Rewind It Back Chapter 24 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
Hallie goes upstairs to ask Rio about backsplash options, but finds his bedroom door open and hears him in the shower. She listens as he moans her name while masturbating. Rio catches her eavesdropping and invites her to watch. She steps into the bathroom and talks him through his climax, enjoying the power of seeing his desire for her. Afterward, Rio leaves for a trip, granting Hallie permission to explore his house. She goes to the closet he previously blocked and discovers a worn box containing every mixtape and CD she gave him—from ages eleven to nineteen—along with a tattered friendship bracelet she made at thirteen. The items show he played them repeatedly and never threw them away. Hallie realizes that he kept her memories as carefully as she kept his, and that he never really forgot her.
Key Events
- Hallie hears Rio in the shower moaning her name and peeks through the cracked door to watch him masturbate.
- Rio catches her and confidently invites her inside; she steps in and talks him through his orgasm.
- After he finishes, Rio jokes about phone sex and reiterates that the physical intimacy rules still apply, but he is willing to wait.
- Rio leaves for a trip, giving Hallie permission to explore the rest of his house, including the closet he had previously blocked.
- Hallie opens the closet and finds a black box containing all the mixtapes and CDs she gave him from ages eleven to nineteen, plus a friendship bracelet she made at thirteen.
- She realizes he played the tapes repeatedly (cases are cracked and worn) and kept every single gift, meaning he held on to their past as fiercely as she did.
Character Development
Hallie
At the start of the chapter, Hallie admits she still wants to be petty and hold a grudge, but spending time with Rio is cracking her armor. Watching him in the shower and then talking him through his climax empowers her, confirming she still has a deep effect on him. The discovery of the box of mementos fully shifts her perspective: she had assumed he threw everything away in anger, but finding the items in pristine condition (except from use) shows his devotion never died. Her emotional arc moves from guarded vulnerability to overwhelming emotional release and renewed trust.
Rio
This chapter reveals Rio’s ongoing longing for Hallie through his private actions (masturbating while imagining her) and through his careful preservation of their shared history. By granting her access to the closet, he shows he is ready to let her see his vulnerability and the depth of his feelings. His playful confidence during the shower scene contrasts with his serious, heartfelt decision to keep the box, proving his love has been constant even during their years apart.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Memory and Preservation
The black box of mixtapes and the friendship bracelet symbolize how both characters have treasured their shared past despite the years of separation. The worn edges and broken hinges from repeated use emphasize that Rio never stopped revisiting those memories.
Vulnerability and Trust
Hallie’s boldness in watching and talking to Rio in the shower mirrors his own vulnerability in letting her see his desire. Later, giving her permission to open the closet symbolizes his trust that she is ready to know the truth of his feelings.
Second-Chance Romance
The entire chapter reinforces the second-chance theme: physical chemistry reignites easily, but the deeper emotional reconnection is only possible once Hallie sees proof that Rio never let go of their history.
Why This Chapter Matters
This is a turning point for Hallie and Rio’s relationship. The intense physical encounter in the shower reignites their sexual chemistry, while the discovery of the box of mementos provides the emotional breakthrough Hallie needed to believe Rio’s feelings are genuine and enduring. It answers the question that has haunted her: why should she trust him when he seemed to forget her for years? Now she knows he never did. This chapter bridges their physical and emotional intimacy, setting the stage for them to fully reconcile.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Hallie initially hesitate to enter Rio’s bathroom even after he invites her?
Hallie feels mortified that he caught her eavesdropping, but she quickly reasons that he is the one getting off on thoughts of her while she is in his house, so she decides she should not be the embarrassed one. She wants to take control of the situation, so she steps in.
2. What does the worn condition of the mixtape boxes and the friendship bracelet reveal about Rio?
The cracked hinges and worn boxes show that Rio played the mixtapes repeatedly over the years, and the tattered bracelet—which he wore until it fell off naturally—proves he held onto even the smallest token from her. This reveals his ongoing devotion and that he never forgot their relationship.
3. How does Hallie’s discovery of the box change her understanding of the past six years?
Before this moment, Hallie believed that after their painful breakup Rio had immediately discarded everything she gave him, making her feel forgettable. Finding the box forces her to realize he kept and cherished each gift, meaning he was as haunted by the loss as she was. It allows her to trust that his feelings are authentic.