The rain had subsided, leaving the streets of Valentine Bluffs slick and glistening. Tom gripped the steering wheel of his truck, the wipers swiping away the remnants of the storm

As he rounded a bend, the headlights caught a figure stumbling onto the road Bruised, bloody, and breathing heavily, she waved frantically for help. Tom slammed on the brakes, heart racing recognizing her

The rain soaking through his jacket. Y/N collapsed against him, her weight supported by sheer desperation