Chapter 36 (Chapter 35: Emma) Summary & Analysis

⚠️ 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

Emma and Justin play a Nerf-gun battle indoors during a rainy day on the island. Their flirtation escalates when Justin pins Emma to the bed, but he does not kiss her—the tension remains unresolved. Justin reveals he paddled to the island on a unicorn floatie because he had to see her. He asks Emma if he can stay longer, and she straddles him in response. Later, he openly pleads for her to stay: “Meet me where I am because I can’t go to you.” They kiss for the first time since the lawn scene and then make love. Afterward, Emma cries, admitting she is falling in love and is terrified of staying still. She confesses she has “cracks” in her heart and has always used transience as protection. Justin tells her he likes her “more than like,” and they reconcile physically again.

Key Events

Emma and Justin play Nerf guns inside because it is raining.
Justin pins Emma but stops short of kissing her, citing the unresolved tension.
Emma asks how he got to the island; he says he paddled on a unicorn floatie.
Justin asks Emma when he should leave; she climbs onto him instead of answering.
Justin admits he would miss Emma more than he misses his dog, Brad.
While lying together, Justin asks, “What are we doing, Emma?” and describes their connection as magic.
Emma mentally realizes that staying would mean falling in love with his family and the place, which terrifies her.
Justin begs her to stay, willing to accept any length of time.
They finally kiss and then have sex.
After sex, Emma cries uncontrollably and says something is wrong with her heart.
She explains she has always kept moving to avoid losing people.
Justin soothes her and says he likes her “more than like.”
They resume being intimate.

Character Development

Emma undergoes a major emotional breakthrough in this chapter. For the first time, she articulates the internal wall she has built: her nomadic lifestyle is a defense mechanism learned from her mother. She recognizes that she has been living on the “low, safe side of love” and that Justin has slipped past her defenses. The crying after sex signals that her usual coping mechanisms—detachment and transience—can no longer hold back the fear of commitment. By admitting she likes Justin “more than like,” she takes a step toward vulnerability.

Justin also reveals his depth of feeling. He paddles across open water on a floatie to reach Emma, demonstrating a willingness to make absurd sacrifices. He drops his pride and begs her to stay, saying he would follow her anywhere if he could. His gentle response to her crying—pulling out, asking what is wrong, and holding her without judgment—shows emotional maturity and patience.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Home and Transience – Emma’s inability to imagine signing a lease or staying for all four seasons highlights her fear of permanence. The island, which she calls “crappy” and “lonely,” represents the stability she has always fled.

The Unicorn Floatie as Symbol – Justin’s ridiculous mode of transport captures the playful, irrational lengths he will go to be with Emma. It also underscores the theme of magic: what else could carry someone across a lake except a unicorn?

The Spell/Magic Motif – Justin asks, “If this isn’t magic, then what is?” Emma later feels they are “their own little universe” on the bed. The chapter frames love as an inexplicable, enchanting force that defies logic.

Protection Through Running – Emma’s insight that “lack of permanence was my protection” crystallizes the novel’s central conflict. Her childhood with a rootless mother trained her to leave before she could be left.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 36 is the emotional and physical climax of Emma and Justin’s relationship. It moves from playful banter to raw confession, culminating in sex that Emma experiences as transcendent—unlike any prior “transactional” encounter. More important, Emma names her deepest fear: that loving someone means risking loss. The chapter sets up the stakes for the remainder of the novel: Will she stay long enough to let herself fall completely, or will she run again?

Study Questions and Answers

What does Emma realize about the source of her fear of staying still?
Emma recognizes that her mother’s nomadic lifestyle trained her to keep moving as a way to avoid the pain of losing people. She admits that if she stayed, she would fall in love with Justin, his siblings, and the place, and that prospect terrifies her.
Why does Justin say he paddled to the island on the unicorn floatie?
He says he had to get to Emma and that “desperate times call for desperate measures.” The absurdity of the method underscores his willingness to overcome any obstacle to be near her.
How does Justin respond when Emma starts crying after sex?
He immediately stops, pulls out, and asks if he hurt her. When she says she never wants him to stop, he waits for her to explain, then soothes her without demanding reasons. His calm, tender reaction reassures her and deepens their connection.