You’ve found a real friend when a car ride with no music and no talking still feels easy.

Comfortable silence is a harder thing to reach than good conversation. Talking can be a way of managing a situation, filling the space so nothing awkward settles, and the absence of that effort means neither of you is performing. Very few relationships get there, and it usually happens without either person noticing when.

Stop working so hard the next time a pause appears. Let a quiet stretch happen and see whether it is actually uncomfortable or whether you only assumed it would be. The people you can be quiet with are worth arranging your time around.