Contents
Chapter 4
Overview
In a flashback, Harriet recalls moving in with Parth and then studying abroad in London, where a brief fling distracts her from homesickness. Arriving in Maine for summer, she meets Wyn for the first time. Their charged car ride reveals Wyn’s rule not to date friends, yet undeniable attraction forms, setting the foundation of their future relationship.
Summary
Harriet recounts junior year at Mattingly, moving into an apartment above the Maple Bar with Cleo and legendary host Parth. The semester is lively and welcoming, but Harriet departs for a spring term in London, where she builds a social rhythm of pubs, galleries, and bookstores, and eases homesickness with a time-limited romance with an American, Hudson.
As exams near, the fling with Hudson fades, and Harriet anticipates reuniting with friends. After a family visit in Indiana filled with texts and plans from her parents, she flies directly to Maine for Lobster Fest, expecting Sabrina to pick her up.
Instead, Wyn—Parth’s friend and their housemate—waits with Sabrina’s cherry-red car. Their first meeting is electric and teasing, marked by awkward humor about Cleo’s nude painting of Harriet and Wyn’s intense, focused attention. Harriet is both amused and disarmed by Wyn’s confidence and magnetism.
On the night drive to the water, their banter deepens: Harriet tests Wyn’s reputation; Wyn flirts but insists he doesn’t play with feelings and follows “rules,” including a pact with Parth not to date friends or each other’s friends to avoid messiness. Harriet pushes back, but both acknowledge their mutual pull.
By the time they reach the harbor, Harriet recognizes that the encounter has marked her. Despite Wyn’s boundaries, the chemistry is undeniable, opening a door Harriet knows she cannot close—an origin point that will shape their later relationship.
Who Appears
- Harriet KilpatrickNarrator; recalls study abroad, a fading fling, and her first, charged meeting with Wyn that profoundly affects her.
- Wyndham (Wyn) ConnorPicks Harriet up from the airport; flirts yet cites a pact not to date friends; clear mutual attraction begins.
- Parth NayakCharismatic roommate and social linchpin; his friendship with Wyn underpins the no-dating-friends pact.
- SabrinaClose friend; supposed to pick Harriet up but is drunk; her past descriptions frame Harriet’s expectations of Wyn.
- CleoFriend and artist; her nude painting of Harriet becomes a humorous focal point during Harriet and Wyn’s first meeting.
- HudsonHarriet’s study-abroad fling in London; a temporary distraction that fades before summer.
- Harriet’s parentsText Harriet frequently before her trip; underscore her family ties and obligations.