Chapter summaries Reminders of Him Colleen Hoover

Chapter 13 Summary: Ledger's Rage and the Weight of Scotty's Death

Spoiler Notice: This summary and analysis contains detailed spoilers for Chapter 13 of Reminders of Him. If you have not yet read the chapter, proceed with caution.

Summary

Ledger drives Kenna home after she kissed him in a moment of desperation. His mind replays every detail of Scotty's death: Kenna drank, sped, crashed the car, then left Scotty to die and went to bed. He cannot forgive her. He recalls that Patrick warned him Kenna might appear; Ledger even installed a camera pointing at Diem's front yard. Now he feels stupid for not recognizing her at the bar. Kenna swears she did not know who he was before last night, but Ledger is unmoved. He tells her that Diem is not her daughter anymore and orders her to go back to Denver. Kenna, devastated, calls him a profanity and pounds on his window. Ledger drives away, but her anguished face and the echo of her pain unsettle his long‑held beliefs about her being remorseless.

Key Events

  • Ledger's internal monologue recounts the details of Scotty's fatal accident: Kenna was drunk, speeding, and left the scene.
  • Ledger describes his daily wish to trade places with Scotty so Diem could have at least one day with her father.
  • The scene reveals that Ledger had placed a security camera on his house to monitor Kenna's potential return.
  • Kenna insists she had no idea Ledger was Scotty's best friend when she approached him at the bar.
  • Ledger pulls over at Kenna's apartment, unlocks the door, and tells her to leave and return to Denver.
  • Kenna bursts into tears, argues that Diem is her daughter, and finally curses at Ledger before slamming the door.
  • As Ledger drives away, he feels a knot in his stomach and begins to question his assumption that Kenna is unrepentant.

Character Development

  • Ledger: This chapter plunges readers into the full weight of Ledger's grief. He is consumed by guilt (wishing he had died instead of Scotty), protective of Diem, and furious at Kenna. His anger is mixed with disgust at their kiss the night before; he feels deceived. Yet his inner certainty wavers after Kenna's raw pain, hinting that his view of her may be oversimplified.
  • Kenna: Kenna is portrayed through Ledger's hostile lens, but her vulnerability breaks through. She cries, pleads, and eventually lashes out with equal pain. She appears genuinely ignorant of Ledger's identity before the bar. Her desperation to see her daughter is visceral, and her departure after cursing him shows a woman pushed to the edge.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Grief and Survivor’s Guilt: Ledger's daily wish to trade places with Scotty illustrates how survivor's guilt can poison a life. His protective fury toward Kenna is rooted in the loss of his friend.
  • Perception vs. Reality: Ledger built a five‑year image of Kenna as a cold, remorseless woman. Her tearful pleas force him to confront a more complicated truth, though he fights it.
  • The Apple‑Scented Shampoo: The detail of Kenna's shampoo (smelling of apples) becomes a sensory trigger for Ledger's unwanted attraction, symbolizing the tension between his revulsion and his subconscious draw to her.
  • Abandonment: Kenna's decision to leave Scotty at the crash scene echoes in Ledger's command to "go back to Denver." The chapter explores the meaning of abandonment beyond the physical—emotional abandonment of a child, a friend.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 13 is a turning point in the novel because it forces Ledger (and the reader) to see Kenna not as a one‑dimensional villain but as a grieving mother. Ledger's internal conflict—hating her yet feeling a pull toward her—sets up the central emotional tension of the story. The grim details of Scotty's death provide the hard evidence that Kenna must someday confront and atone for. This chapter also solidifies Ledger's role as Diem's protector, making his eventual change of heart more dramatic.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Ledger feel foolish about the kiss they shared?
    Ledger recognizes that Kenna knew who he was at the bar while he had no idea she was the woman who caused Scotty's death. He feels used and tricked, which amplifies his anger.

  2. What detail about Scotty's death does Ledger reveal that makes his anger particularly sharp?
    Ledger reveals that Kenna not only caused the accident but then left Scotty to die, went home, and got into bed, apparently trying to avoid punishment. This calculated act of self‑preservation is what Ledger finds most unforgivable.

  3. How does Kenna’s reaction challenge Ledger’s preconception of her?
    Kenna’s raw sobbing, her desperate claim "It's my daughter," and her final curse show intense emotional investment. Ledger admits he cannot reconcile this suffering with the image of a remorseless person he held for five years.