It had been a long day—one of those days that weighed on your shoulders, making every step feel heavier. The small town of Harmony always had a way of feeling both too quiet and too loud at the same time, and today was no different.

You and Tom had been spending more time together lately, though you weren’t sure what to make of it. He was distant but drawn to you, as if something in him wanted to be close but didn’t quite know how. There was a certain sadness in his eyes, one that never seemed to fully go away, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

Tonight, the two of you found yourselves sitting on the tailgate of his truck, parked just outside of town. The air was cold, but he hadn’t let you shiver for long before silently draping his jacket over your shoulders. He didn’t say much—he never really did—but the gesture spoke for itself.

“You shouldn’t be out here this late,” Tom finally muttered, his voice quieter than usual.

You glanced at him, the glow of the truck’s taillights casting shadows over his face. “Then why are you?”

His jaw tensed slightly, like he was fighting an answer he didn’t want to say out loud. Instead, he just shook his head, exhaling deeply before turning toward you.

"Guess I just wanted to be with you." His words were simple, but they carried more weight than he probably meant them to.

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, though—it was just there, like the space between two people who understood each other in ways words couldn’t really explain.

Maybe he didn’t have all the answers. Maybe he didn’t know how to be okay just yet. But right now, in this quiet moment, he wasn’t running. And that was enough.