Chapter Thirty-Three: Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ 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
Chapter Thirty-Three opens at Stella's bar, the town's only nightlife spot, packed with patrons unwinding after a workday. Delilah Green walks in wearing her usual jeans, boots, tank top, and bomber jacket, but for the first time in her life, she doesn't walk in alone. Claire Sutherland is beside her, their fingers intertwined as they scan the room for their friends.
Iris calls them over from a central table, her red hair styled in two Princess Leia buns, a vodka soda already in hand. Astrid is there too, offering a more subdued wave. The four women settle in together.
The chapter then fills in the three weeks since Delilah returned to Bright Falls. She has moved into an apartment above her father's former architectural firm—incidentally Josh's old apartment. The space is surprisingly clean and exactly what she needs. Ruby has been helping her decorate slowly, since Delilah still needs to budget carefully despite her Whitney sales and new commissions. Iris came over one evening with a bottle of bourbon and a paint roller, helping coat the walls in a steely blue. The night ended with both of them drunk and laughing hysterically on the living room floor, followed by a brutal hangover the next morning—yet Delilah couldn't stop smiling. Everything feels new: living in Bright Falls, being with Claire, having Iris as an actual friend. She's even had lunch with Astrid twice. Isabel remains a mountain she isn't ready to climb, but she tells herself she has time.
Back at the table, Claire pulls Delilah toward her chair and kisses her. Iris teases them about being cute, and Delilah responds by hooking her finger into Claire's polka-dotted collar and pulling her in for another soft kiss. Claire blushes and grins, and Delilah winks—making Claire's cheeks pink up is something she'll never tire of.
Astrid pours Claire a glass of Riesling, and Delilah orders a bourbon neat. With all four women holding drinks, Iris suggests a toast to Astrid getting laid. Astrid splutters and rejects the idea, telling Iris to pull her nose out of other people's sex lives. Claire seconds that, which prompts Iris to reveal that her meddling is exactly what brought Claire and Delilah together. She recounts how, nearly two months ago at this very bar, she challenged Claire to get someone's number—and Claire unknowingly hit on Delilah Green.
Astrid is stunned that Claire didn't know who Delilah was. Claire defends herself, saying it was dark, and points out that Delilah is attractive anyway. Delilah teases her about thinking she was hot, kissing Claire's palm. Iris declares her meddling worked and turns her attention to Astrid, standing up and shouting across the bar that Astrid is in desperate need of a good—before Astrid yanks her down.
Astrid insists she's not looking to date. Iris waggles her eyebrows, suggesting no one said anything about dating. Astrid then declares she's done with men entirely. Iris hopefully suggests women, and Delilah smiles at the hopeful tone—an all-queer coven would be Iris's dream come true—but Astrid just blinks.
Claire, having finished laughing, sits up straight and proposes a real toast. Delilah lifts her bourbon and says,