PS: I Hate You

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse, mental illness, illness, and death.

Two years have passed since Josh passed away, and Maddie spends the anniversary finishing a data report for work, wearing a sweatshirt he once gifted her and Dom’s letterman jacket. Tula and Jeremy visit with pizza to keep her company and are worried to find her still working at 8:00 pm. When Maddie insists she’s fine, rather than accepting their support during this difficult time, Jeremy decides to share something vulnerable. He reveals that his ex-boyfriend used to physically abuse him, and Maddie was the first person he learned to trust after escaping that relationship.

In return, Maddie decides to be completely vulnerable with her friends and tells them about everything: her mom, her relationship with Josh, the complicated dynamic between her, Dom, and Rosaline, the task Josh left her and Dom after his death, and how it caused all her past feelings for Dom to return. Afterward, she wants to distract herself from the emotional vulnerability by leaning into work.

When Tula reprimands her for it, Maddie snaps at her. Tula and Jeremy understand for the first time where Maddie’s workaholic nature comes from as she becomes frantic about becoming indispensable at her job so “they can’t leave [her]” (364).