The Summer I Turned Pretty, #3
We'll Always Have Summer
by Jenny Han
Contents
Chapter Forty-Eight
Overview
On the wedding’s eve, Belly and Conrad clash after his confession. Conrad tries to dismiss the prior night as drunken, but Belly calls him out, and he finally admits he still loves her. Belly realizes she can never fully let Conrad go yet decides she won’t choose him, preserving the impending marriage to Jeremiah.
Summary
With parents due that day, Belly stays at the house to clean while Taylor and Anika run errands. Avoiding Conrad after his late-night confession, she hopes he’ll stay away. When they meet in the kitchen, Conrad asks to talk. He claims he was drunk and asks her to forget what he said.
Belly, furious after a sleepless night agonizing over his words, accuses Conrad of playing with her and demands he leave. Conrad tries to maintain pride, saying he was out of line and wants to move forward. The argument escalates until Belly shoves him and orders him to go.
Conrad’s composure cracks. He says she broke his heart and implies she’s being heartless. Pressed, he tells Belly he still loves her and has never stopped, insisting she knows it. Refusing to pretend anymore, he walks away.
Alone on the deck, Belly reels from the confrontation. She recognizes Conrad’s unique hold on her but also the irrevocable cost of choosing him: losing Jeremiah’s love and destabilizing their families still fragile after Susannah’s death. Though Conrad’s love now seems certain, Belly decides she cannot bet her life on him and resolves not to choose him as the wedding approaches.
Who Appears
- Belly (Isabel Conklin)Bride-to-be; confronts Conrad, rejects his backpedaling, hears his renewed confession, and decides she won’t choose him despite lingering love.
- Conrad FisherTries to retract his confession as drunken, then admits he still loves Belly; storms off after a heated argument.
- TaylorFriend who heads into town for errands, leaving Belly alone to face Conrad.
- AnikaFriend who goes to town with Taylor, absent during Belly and Conrad’s confrontation.