AS A CAREER WOMAN HERSELF, in a world with its own high expectations and borderline unrealistic deadlines, jessie understood what it was like to be in avery's shoes. when she had first gotten into her industry, jessie often did the same ⏤ ignored calls and texts, neglected her own basic needs, prioritized perfection and output over everything else. it had been unsustainable from the jump but by the time she realized what she was doing
, jessie had lost more than a few friends. people who had gotten tired of chasing her and putting in effort that was only ever occasionally reciprocated. jessie had done a lot of work over the years in repairing and rebuilding the friendships she had left, and forging new ones, all while making sure she didn't make the same mistakes. "you weren't answering my texts, i was worried about you," jessie explained, leaning against the door frame, "just wanted to see how you were doing." showing up unannounced was a little irritating, sure ⏤ but she would tolerate being mildly annoying if it meant knowing someone she cared about was okay. "so two options, you tell me to go home, or you invite me in and let me cook us both dinner."