Contents
Chapter 21
Overview
At Samantha’s wedding reception, Eloise and Jasper’s private joy is shattered when Samantha’s parents confront them, belittling Eloise and implying Jasper still belongs to his ex. To counter the cruelty, Jasper impulsively flies Eloise to Paris overnight. Their magical day together strengthens their connection, and they choose to return home to Quincy.
Summary
Eloise and Jasper dance at Samantha’s wedding reception, cocooned from the crowd as Eloise peppers Jasper with questions and basks in their closeness. Their bubble bursts when Samantha’s mother, Ashley, intrudes, followed by Samantha’s father, John, who pointedly cuts in and forces a dance with Eloise.
During the dance, John insinuates that Jasper and Samantha share an unbreakable bond and calls Eloise a temporary distraction, while nearby Ashley engages Jasper with thinly veiled hostility. Eloise notices watching eyes and whispers, feels humiliated, but refuses to cry. Jasper retrieves her and asks her to keep asking questions to steady her emotions.
When Eloise asks Jasper’s favorite city and he answers “Paris,” he immediately arranges a charter flight from Naples that night. They rush to pack and leave the hotel, determined to escape the toxic reception and reclaim the night together.
Before dawn, they arrive in Paris and watch sunrise by the Eiffel Tower from the Pont d’Iéna. Still in their wedding attire, they spend the day visiting the Louvre, Notre-Dame, and Montmartre, creating a singular memory Eloise vows to preserve. Returning to the bridge at night to see the lights, Eloise, exhausted but content, chooses what’s next: going home to Quincy.
Who Appears
- Eloise EdenNarrator; revels in intimacy with Jasper, endures insults from Samantha’s parents, then embraces an impulsive escape to Paris.
- Jasper ValeDances devotedly with Eloise, shields her from hostility, and decisively flies her to Paris, affirming his break from the past.
- JohnSamantha’s father; cuts in to dance with Eloise and belittles her, insisting Jasper and Samantha belong together.
- AshleySamantha’s mother; coldly intrudes on Jasper and Eloise, dancing with Jasper while aiding John’s ambush.