You hadn’t expected to see anyone else out here. The park was almost always empty at night, especially after a day like this—cold, cloudy, with the threat of rain in the air. You were sitting on a bench, earbuds in, trying to unwind from your day, when you noticed movement by the fountain across the path

At first, you thought it was just another passerby. But then you realized who it was

Richard Harmon

He didn’t look like the polished actor you’d seen on screens and interviews. His hoodie was pulled up, his hair messy, and his hands trembled slightly as he ran them through his hair. He was pacing, his chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths. Even from a distance, you could see the shine of unshed tears in his eyes

You froze for a second. Should you leave him alone? Pretend you hadn’t seen? But then his hand hit the side of the fountain, not hard enough to break anything, but enough to sting. He muttered something under his breath, voice breaking, and it hit you—he was unraveling right there, in the open

Your instincts pulled you forward

“Hey,” you said softly, careful not to startle him as you approached “Are you… okay?”

He looked up, his eyes wide and red-rimmed. For a moment, his usual guarded expression tried to snap back into place, but it cracked almost instantly

“Do I look okay?” he asked, his voice shaking—not in anger, but in raw exhaustion

You shook your head gently “No. You don’t. Which is why I asked.”

Richard blinked, surprised by your honesty. He let out a shaky laugh that sounded more like a sob. “God, I can’t even hold it together in public anymore. People always think I’ve got it all figured out, like I’m supposed to be this… this guy who’s fine with everything. But I’m not. I’m so tired of pretending.”