Chapter 16 Summary: Naomi's Story

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens in October 2022, seven months before Naomi's death. She attends a soccer game to watch Ben play. The weather has turned cold and windy, with dark clouds overhead—a mood that foreshadows the emotional turbulence to come. Naomi scans the crowd for her friends Zee and Trey, who point out Ben on the field. She cheers for him, and he acknowledges her from a distance.

During the game, Naomi notices a small, dark-haired girl in a long pink coat watching her from the stands. The girl quickly looks away when Naomi meets her gaze. At halftime, Zee and Trey leave to get food, and Liam appears, wrapping an arm around Naomi. He tells her that he and Mollie have broken up, and then he kisses her. Ben, who is on the sideline, witnesses the kiss.

After the game, Naomi searches for Ben to explain what happened. She spots him talking to a teammate, but then the girl in the pink coat—now wearing a Yale sweatshirt—throws her arms around Ben's waist. She introduces herself as Jamie, Ben's girlfriend. Naomi is stunned and hurt; she turns and runs away through the rainy campus.

Back in her dorm, Naomi grabs a bottle of tequila and drinks to numb the pain. A half hour later, she wanders to the bridge over Lake Carnegie and climbs onto the stone ledge. The wind is brutal, and she nearly loses her balance. Out of the darkness, Liam appears on his motorcycle. He approaches cautiously and convinces her to come down. He drapes his jacket over her and takes a drink from her tequila bottle.

Liam offers to take her home, but they end up at his dorm. They kiss passionately and begin to undress, but Liam stops, saying she's drunk and it feels weird. He tucks her into bed and sleeps on the couch. The next morning, he makes her peppermint tea. He asks about Ben, and Naomi confronts him about disappearing the previous spring—she called him every day, left voicemails, and never heard back. Liam insists he never left and was always there, but he offers no explanation. The chapter ends with Naomi walking away, still unresolved.

Key Events

• Naomi attends a soccer game to watch Ben, but the atmosphere is tense and cold.

• A mysterious girl in a pink coat watches Naomi from the stands.

• Liam approaches Naomi at halftime, reveals his breakup with Mollie, and kisses her in front of Ben.

• After the game, Naomi discovers Ben has a girlfriend named Jamie.

• Naomi drinks tequila and climbs onto a bridge ledge over Lake Carnegie, nearly falling.

• Liam finds her on his motorcycle and brings her to his dorm.

• They nearly sleep together, but Liam stops because she's drunk.

• The next morning, Naomi confronts Liam about his disappearance the previous spring; he denies ever leaving.

Character Development

Naomi is shown in a state of emotional vulnerability. She is still drawn to Liam despite knowing he is toxic, and she is devastated by Ben's hidden relationship. Her decision to drink and climb onto a bridge ledge reveals a self-destructive streak, and her confrontation with Liam shows her unresolved grief over his past abandonment.

Liam is portrayed as both manipulative and caring. He kisses Naomi to provoke Ben, yet he also stops their physical encounter because she's drunk and later makes her tea. His refusal to explain his disappearance suggests he is hiding something, and his insistence that he