chapter eighteen

At fourteen, Belly resists Taylor’s push to dress up for the boardwalk, signaling growing friction as Belly rejects being styled and compared. Belly’s jealousy flares at Taylor’s array of sundresses, underscoring Belly’s discomfort with her changing body and the widening gap in their priorities.

Over dinner, playful talk about Laurel and Susannah’s teenage “secrets” spotlights family intimacy and Conrad’s guardedness. Taylor flirts with Jeremiah, and Belly, irritated, announces plans for the boardwalk. Jeremiah eagerly volunteers the boys, while Steven grudgingly agrees and Conrad declines, reinforcing his aloofness.

In the car, Taylor bluntly declares she’ll pursue Jeremiah instead of Conrad and pressures Belly to choose whom she likes. Belly denies wanting either and, wanting peace, tells Taylor to go ahead, but makes Taylor promise to be nice.

At the boardwalk, Steven disappears to the arcade. Jeremiah stays with the girls, rides the carousel to amuse them, and wins Taylor a giant Tweety Bird, carrying it for her. Taylor’s single-minded charm keeps Jeremiah’s focus on her.

As Jeremiah dotes on Taylor and Conrad remains at home, Belly feels invisible and excluded, longing for the quieter comforts of the beach house. The night confirms Taylor’s shift of interest to Jeremiah and leaves Belly questioning her place within both the friend group and the brothers’ attention.