Chapter Twenty-Five: Russ

At breakfast, the group confronts Russ about his birthday being tomorrow. He resists attention and refuses to choose a cake, while Jenna, Xander, Emilia, and Aurora debate flavors. Jenna schedules inspections and gripes about swapped shifts as Aurora casually claims the day off with Russ, keeping their secret while angling for time alone.

Outside, Aurora teases Russ for minimizing his birthday, then they leave for Meadow Springs. Relieved to be off-camp, they openly hold hands and kiss. They tour the quaint shopping street, joking about its rival bowling ball stores and Jenna’s commitment committee updates, highlighting their ease together away from rules.

In a small bookstore, playful banter turns to Aurora’s blunt literary opinions and flirtation. When the owner appears, Aurora deadpans that she and her “husband” plan to open a strip club, launching a joke that plants the seed of gossip.

Over ice cream, they fantasize about future businesses—Aurora running a bookstore, Russ starting yet another bowling store. The tone shifts when Russ admits he doesn’t want a professional hockey career, citing a desire for privacy over fame. Aurora reveals her family’s public profile and messy, well-known divorce, warning she can’t guarantee privacy to anyone close to her.

Russ is taken aback, realizing he hadn’t considered how Aurora’s notoriety could impact them. Their conversation is cut short when the ice cream shop owner approaches, asking if they are the couple opening a strip club—proof the town rumor has already begun.