Chapter 10: Five Years Ago – Summary and 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

Declan picks Blair up at her house with a bouquet of her favorite hydrangeas, surprising her with their first official date. He drives them to a hidden beach he discovered, which he calls "secret beach." The setting is secluded and romantic, with ocean waves and moonlight.

As they sit together, the conversation turns vulnerable. Declan admits that his feelings for Blair grew gradually over time, and he could no longer ignore them. Blair confesses she has been "a little bit obsessed" with him since childhood, but always assumed he did not see her that way because she feared ruining the friendship and because many other girls pursued him. Declan reassures her that she has always been the one he wanted, and that her genuine interest in him—separate from his football success—is what matters most.

They play a question game. Blair reveals she often wonders if she will ever see her father again, and shares the lingering guilt she carried as a child. Declan comforts her, affirming that her father’s departure was never her fault. Blair then voices a deeper worry: she cannot afford the colleges she applied to unless she gets a full scholarship, and she feels pressure to choose a practical career instead of creative writing. Declan becomes anxious about losing her, but promises she will never come second to football. The date culminates in a passionate kiss, solidifying their new romantic reality. However, Blair secretly fears that this perfect moment may not last.

Key Events

Declan picks up Blair with a bouquet of hydrangeas, her favorite flowers.
He takes her to a secret beach he discovered, a secluded spot framed by cliffs and turquoise water.
They discuss when their feelings for each other stopped being platonic; Declan describes it as a gradual snowball effect.
Blair admits she has been obsessed with him since before he had his two front teeth, and explains her fear of ruining the friendship.
Declan reassures Blair that she has always been the only girl whose attention he wanted, separate from football.
The question game reveals Blair’s unresolved feelings about her father’s abandonment and her mistaken childhood belief that she was the cause.
Blair reveals the financial reality of college: she needs a full scholarship and feels forced to abandon creative writing for a stable career.
Declan expresses his own pressure from his father to pursue D1 football and the NFL, and worries about losing Blair.
Blair confronts him about being second fiddle to football; he promises she will always come first.
They share their first kiss, a hungry and searching moment under the stars.
Blair internally doubts the permanence of their happiness, fearing Declan will eventually leave.

Character Development

Blair: This chapter reveals Blair’s deep-seated insecurities about worthiness and abandonment, rooted in her father’s absence. She has spent years masking her feelings for Declan and now struggles to accept that she is loved for who she is. Her worry about college and financial strain shows her practical side and her sense of responsibility toward her mother. The kiss marks a point of no return, yet she remains guarded.

Declan: Though confident and romantic on the surface, Declan admits to feeling pressure from his father’s expectations and fears about life after football. He values Blair precisely because she values him beyond athletics. His vulnerability during the question game and his promise that she comes first indicate a deepening emotional commitment. He is patient and reassuring, but also anxious about the uncertain future.

Aunt Lottie: Appears briefly; her affectionate teasing and protective blessing set a lighthearted tone before the date.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Vulnerability and confession: The entire date is built on mutual disclosures—the need to lay hidden feelings bare to move forward.
The hidden beach: Represents a private, safe space where Blair and Declan can be their true selves away from societal scrutiny and family expectations.
Hydrangeas: Blair’s favorite flower symbolises her preference for simple, natural beauty, and Declan’s thoughtfulness in remembering this detail shows his long-term attention.
Fear of loss / second fiddle: Blair’s repeated worry about being secondary to football highlights the theme of competing priorities, especially when one person’s life is dominated by a demanding dream.
Class and opportunity: The conversation about college affordability introduces a class divide that Blair had previously ignored, contrasting her family’s financial strain with the apparent ease of her peers.
The question game: Acts as a literary device to prompt deeper conversation and reveal character motivations.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 10 is the emotional core of the flashback storyline. It establishes the foundation of Blair and Declan’s romantic relationship, showing that their love is built on years of friendship and unspoken admiration. At the same time, it foreshadows the very conflicts that will later drive them apart: financial pressure, career ambitions, and the fear of not being enough. The chapter also humanises both characters by exposing their individual vulnerabilities, making their eventual breakup more poignant. Without this date, the reader would not fully understand the depth of what Blair and Declan had—and lost.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Declan respond when Blair admits she has been obsessed with him since childhood? Why is his reaction important? Declan responds with playful disbelief but quickly reassures her that he always wanted her attention and that she has always been the one. His reaction is important because it validates Blair’s very old crush and dispels the insecurity that she was merely a safe friend. It also shows that Declan’s feelings are equally longstanding, reinforcing the theme of mutual, hidden affection.

2. What does the question game reveal about Blair’s relationship with her father? How does Declan help her reframe that experience? Blair admits she would ask a crystal ball whether she will ever see her father again, and reveals that as a child she mistakenly concluded his departure was her fault. Declan reframes it by stating that her father’s choice to leave is on him, not her, and that “knowing something and believing it are two different things.” This moment shows Declan’s emotional intelligence and provides Blair with a vocabulary to separate logical understanding from lingering self-blame.

3. Why does Blair hesitate to accept Declan’s promise that she will “always come first”? What does this hesitation suggest about the story’s future conflict? Blair repeats his promise to herself but internally notes that she “has more faith in the probability of his leaving than this moment being the catalyst of his staying.” This hesitation suggests that despite the perfect kiss, Blair does not fully trust the future because she has experienced abandonment before. It foreshadows that external pressures (college, football, family expectations) may indeed pull them apart later in the narrative.