Chapter 16: A Rough Patch

Lily and Tom had been dating for almost a year, and things had been going well. But lately, they had been arguing more and more, and their relationship had hit a rough patch. Lily didn't know what to do. She loved Tom, but she couldn't keep pretending that everything was okay.

Tom and Lily were sitting on the couch in silence. The tension between them was palpable.

"I don't know what's been going on lately," Tom said finally, breaking the silence. "It feels like we're always fighting, and I don't want that for us."

Lily nodded, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "I know," she said. "I don't want that either."

Tom sighed. "Maybe we need some time apart," he suggested. "To figure things out."

Lily's heart sank at the thought of losing Tom, but she knew that he was right. They needed to take a step back and reassess their relationship. "Okay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tom reached out and took her hand. "I still love you, Lily," he said. "And I always will."

Lily squeez