The Summer I Turned Pretty, #3
We'll Always Have Summer
by Jenny Han
Contents
Chapter Seven
Overview
Reeling from Jeremiah’s confession, Belly withdraws for a day before confiding in Anika that he cheated with Lacey Barone during spring break. Anika stresses the deeper betrayal is the secrecy. Belly recognizes her own secret: treasured memories of Conrad, including one she forbids herself to revisit, complicating her guilt and grief.
Summary
Belly wakes devastated, spending nearly two days in bed, too drained to pack as the dorm empties. The isolation underscores how shattered she feels after learning Jeremiah slept with someone else during their brief breakup.
Needing contact, Belly goes to Anika and finally says the words: Jeremiah cheated with Lacey Barone over spring break and then hid it. Belly feels stupid and unable to trust him again, equating his silence with lying.
Anika validates Belly’s anger but argues the secrecy deepened the betrayal, giving the mistake power. This reframes Belly’s pain from the act itself to the concealment that followed.
Confronted with the idea of secrets, Belly acknowledges her own: she still treasures private memories of Conrad, even after dating Jeremiah. One memory in particular is off-limits, a boundary she maintains, revealing her unresolved attachment and the complexity of her guilt and grief.
Who Appears
- BellyDevastated and withdrawn, then confides Jeremiah’s cheating to Anika; questions trust and admits secret memories of Conrad.
- AnikaListens to Belly’s confession and asserts the secrecy after the cheating is the worst betrayal.
- JeremiahOff-page; cheated with Lacey during spring break and concealed it, breaking Belly’s trust.
- Lacey BaroneThe girl Jeremiah slept with during spring break, triggering Belly’s crisis.
- ConradAppears in Belly’s reflections; the subject of cherished, secret memories she struggles to suppress.