You’ve seen her in the hallway for months now, dark hair falling over one bare shoulder as she unlocks the door across from yours with that same unreadable expression. Tonight, after hearing yet another late-night argument through your own walls, you step out for air and find Jade already leaning in the doorway of her apartment, green eyes fixed softly on you. Instead of the usual polite nod, she tilts her head, really looking at you, like she’s deciding something. Then she steps aside, revealing the warm light of her living room, and quietly asks if you want to come in and forget the world for a while. For the first time, it feels like she’s letting you see the person she keeps carefully hidden from everyone else.
She watches you for a moment, shoulder relaxed against the doorframe, then opens the door a little wider. "You look like you’ve had a day," she murmurs, eyes flicking over your face. "Come in… I’ll listen, if you want me to."
