Chapter 15 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 15 opens with the narrator convinced she is making a terrible mistake. She tells Katie she should cancel the Montana trip, but Katie, lounging on the couch with a magazine, seems unconcerned. The narrator's sparse apartment—a couch from the Ikea “As Is” section, a table from her parents' attic, a dresser left by a previous tenant—reflects her emotional state. Her therapist believes she is afraid to put down roots again, and the narrator admits that assessment is probably right.
Katie, who knows the full truth about what happened between the narrator and Gabe (the narrator told her everything after the Brooklyn party), believes in the universe, karma, and purpose. She sees Gabe's return as a sign the narrator is responsible for following. Katie's key argument is simple: “He's not Jeremy.” The narrator's hesitation isn't just about Gabe, though—it's about what the trip represents.
The chapter flashes back to the narrator's first television appearance on Good Morning Today, shortly after her first book came out. Host Carol Champion started with questions about the collection, but quickly pivoted to the article. She asked whether the narrator had seen Gabe since, and then posed a hypothetical: what would she say if Gabe walked onto the stage right now? The narrator froze, and though Carol later apologized for the “harmless prank,” the narrator felt her deer-in-headlights reaction only fueled rumors that something salacious had happened that weekend.
The narrator reflects on how she once wished for fame at lunch ten years ago. She now sees that wish as the ultimate monkey's paw—you never see the cost until it's already paid. She isn't famous, exactly, but she is known, and the only reason people know her is because they want to know about that one evening. Even her parents asked whether Gabe should be expected for Shabbat dinner.
Back in the present, Katie gives the narrator permission to take her time. “Go to Montana,” she says, adding that there's no rush after ten years. The narrator takes that permission, because she needs to know how this story ends.
When the car arrives, Gabe is already in the backseat. The ride is tense and awkward. Gabe asks about Jeremy, who still lives in New York and loves it. The narrator admits she didn't like the city. Gabe remembers details from their conversations, which the narrator hates because it makes it harder to be angry at him—and she wants to be angry at him because it's easier than being angry at herself.
The narrator is harsh on her past self, calling her foolish, naïve, and stupid. Gabe says his past self was pretty stupid too, and didn't know a good thing when he had it. When the narrator snaps that he didn't have her, Gabe clarifies he was talking about his career—then quietly adds, “But not just my career.”
Then the song from their dance plays on the radio. The narrator recalls how Gabe later dipped Jacinda Lockwood in the exact same way in the opening sequence of his first Bond movie. Gabe apologizes again for that weekend. The narrator says they were both young and stupid, and she should have known better.
The narrator realizes they're not heading to LAX. They arrive at a small private airport in the Valley, where a private jet is waiting. Gabe insists it's not his plane and wasn't his idea. The narrator is annoyed but also impressed—and annoyed at herself for being impressed. She remembers how Jeremy used to accuse her of loving celebrity, and she's disappointed to discover she's just as easily taken as he always thought.
Ollie appears at the top of the ramp, delighted to see her. He arranged the jet, fulfilling a promise he'd made. He tells her he begged Gabe to let him crash the trip, and Gabe confirms he refused. Ollie says Gabe wanted her all to himself. The narrator feels a rush of pride for Ollie's success, mixed with some jealousy she swallows down. Ollie wraps an arm around her and declares it's time to get the two of them to Montana.
Key Events
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The narrator nearly cancels the Montana trip; Katie talks her through it
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Flashback: the narrator's first TV appearance on Good Morning Today, where Carol Champion presses her about the article and Gabe
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The narrator reflects on fame as a monkey's paw wish
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Katie gives the narrator permission to take her time and go to Montana
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Gabe is already in the car when it arrives; the ride is tense
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Gabe asks about Jeremy and remembers details from their past conversations
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The narrator and Gabe discuss their past selves, and Gabe apologizes again
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The song from their dance plays on the radio
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They arrive at a private airport instead of LAX
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Ollie greets them at a private jet he arranged for the trip
Character Development
The narrator is caught between her past and present selves. She's spent years defining herself against that weekend, and the prospect of revisiting it terrifies her. Her self-criticism is severe—she calls her past self foolish and naïve—and she admits it's easier to be angry at Gabe than at herself. Her sparse apartment and her therapist's observation about roots show how the aftermath of that weekend has shaped her adult life.
Gabe continues to demonstrate accountability. He apologizes again, remembers their conversations, and admits his past self was stupid. His quiet “But not just my career” suggests his regret extends beyond professional matters.
Katie serves as the emotional anchor, giving the narrator permission to take her time and reminding her that both she and Gabe have changed. Her belief in signs and karma frames the trip as something the narrator is meant to do.
Ollie reappears as a success story, having accomplished exactly what he hoped. His delight at reuniting the narrator and Gabe—and his confession that Gabe wanted her all to himself—adds a layer of external validation to the trip.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Fame as a monkey's paw. The narrator explicitly frames her youthful wish for fame as a monkey's paw wish—you never see the cost until it's already paid. Her experience on Good Morning Today shows how that cost played out: she became known not for her writing but for one weekend.
Past self vs. present self. The narrator is in active conflict with her past self, calling her foolish and stupid. Gabe's parallel admission that his past self was also stupid suggests both characters are reckoning with who they were ten years ago.
Fear of repeating past mistakes. The narrator's hesitation is rooted in the fear that she hasn't learned anything—that she's about to make the same mistake again. Her line about not having learned anything gestures at this fear.
Inability to put down roots. The narrator's bare apartment and her therapist's observation symbolize her emotional state: she's been unable to build a stable life since that weekend.
Celebrity excess. The private jet is a symbol of the world Gabe and Ollie inhabit, and the narrator's conflicted reaction—annoyed but impressed—shows how she's still susceptible to that world's allure.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the bridge between the narrator's past and the trip that will define the rest of the story. It establishes the emotional stakes: the narrator is terrified of repeating her past mistakes, but she's also unable to fully sever her connection to Gabe. The flashback to Good Morning Today shows how the article shaped her public identity, and the car ride with Gabe reveals how much unresolved history still exists between them. The chapter ends with the narrator stepping onto a private jet, having made the decision to find out how this story ends—a decision that will drive the narrative forward.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator hesitate to go to Montana, and what does Katie's encouragement reveal about their friendship?
The narrator hesitates because she's afraid of repeating past mistakes. She's spent years defining herself against that weekend, and the trip feels like a step backward. Katie's encouragement reveals a friendship built on honesty and support—she knows the full truth about what happened, and she gives the narrator permission to take her time rather than pushing her. Katie's belief in signs and karma frames the trip as something the narrator is meant to do.
2. How does the Good Morning Today appearance illustrate the “monkey's paw” theme?
The narrator once wished for fame, and the appearance shows how that wish backfired. Carol Champion's questions focused entirely on the article and Gabe, not the narrator's writing. The narrator's frozen reaction only fueled rumors, and she realized she was known not for her work but for one weekend. The monkey's paw idea—that you never see the cost until it's already paid—captures how the narrator's youthful wish came with consequences she couldn't undo.
3. What does the exchange about “past selves” reveal about the narrator and Gabe?
The narrator is harsh on her past self, calling her foolish and naïve, and she admits it's easier to be angry at Gabe than at herself. Gabe's admission that his past self was also stupid—and his quiet “But not just my career”—suggests he shares some of that regret. The exchange reveals that both characters are reckoning with who they were ten years ago, and that their shared history still carries emotional weight for both of them.
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