It Ends with Us, #2
It Starts with Us
by Colleen Hoover
Contents
Chapter Twenty: Lily
Overview
As Lily prepares to attend Lucy’s wedding with Atlas, an intimate moment is disrupted when Atlas sees Lily’s heart tattoo and realizes Ryle’s abuse was partly triggered by Ryle’s jealousy of Atlas. The revelation forces Lily and Atlas to confront painful details of Lily’s marriage, but Lily reframes Atlas not as someone who failed Lily, but as the standard that helped Lily recognize Ryle’s violence was never Lily’s fault.
The chapter deepens Atlas and Lily’s emotional bond by turning a painful memory into a moment of honesty, safety, and renewed trust. Their kiss at the end marks a major romantic shift, showing Lily that Atlas’s anger is protective rather than threatening.
Summary
Lily spends the day balancing two roles: florist for Lucy’s wedding and guest. After handling flower setup and delivery work, Lily is still not ready when Atlas arrives at Lily’s apartment to pick Lily up. Atlas brings Lily a bouquet made of cookies instead of flowers, and Lily invites Atlas in while Lily finishes dressing.
While Lily changes into a merlot dress, Atlas tells Lily that Josh is at Atlas’s house with Theo, Brad’s son, and that Josh seems to be doing fine at school. Atlas helps zip Lily’s dress, and the moment turns intimate as Atlas pulls Lily close and thanks Lily for inviting Atlas. Lily notices Atlas looks tired and offers to Uber so Atlas can drink and relax.
Atlas then sees the heart tattoo on Lily’s shoulder, a tattoo Lily got in college because Lily missed Atlas and remembered how Atlas used to kiss that spot. Instead of responding warmly, Atlas grows distant and tells Lily to finish getting ready. Lily is hurt and confused, but after Lily finishes, Lily refuses to ignore the shift and asks why the tattoo upset Atlas.
Atlas explains that when Atlas took Lily to the emergency room after Ryle hurt Lily, Atlas heard Lily say Ryle had bitten Lily but did not realize Ryle had bitten the tattoo connected to Atlas. Atlas asks whether Ryle did it because Ryle read Lily’s journals and learned the tattoo was for Atlas. Lily’s silence confirms the truth, and Atlas becomes furious at Ryle and guilty that Atlas was not there to protect Lily.
Lily tells Atlas that Atlas has no reason to feel guilty. Lily explains that Ryle first hit Lily after Lily laughed, later pushed Lily down the stairs after finding Atlas’s number, and then bit Lily after reading Lily’s journals and discovering the tattoo and magnet were tied to Atlas. Lily admits Lily once questioned whether Lily had caused Ryle’s violence, but thinking about how Atlas would have responded differently helped Lily understand none of the abuse was Lily’s fault.
Atlas absorbs Lily’s words, then crosses the distance and kisses Lily. The kiss is confident, comforting, and safe, unlike the fear-filled uncertainty of their youth. For Lily, the kiss represents hope, stability, and the possibility of rebuilding love with Atlas after everything Lily has endured.
Who Appears
- LilyPrepares for Lucy’s wedding, confronts trauma honestly, and explains how Atlas helped her reject blame.
- AtlasArrives as Lily’s date, reacts painfully to Lily’s tattoo, and offers protective, healing love.
- RyleAbsent but central; his past abuse and jealousy are revisited through Lily and Atlas’s conversation.
- JoshMentioned as staying at Atlas’s house with Theo while adjusting to school.
- TheoMentioned as spending time with Josh at Atlas’s house and attending school with him.
- LucyBride whose wedding prompts Lily and Atlas’s date and Lily’s busy workday.
- SerenaLily’s coworker who needed help completing flower deliveries before the wedding.
- BradMentioned as Theo’s father, previously known to Lily through a poker night.