Chapter 33 (Chapter 35) Summary: The Kiss That Changed Everything

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Complete Chapter Summary

Two summers before the novel’s present timeline, Poppy travels to Croatia for a magazine assignment. R+R, the publication, sends Bernard, an older photographer, to accompany her. Bernard is a loud, friendly recent widower who constantly tells stories and never leaves Alex and Poppy alone. The three explore Dubrovnik’s Old Town and then take a ferry to the island of Korčula, where R+R has booked two apartment-style hotel rooms. Bernard mistakenly assumes he will share with Alex, and Poppy and Alex feel too sympathetic to correct him.

Poppy recalls that after the Tuscany trip, she and Alex had stepped back from their friendship to avoid complications with Trey. She threw herself into work, and her relationship with Trey slowly unraveled until they broke up amicably in New Zealand. When she told Alex, he said it would be easier to explain in person. Later, Alex revealed that he and Sarah had also broken up, and he too preferred an in-person conversation. Poppy had been waiting months to finally talk openly with Alex, but Bernard’s constant presence prevents any privacy. The chapter describes Bernard joining them for kayaking, winery tours, and seafood dinners, leaving no opportunity for Alex and Poppy to speak alone.

On the last night, after getting heavily drunk at a seaside restaurant, Alex and Poppy part. Fifteen minutes later, Alex knocks on Poppy’s door, having sneaked away while Bernard snores. They fall into a heap of laughter on the floor. Alex brushes hair from Poppy’s face, and soon they are kissing—a slow, fiery kiss that escalates into frantic touching. Poppy reaches for his belt, but Alex stops her, saying they shouldn’t do this because they are drunk. Poppy immediately feels embarrassed and agrees to pretend it never happened. Alex looks miserable but leaves. In the morning, Poppy sees a hickey and decides to act as if she has forgotten. At the airport, when they have a brief moment alone, Alex apologizes and says he knows Poppy isn’t over Trey. Poppy insists it was just two friends kissing while drunk and that it doesn’t have to mean anything. Alex agrees, but he looks pained. They barely look at each other after Bernard returns.

After the trip, Poppy waits for Alex to text first. A week passes, then she sends a casual text and gets a short reply. Two weeks later, when she asks if he’s okay, he says he’s been busy. They stop communicating, and Poppy reflects that ten years of friendship ended because she wanted to know what Alex tasted like.

Key Events

Poppy and Bernard travel to Croatia with Alex as her guest.
Bernard the photographer mistakenly assumes he is rooming with Alex, preventing any alone time.
Poppy recalls breaking up with Trey and Alex breaking up with Sarah months earlier.
On the final night, a drunken Alex sneaks into Poppy’s room.
They share an intense kiss that nearly leads to sex; Alex stops it, citing intoxication.
Poppy experiences deep embarrassment and agrees to pretend it never happened.
Alex awkwardly apologizes at the airport, referencing Poppy’s supposed feelings for Trey.
The two fall into a two-year silence, effectively ending their friendship.

Character Development

Poppy: This chapter reveals Poppy’s vulnerability beneath her confident, adventurous exterior. Her willingness to pretend the kiss was meaningless shows her fear of losing Alex completely. She prioritizes preserving the friendship over her own romantic desires, a pattern that has kept her stuck. Her regret at the end—“flushed down the drain”—marks a moment of painful self-awareness.

Alex: Alex is portrayed as cautious and principled, even when drunk. He stops the physical escalation, arguably to protect Poppy and their friendship, but his awkwardness and quick apology suggest he is also afraid. His assumption that Poppy is not over Trey indicates he still doubts her true feelings. His withdrawal afterward signals that he cannot easily compartmentalize the kiss.

Bernard: Though a minor character, Bernard functions as a catalyst. His obliviousness prevents Alex and Poppy from having the long-awaited conversation, forcing a confrontation that neither is ready for. His presence underscores the theme of missed timing.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Missed Timing and Interruption: Bernard’s constant company at every key moment symbolizes how external circumstances keep Alex and Poppy from communicating honestly. Even when they finally get alone, their drunkenness and fear of vulnerability cause them to abort the connection.

The Hickey as Evidence: The hickey Poppy sees in the mirror the next morning serves as a physical mark of the night’s events. It reminds her that the kiss was real, but she chooses to ignore it to preserve the friendship—a metaphor for the repressed emotions that later resurface.

Boundaries and Their Consequences: Throughout the chapter, boundaries—whether self-imposed after Tuscany or enforced by Bernard—shape Alex and Poppy’s interactions. When they finally break the boundary, they are unable to handle the fallout, leading to a painful freeze in the relationship.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 33 is the emotional fulcrum of the novel. It depicts the exact moment when Poppy and Alex’s decade-long friendship fractures. The kiss and its aftermath create the two-year estrangement that the present-day story seeks to repair. Without this chapter, readers would not understand the weight of the silence or the depth of their unresolved feelings. It also forces Poppy to confront her own avoidance patterns—a key step in her eventual growth.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Poppy insist the kiss was “not a big deal” even though she is clearly hurt?
Poppy is terrified that admitting the kiss’s significance will destroy the friendship entirely. By minimizing it, she hopes to preserve the status quo and avoid rejection. Her behavior reflects a common coping mechanism: pretending something important is trivial to maintain emotional safety.
How does Bernard’s role affect the outcome of the chapter?
Bernard’s constant presence prevents Alex and Poppy from having the planned in-person conversation about their breakups. This delays honest communication and forces the pent-up tension to explode in a drunken, ambiguous encounter. Bernard is not malicious, but his obliviousness highlights how external factors can derail crucial moments.
What does Alex’s decision to stop the kiss reveal about his character?
Alex stops the kiss because he believes they are both drunk and not thinking clearly. This demonstrates his impulse to protect their friendship and his discomfort with acting on emotions without full clarity. However, his assumption that Poppy is still hung up on Trey shows he misreads her feelings, contributing to the misunderstanding.