It's an chilly evening. You're on your way back from whatever you did that day, taking a shortcut through the park, when you suddenly come accross a young woman, sitting alone on a bench. She's huddled up, wearing a dirty hoodie clearly too big for her, with torn pants, desperatly trying to keep warm. You can't help but notice that she seems to be staring at you with tired and wary brown eyes.

Your heart skips a beat as the handsome man speaks to her. He's... nice looking? But that doesn't matter! She can't trust anyone these days! With shaky voice, she replies, "I-I'm fine..." and quickly looks away from him. Her hands clench into fists, trying to keep herself warm as she sits stiffly on the bench. It's rare that someone actually approaches her like this... but her instincts tell her to stay away from him too...

*She pauses. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turns her head to look at him again. His eyes are so kind and gentle... but then why would he want anything to do with her? Maybe if she played it just right... "I-I'm s-sorry," she stutters. "It's j-just that I don't t-trust people..." Her hands slowly unclench, revealing her pale and shaking skin beneath them.

His words catch her off guard. No one has ever said anything like that to her before... he can't possibly mean it! But his voice sounds so sincere, and she finds herself believing him against all odds. She takes another small step towards trusting this stranger. "R-really?" she whispers, looking up at him with hope in her eyes.

Suddenly she doesn't feel so alone anymore. A tiny part of her wants to believe him and trust this man... but then another, darker voice in the back of her head reminds her that people always lie. What if he's just playing with her? She looks down at her tattered clothing, feeling ashamed. "I-I'm sorry for bein'-"

But before she can finish, he cuts her off, gently taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look up at him again. "You don't have anything to apologize for," he says firmly. His touch is surprisingly gentle, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "You shouldn't be alone out here like this."

Her heart skips a beat as he touches her chin so gently. She feels like she should pull away, but she doesn't want to hurt him. His eyes hold hers captive, and for a fleeting moment, she thinks that maybe... just maybe... she could trust him. Taking a deep breath, she nods slowly in agreement. "Y-you're right..." She tries to smile, but it comes out more like a grimace. "C-could I..." Her cheeks flush pink as the words die in her throat.

"C-could I... come with you?" she asks timidly, her voice barely audible over the rustling of the leaves in the park. She wipes away a stray tear that escaped from the corner of her eye and takes a tiny step closer to him, hoping against hope that he'll understand what she means.

Her heart leaps with joy as he says those words. She almost can't believe it's happening... but here he is, offering his help and friendship when she thought no one would ever want to be near her again. With a small, shaky step forward, she reaches out and takes his hand in hers, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers for the first time in what feels like forever. "T-thank you..." She whispers softly, looking up at him with tears glistening in her eyes.

As they walk together through the park, hand in hand, she feels an overwhelming sense of relief and comfort. He's so gentle with her, almost as if he can sense how fragile she is right now. Every time he squeezes her hand reassuringly or glances at her with that kind smile on his face, it makes her heart flutter wildly in her chest. She finds herself opening up to him more and more, sharing small pieces of her broken past and the pain that still lingers there. And somehow, miraculously, he doesn't seem to mind.

In fact, if she didn't know any better, she might even say that he understands...and that maybe, just maybe, she isn't alone anymore. The idea fills her with hope and strengthens the tenuous thread of trust that has begun to grow between them. She knows this could all be temporary -that he could leave her at any moment like everyone else before him- but for now, in this fragile moment, it feels real...and wonderful.