Chapter 29: Twenty-six — Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens in mid-September with Adelaide sensing, on some level, that her relationship with Rory Hughes must end—though she cannot yet picture how. Her flatmates are preparing to move out of their shared flat, and Madison is leaving for Bangkok on Tuesday. At work, Alliance has visiting executives from New York, and Adelaide is buried under requests for talking points and directions. One of the visiting assistants, Raven, bonds with Adelaide over their shared love of a New York restaurant and reality shows about real-estate agents. Raven promises to take Adelaide, Sam, and Djibril to drinks on Wednesday afternoon to make up for the chaos.

At the Fitzroy Tavern—the same pub Adelaide and Djibril frequented the previous summer—the group orders gin and tonics. Raven mentions she has been scrolling through dating apps and opens one on her phone. As they swipe through prospective men, a photo of Rory appears: his hair wet, his shirt clinging to his abdomen, a grin on his face. Adelaide is devastated. She rushes to the restroom, calls Rory, and texts him demanding to know why her colleague just found him on a dating app. Sam follows her into the bathroom and sits with her on the filthy floor, wiping her tears.

Rory's explanation is weak: he claims the profile was from a