Chapter 25: Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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 on Monday evening, two days after the camping trip ended. Claire has not spoken to either Astrid or Delilah since Saturday morning, when Astrid and Spencer slipped away from the campsite before anyone could confront them, and Delilah slept through the entire drive back to town.

Claire and Iris have been texting over the weekend, but neither can reach Astrid, who is clearly avoiding them. Both women are busy catching up on work at their shops after taking time off for the spa and the trip. They agree they need to approach Astrid carefully rather than ambush her, even though their worry is growing.

On top of the Astrid stress, Claire is preoccupied with Delilah. Delilah hasn't called, texted, or visited the bookstore since they returned from Bagby Springs. Claire hasn't reached out either, because she believes calling or texting would carry a dating tone, and they are not dating. In her mind, any form of contact would feel like a booty call, which doesn't sit right with her.

Claire repeatedly tells herself she is fine with their casual arrangement. She repeats this mantra when Ruby asks if Delilah can come over for pizza on Saturday night and Claire has to say no. She repeats it on Sunday when she rolls over in bed and can still smell Delilah on her pillow. She repeats it on Monday evening as she lies on the couch scrolling through Delilah's Instagram while rain pours down outside, feeling the ache in her chest grow with each beautiful photograph.

While she is brooding over a striking image of a Black woman in a tulle dress standing barefoot in the spray of a New York City fire hydrant, the doorbell rings. Claire assumes it's Josh, who is early for once, coming to take Ruby and Tess to a movie and a sleepover. She answers the door in dirty sweatpants, a tank top with a mustard stain, and a messy bun that has come undone, only to find Delilah standing on the porch under a pink ruffled umbrella borrowed from the Kaleidoscope Inn.

Delilah says she took photos that day and wanted to show Ruby. Before Claire can respond, Josh arrives. Ruby comes bounding down the hall, kisses Claire goodbye, greets Delilah, and leaves with her father for the movie night.

After they drive away, Claire leaves the front door open, watching until the truck is out of sight. She tries to ask Delilah to stay but can't get the words out. She wants dinner, a movie, or just splitting a bottle of wine on the porch listening to the rain, but she dismisses these desires as ridiculous and impossible given their casual arrangement.

Delilah, however, takes matters into her own hands. She closes her umbrella, steps inside, pushes the door shut, and crowds into Claire's space. She tells Claire she missed her, then kisses her—softly, sweetly, in a way that doesn't suggest she's expecting to fall into bed immediately. In fact, the kiss feels like Delilah expects something more.

Key Events

Claire avoids contact with Astrid and Delilah for two days after the camping trip.
Astrid and Spencer leave the campsite early Saturday morning, preventing Claire and Iris from confronting her.
Delilah sleeps through the entire drive back to town.
Claire and Iris text over the weekend but cannot reach Astrid, and both are busy with work.
Claire scrolls Delilah's Instagram on Monday evening, feeling the emotional distance acutely.
Delilah shows up at Claire's door in the rain, claiming she has photos to show Ruby.
Josh arrives to take Ruby to a movie and sleepover, and Ruby leaves with him.
Claire struggles to ask Delilah to stay, but Delilah steps inside on her own.
Delilah admits she missed Claire and kisses her in a way that suggests she wants more than casual sex.

Character Development

Claire spends this chapter wrestling with the gap between what she tells herself and what she actually feels. She insists she is fine with the casual arrangement, but her actions betray her: she can't bring herself to reach out to Delilah, she says no to Ruby's request for a pizza night, and she lingers over Delilah's Instagram while rain falls outside. Her inability to ask Delilah to stay—even after Delilah shows up at her door—reveals her fear of misreading intentions and her deep self-deception about her own desires. The chapter shows Claire wanting emotional intimacy but believing it's impossible within the boundaries they've set.

Delilah takes the initiative in this chapter, showing up unannounced at Claire's home in the rain. Her stated reason—showing Ruby photos—is thin, and her real purpose becomes clear when she steps inside and admits she missed Claire. The kiss she gives is notably soft and sweet, a deliberate contrast to the physical urgency of their earlier encounters. This suggests Delilah is also seeking something more than a casual hookup, even if she hasn't said so directly.

Astrid remains off-screen but looms over the chapter through Claire and Iris's concern. Her continued avoidance of her friends deepens the mystery of her engagement and adds a layer of tension to Claire's already complicated emotional state.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Casual relationship complications: The chapter explores the unspoken rules of a casual arrangement—who reaches out, what contact means, and how to ask for more without breaking the terms. Claire's paralysis around simply asking Delilah to stay illustrates how the casual label can become a cage.

Avoidance: Both Claire and Astrid are avoiding difficult conversations. Claire avoids reaching out to Delilah because she doesn't know how to ask for more; Astrid avoids her friends entirely. The parallel highlights how avoidance can feel safer than honesty.

Longing for emotional intimacy: Claire's fantasy of sharing wine on the porch while listening to the rain is a quiet, domestic image that stands in stark contrast to the physical-only nature of their arrangement. Her longing is for connection, not just sex.

Self-deception: Claire repeatedly tells herself she is fine with the situation, but the narrative makes clear she is not. Her internal monologue reveals the gap between her stated feelings and her actual ones.

Rain atmosphere: The rain outside Claire's home mirrors her internal emotional state—gloomy, restless, and full of unspoken feeling. The rain also creates a sense of intimacy when Delilah arrives under her umbrella, as if the weather has conspired to bring them together.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point in Claire and Delilah's relationship. Up to this point, their connection has been defined by physical encounters and a mutual agreement to keep things casual. Here, Delilah breaks the pattern by showing up at Claire's door, admitting she missed her, and kissing her in a way that signals a desire for something deeper. Claire, for her part, is forced to confront the fact that she wants more than she's been willing to admit.

The chapter also advances the Astrid subplot, showing how her avoidance is straining her friendships and raising the stakes for whatever revelation is coming.

For readers, this chapter sets up the emotional conflict that will likely drive the rest of the novel: can two people who agreed to keep things casual admit they want more, and what will happen when they do?

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Claire hesitate to ask Delilah to stay, even after Delilah shows up at her door?

Claire hesitates because she believes that asking Delilah to stay would be interpreted as a request for sex, given their casual arrangement. She wants something more—dinner, a movie, wine on the porch—but she dismisses those desires as ridiculous and impossible. Her fear of misreading intentions and being seen as wanting more than the arrangement allows keeps her from speaking.

2. How does the chapter use the rain to reflect Claire's emotional state?

The rain is described as coming down in sheets while Claire lies on the couch brooding over Delilah's Instagram. The gloomy, restless weather mirrors Claire's internal turmoil—her ache for Delilah, her worry about Astrid, and her frustration with the casual arrangement. The rain also creates a cocoon-like atmosphere that makes Delilah's arrival feel more intimate and significant.

3. What does Delilah's kiss reveal about her feelings for Claire?

Delilah's kiss is described as soft and sweet, in no way indicating she expects to fall into bed immediately. The narrative explicitly notes that the kiss feels like Delilah expects something more. This suggests Delilah is also seeking emotional intimacy, not just physical connection, and that her feelings for Claire have deepened beyond the casual arrangement they agreed to.