Chapter 23 Summary: Samantha's Point of View

⚠️ 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

Samantha wakes and immediately checks her phone, hoping Marshall has texted. Their conversations since their strained phone call have been deliberately superficial—surfing conditions, bartending anecdotes—and Sam doesn't know how to explain her situation to him when she doesn't fully understand it herself. She can't bring herself to leave the house full of people she's just met, even though it makes no sense to her.

She finds Liam on the living room floor, writing lyrics in a notebook. He explains he writes badly when he's too comfortable. Sam asks to join him on errands, and he's heading to Costco. She disguises herself with a hot-pink beanie and oversized sunglasses, then trades her green hoodie for one of his gray sweatshirts after he teases her about the neon.

At Costco, Sam is awed by the massive store—nothing like the cordoned-off grocery stores from royal tours. Liam shops with purpose, loading the cart with bulk items. Sam tries a free tomato soup sample that brings tears to her eyes, reminding her of her mother bringing her soup in bed when she was sick. She's delighted by the concept of free samples and thinks Marshall would love this—but he's thousands of miles away, living his own separate life.

A little girl recognizes her as Princess Samantha. Sam kneels and tells her she's not a princess anymore, just an ordinary girl. The girl says being a princess is about who you are inside, not wearing a crown. The mother, Mallory, is shocked—her daughter is also named Samantha, and her toddler is George. Sam helps clean up ramen boxes the toddler knocked over. She plays volleyball with a beach ball with young Samantha while onlookers record on their phones. Sam realizes her anonymity is gone for good—the palace will have a heart attack when they see the video. She laughs, feeling light as air, like when she was a child.

Later, Liam suggests she buy a mattress, implying a long-term stay. Sam admits she feels adrift without her royal identity. Liam reassures her she knows who she is, listing her qualities—a clean housemate, a good margarita maker, a woefully off-key singer—and calling her his friend. A moment of attraction flares between them, but Sam steps back to preserve their friendship. She plans to save bartending wages for a mattress and asks about the metro, which she's never ridden. Liam offers to help her navigate it and mentions the Costco food court as lesson number one in being a nobody. Sam thinks of the little girl and decides being a nobody isn't such a bad thing after all.

Key Events

Sam checks her phone for Marshall's texts; their conversations remain superficial
Sam joins Liam on a Costco run, disguising herself with a beanie and his sweatshirt
Sam tries a free tomato soup sample, triggering childhood memories of her mother
A little girl recognizes Sam; Sam tells her she's ordinary now
Sam plays beach-ball volleyball with young Samantha while onlookers record on phones
Sam's anonymity is broken for good
Liam suggests a mattress, implying a long-term stay
Sam admits she feels adrift; Liam reassures her she knows who she is
A moment of attraction passes; Sam steps back to protect the friendship
Sam plans to save for a mattress and asks about the metro
Liam introduces the Costco food court as lesson one in being a nobody

Character Development

Samantha — This chapter shows her beginning to accept her new ordinary life. She finds genuine joy in simple experiences—free samples, playing with a child, the novelty of a wholesale store. Her admission that she feels adrift without her royal identity is the chapter's emotional core, and Liam's reassurance challenges her to define herself outside her title. Her decision to save for a mattress signals a tentative commitment to staying, and her final thought about being a nobody suggests real growth.

Liam — Continues to be a grounding presence, offering practical help and emotional reassurance. His list of Sam's qualities shows he sees her clearly as a person, not a princess. His attraction to her is evident, but he respects her boundaries when she steps back.

Marshall — Absent but present through Sam's thoughts. Their strained relationship weighs on her, and she can't explain her situation to him when she doesn't understand it herself. The distance between them feels increasingly significant.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Identity crisis — Sam's admission that she feels adrift without her royal identity is the chapter's emotional core. Liam's counter—that she knows who she is—challenges her to define herself outside her title.

Ordinary life vs royal life — Costco serves as a symbol of ordinary American life: free samples, bulk shopping, the food court. Sam's wonder at these mundane experiences highlights how insulated her royal life was. Her disguise—a beanie and a borrowed sweatshirt—is a physical attempt to shed her royal identity.

Anonymity and public recognition — The little girl seeing through Sam's disguise shows that identity isn't something you can shed with a hoodie and beanie. The phone recordings mark the end of Sam's anonymity, a moment she recognizes as irreversible.

Childhood nostalgia — The tomato soup reminds her of her mother's care; the pool toys remind her of playing with Jeff as a child. These moments connect her to a self that predates her royal identity.

Friendship vs attraction — The moment of attraction between Sam and Liam is acknowledged but deliberately set aside. Sam's choice to step back shows her commitment to friendship and her uncertainty about what she wants.

Being a nobody — Liam's lesson number one in being a nobody reframes ordinariness as something to learn, not something to fear. Sam's final thought—that being a nobody isn't such a bad thing—suggests growth.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point in Sam's arc. Her anonymity is broken, forcing her to confront the reality that she can't hide forever. Her conversation with Liam pushes her to articulate her identity crisis and begin the work of defining herself outside her royal title. The chapter also deepens the Sam-Liam dynamic, establishing the friendship as something she actively protects. The Costco setting grounds her new life in the mundane, and her decision to save for a mattress signals a tentative commitment to staying.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sam tell the little girl she's not a princess anymore, and what does the girl's response reveal?

Sam tells the girl she's an ordinary girl now, reflecting her current self-conception—she's stripped of her royal title and trying to figure out who she is without it. The girl's response—that being a princess is about who you are inside, not wearing a crown—challenges Sam to reconsider whether identity is external or internal. The moment stays with Sam, and she thinks of it at the chapter's end.

2. What does the Costco setting symbolize in this chapter?

Costco represents ordinary American life—free samples, bulk shopping, the food court. For Sam, who only experienced grocery stores as cordoned-off photo opportunities on royal tours, Costco is both bewildering and delightful. It's a space where she can be anonymous (until she's recognized) and where she begins to learn the rituals of ordinary life. Liam's lesson number one in being a nobody—stopping at the food court—frames these rituals as a kind of education.

3. Why does Sam step back from the moment of attraction with Liam?

Sam recognizes that Liam is her friend and that they need to keep it that way. She's also in a strained relationship with Marshall and uncertain about her future. Stepping back is a deliberate choice to protect the friendship and avoid complicating her already uncertain life. The chapter shows her making an active choice about what she wants to preserve.