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The city lights blurred outside the windows as he drove through Boston with one hand on the steering wheel, the other tapping along to the music playing softly through the speakers. Zoe sat in the passenger seat, pretending to look out the window when really she was stealing glances at him every few seconds.

She hated how easy it was for him.

How easy it was for him to smile and make her forget what she was saying.

How easy it was for him to look at her and make her heart do something completely unreasonable.

"You've been quiet," Chris said.

"I've literally been talking this whole drive."

"Yeah, but now you're quiet."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

He laughed.

That laugh.

The one that made her stomach flip every single time.

Chris pulled into a nearly empty overlook above the city. It was late enough that most people were home, but neither of them seemed interested in ending the night.

For a moment, neither spoke.

The silence wasn't awkward.

It was worse.

It was the kind of silence that noticed things.

Like how close they were sitting.

Like how Chris kept looking at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention.

Like how Zoe couldn't remember the last time she'd gone a full day without thinking about him.

The breeze drifted through the cracked windows.

Chris turned toward her.

"What?"

"What?"

"You're staring."

A grin appeared on his face.

"So are you."

Zoe's cheeks instantly warmed.

"Shut up."

"Nope."

He looked entirely too pleased with himself.

For a second, she considered getting out of the car.

Instead, she stayed exactly where she was.

Chris leaned back against his seat, his smile softening.

"You know," he said quietly, "I think you're the only person who doesn't let me get away with anything."

"Someone has to."

"Good."

Her heart skipped.

Good?

The word hung between them.

Chris looked nervous suddenly, which made absolutely no sense. Chris was never nervous.

Yet here he was, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact.

"Can I tell you something?"

Zoe swallowed.

"Okay."

His eyes met hers.

And suddenly the city lights below them didn't seem nearly as bright.

"I think about you all the time."

The confession hit her like a lightning strike.

Simple.

Honest.

Real.

Chris let out a breathless laugh.

"There. I said it."

For the first time all night, he seemed unsure of himself.

Zoe couldn't help smiling.

"Good."

Now it was his turn to stare.

"Good?"

"Yeah."

She moved a little closer.

"I think about you too."

The grin that spread across Chris's face could've powered the entire city beneath them.

For a moment, neither of them looked away.

The air felt charged.

Electric.

Like something inevitable was finally happening.

Chris reached for her hand.

Zoe let him.

And as the lights glittered below them and the music played softly in the background, she realized the truth.

Maybe getting into Chris's car had been a bad idea.

Zoe watched him for a moment before walking over. "Hey."

Chris glanced up. A smile appeared automatically, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey."

Something tightened in her chest.

"Come with me."

His eyebrows lifted. "What?"

"Come with me."

Without waiting for an answer, Zoe grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the back porch. The cool night air greeted them as the door slid shut behind them, muffling the noise from inside.

Chris leaned against the railing and let out a small laugh. "You didn't have to kidnap me."

"I did, actually."

That earned a genuine smile, even if it was brief.

Zoe crossed her arms and studied him carefully. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Chris."

"Seriously."

She gave him a look that made it clear she wasn't convinced.

His shoulders dropped. Suddenly, he looked exhausted—not physically, but emotionally. Like he'd been carrying something heavy for much longer than he wanted anyone to know.

"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I just feel... off lately."

Zoe stayed silent, giving him space to continue.

"Everyone expects me to be happy all the time," he said, staring out at the city lights. "And sometimes I don't know how to explain when I'm not."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Zoe stepped closer and rested her elbows on the railing beside him.

"You know you don't have to pretend with me, right?"

Chris looked over at her.

"You don't have to be funny all the time," she continued softly. "You don't have to make everyone else feel okay before you let yourself feel something."

His expression shifted.

"You can just be Chris."

The silence that followed felt different. Softer.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before.

"You're really good at this."

"At what?"

"Making me feel less crazy."

A small smile spread across Zoe's face.

"That's because you're not crazy."

Chris laughed—a real laugh this time. The sound made her smile wider.

Some of the tension seemed to leave his shoulders. Not all of it, but enough.

Enough for him to breathe.

Enough for him to stop carrying everything by himself, even if only for a little while.

He turned toward her, his gaze lingering.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For staying."

The honesty in his voice caught her off guard.

As if he genuinely hadn't expected anyone to.

Zoe gently bumped her shoulder against his.

"You're stuck with me."

A grin appeared on his face.

"Forever?"

Her heart skipped.

"Maybe."

Chris looked down at their hands resting side by side on the railing.

Slowly, almost cautiously, he reached for hers.

Zoe let him.

Their fingers intertwined naturally, like they belonged there.

For a while, neither of them said anything. They simply sat together beneath the glow of the porch light, watching the city shimmer in the distance.

And as Chris squeezed her hand gently, Zoe realized that sometimes love wasn't about dramatic confessions or grand gestures.

Sometimes it was sitting beside someone on their worst nights.

Sometimes it was listening.

Sometimes it was staying.