Chapter 21 'Eighteen' – Summary and Key Takeaways

⚠️ 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 with Sage teaching a coed ballet class for children ages six to nine. One student, eight-year-old Nina, reminds Sage of herself. Sage has noticed Nina walking home alone and has accompanied her, sensing that things at home are difficult. Sage sees ballet as a personal refuge and is careful not to overstep with Nina, knowing from her own experience what it's like to have difficult parents.

Mid-class, Sage's phone vibrates with a voicemail from the National Ballet of Canada regarding her recent audition. She plays it and learns she has not been selected. The rejection lands heavily—she describes it as an anchor on her chest—but she masks her disappointment and completes the remaining forty minutes of class without breaking down in front of the children.

Sage heads to Elias's apartment rather than her own, which remains unavailable due to delayed insurance approval after a candle fire. She finds blueberry muffins Elias baked. When Elias asks about her class, she initially says it was good, but he sees through the lie and presses her. She admits she received another rejection. Elias comforts her, holding her and insisting she is amazing, pointing out how children in the audience light up when they watch her perform and that they write her letters.

Sage notices pink roses by the kitchen sink and asks whose they are. Elias says they're hers. The romantic tension between them intensifies—Sage finds herself wanting to kiss him for real—but Elias pulls away, as he always does, and Sage's chest deflates.

Their moment is interrupted by the arrival of Elias's friends: Kian and Dylan, two tall, tattooed hockey players, and Summer, who greets Sage warmly. Elias introduces Sage as his girlfriend, though his friends know it's a ruse. Kian reveals he secured invitations to the playoffs kickoff party through Summer's father, Lukas Preston, a hockey Hall of Famer who reportedly likes nobody but his wife and daughters. Dylan came as Kian's plus-one.

Elias questions Dylan about drinking early in the day, creating a brief awkward moment. The group orders pizza and settles in to watch a horror movie, though Summer warns she'll fall asleep. Sage falls asleep too. She wakes to find Elias carrying her to bed. He gets in beside her, pulling her close and kissing her hair.

Sage asks why he buys her flowers. He says he likes seeing her light up, even though she claims not to like flowers. She half-jokes about not wanting to break any rules. He says they won't. Then he slips his arm away and turns to face the other side of the bed, and Sage feels the withdrawal like a heavy rejection, certain she won't sleep.

Key Events

Sage receives a rejection from the National Ballet of Canada during her children's ballet class
She hides her disappointment and finishes teaching
Elias comforts her after she admits the rejection
Elias reveals the pink roses in his kitchen are for her
Kian, Dylan, and Summer arrive for the playoffs kickoff party
Elias introduces Sage as his girlfriend, though it's a ruse
Kian secured guest passes through Summer's father, Lukas Preston
Elias questions Dylan about drinking early
The group watches a horror movie; Sage falls asleep
Elias carries Sage to bed and holds her
Sage asks about the flowers; Elias says he likes seeing her light up
Elias pulls away, leaving Sage feeling rejected

Character Development

Sage shows significant vulnerability in this chapter. Her reaction to the ballet rejection reveals deep self-doubt—she wonders if she's not as good as she thought. Yet she also demonstrates resilience, completing her class without breaking down. Her interactions with Nina show her compassion and her awareness of difficult home situations, informed by her own experience with poor parents. With Elias's friends, Sage experiences a kind of belonging she's never had—she reflects that she's never had friendships that feel like family.

Elias reveals a softer, more caring side. He bakes for Sage, comforts her, reassures her about her talent, and buys her flowers. His answer about the flowers—that he likes seeing her light up—suggests genuine feeling beneath the fake relationship arrangement. Yet he also maintains his distance, pulling away from moments of intimacy, which frustrates Sage and creates ongoing tension.

Nina serves as a mirror for Sage's younger self, showing how Sage channels her own difficult childhood into protecting others.

Kian and Dylan bring a new energy to the story. Kian is warm and talkative, while Dylan carries some tension around drinking that Elias is quick to address.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Rejection and self-doubt: Sage's ballet rejection is the emotional core of the chapter. Her fear that she isn't good enough echoes throughout, and Elias's reassurance becomes a counterweight.

Found family: Sage reflects that she's never had friendships that feel like family. The group's easy banter and comfort with one another represents a kind of belonging she's been missing.

Flowers as symbol: The pink roses Elias buys Sage represent his care and his desire to see her happy. Sage's internal response—longing blooming in her chest—suggests the flowers carry emotional weight beyond their surface meaning.

The fake relationship and its rules: The ruse of Sage being Elias's girlfriend continues, but the rules that govern their arrangement are increasingly strained as real feelings surface.

Ballet as solace: For Sage, ballet is both a refuge and a source of pain—it's where she finds meaning but also where she faces rejection.

Superstition: The playoffs kickoff party is described as more superstition than party, tied to the team's past failure when they skipped it.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the emotional stakes of Sage and Elias's relationship. The rejection from the National Ballet makes Sage vulnerable in a way that allows Elias to step in as a source of comfort, strengthening their bond beyond the fake relationship arrangement. The flower conversation is a key moment—Elias's answer reveals genuine feeling, but his subsequent withdrawal creates a push-pull dynamic that keeps the romantic tension alive.

The introduction of Kian, Dylan, and Summer expands the story's world, showing Sage a version of family and friendship she's never experienced. It also adds texture to Elias's life outside of Sage, including the hint of concern around Dylan's drinking and the superstition surrounding the playoffs party.

The chapter ends on a note of emotional withdrawal, with Elias pulling away just as Sage feels closest to him. This sets up continued tension and raises questions about whether the rules of their arrangement can hold.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Sage's handling of the ballet rejection reveal her character?

Sage's immediate instinct is to mask her disappointment and finish her class without breaking down. This shows both resilience and a tendency to suppress her emotions. Her admission to Elias that she thought this audition was the one reveals how much she had invested in it, and her fear that she isn't as good as she thought shows deep self-doubt. Her willingness to cry in front of Elias—something she says she's never done outside the shower—marks a significant shift toward vulnerability and trust.

2. What does the flower conversation reveal about Elias's feelings?

When Sage asks why he buys her flowers, Elias says he likes seeing her light up. This suggests his gestures are about her happiness, not obligation or performance. The fact that he continues buying them even though she claims not to like flowers shows he's attentive to what actually brings her joy. However, his immediate withdrawal afterward—slipping his arm away and turning from her—complicates this. It suggests he's aware of the growing feelings between them and is actively enforcing the rules of their arrangement, even as his actions betray deeper emotion.

3. How does the arrival of Elias's friends change the dynamic between Sage and Elias?

The friends' arrival interrupts a moment of intense romantic tension, but it also gives Sage a glimpse into Elias's life outside of her. She sees him laugh openly and appear carefree in a way she hasn't witnessed before. The introduction of Sage as his girlfriend to people who know it's a ruse adds a layer of performance to their relationship. At the same time, the easy warmth of the group—and Sage's reflection that she's never had friendships that feel like family—shows her longing for belonging, which Elias's world seems to offer.