daniel's voice was shaking its head and tutting at her for even briefly thinking about it. She involuntarily balled the hand on his neck into a fist. How dared he ask her to leave Boston so shortly after meeting her? She had a life, a job, friends, a home. Was he actually serious about this?<br/><span style="color: #4080FF"><br/>"I'm sorry to hear that."</span> She hadn't moved away from him, but there was a brand new chill in her tone. <span style="color: #4080FF">"Ya know I can't just go. Surely ya do. Ya even met me while I was at work."</span> Oh, how she hated herself. If she hadn't been a goddamn mermaid, none of these complications would mean as much. She could always find a new job, new friends, and a new home. But her need for deep water greatly obstructed her in doing these things.<br/><br/>Alannah's frown dissipated as something clicked in her mind; something that had been completely buried beneath her outrage at the mere suggestion that she should leave her life just to be with a virtual stranger. <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #008080">Maybe I can leave much later.</span></span> She gasped and squeezed the hand she was holding in excitement. <span style="color: #4080FF">"Ya could stay with me! Ya know, just - just for a little while,</span>" She blurted out, her eyes shining with a mixture of doubt and a feeble hope. She had, after all, just flat out refused him, so what were the chances he wanted to spend even as much as another minute with her?</div>