Contents
Chapter 7
Overview
Flashback to the group’s early summer together shows how Harriet and Wyn’s chemistry began. Through late-night talks, family confessions, and playful intimacy, they edge toward a kiss but stop for the sake of the friend group and concerns about Sabrina, cementing unresolved tension that informs their current facade.
Summary
In a flashback to Harriet’s first summer at Knott’s Harbor after London, she shares a kids’ room with Wyn Connor and is immediately drawn to him. The group bonds through swims, games, and deep questions on the pier, revealing dreams and histories that knit them closer.
Late at night, Harriet and Wyn begin talking in the dark. Harriet reveals she cleans when anxious and describes growing up with loving but strained, quietly incompatible parents. Wyn shares he’s from a loud, happy family and hints at academic struggles, admitting Harriet makes him nervous.
As the nights continue, attraction builds. They joke about “gigantic orbs,” discuss Harriet’s brain-surgery ambitions, and test boundaries with playful dares and near-touch. Harriet admits discomfort with the group’s casual affection and that Wyn never touches her; Wyn says he’s been unsure she wants it.
They trade histories: Wyn downplays rumors of his romantic exploits; Harriet mentions Hudson, her temporary London boyfriend. When Wyn studies Harriet’s photos and calls her “so fucking cute,” their mutual desire peaks. Harriet insists they shouldn’t date friends, worried about messiness and Sabrina, while Wyn counters she’s not “just a friend.”
Despite the charged moment, Harriet pulls back, labeling the situation messy and refusing to risk their friend group. They end the night with restraint, acknowledging powerful feelings but choosing not to act.
Who Appears
- HarrietNarrator; recalls first summer with Wyn, shares family background, anxiety-cleaning habit, and resists escalating attraction to protect friendships.
- Wyn ConnorNew to the group in the flashback; flirts with Harriet, reveals family warmth and academic struggles, nearly crosses a line but pulls back when she refuses.
- SabrinaHosts and organizes group fun; her presence and possible feelings factor into Harriet’s decision to halt things with Wyn.
- CleoAsks probing life questions; close, affectionate friend whose behavior highlights Harriet’s discomfort with casual touch.
- ParthTurns activities into games; amplifies group camaraderie and shares high school reflections during pier talks.
- HudsonHarriet’s temporary London boyfriend; discussed and shown in a photo, prompting Wyn’s jealousy and sharpening the tension.