Chapter 14: Aubrey — Summary, Analysis, and Key Moments

⚠️ 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

Chapter Fourteen, told from Aubrey's point of view, takes place entirely at Kayla's Boutique, where Aubrey and Milly are shopping for gala dresses. Milly, who has been subdued ever since the awkward brunch with Gran two days earlier, tries on a stunning black-and-white gown that the shop owner, Oona, declares perfect. Milly agrees to have the hem altered, and the seamstress begins pinning it. Oona mentions that she knew the Story parents, and that her sister Kayla was friendly with them. Aubrey asks about Uncle Archer, who has been missing for two days and hasn't shown up at the resort. Oona says she knew Archer well and describes him as a lovely man with some challenges. She also reveals that Kayla dated Anders off and on throughout high school and college, and that Gran never approved. Oona calls Anders "very intense."

After Milly goes to change, Oona turns her attention to Aubrey, who is uncomfortable with the shopping process. Aubrey admits that dresses don't look good on her, but Oona insists on bringing her a twilight-blue dress with a single beaded strap. While helping Aubrey into it, Oona continues talking about Anders and Kayla, noting that they broke up often and that Kayla always took him back. Oona mentions that Kayla died twenty-four years ago, which Aubrey quickly calculates as 1997—the same year her father and his siblings were disinherited. Aubrey feels a prickling sensation and wants to ask if something happened to Kayla at Cutter Beach, but she holds back.

Aubrey confides in Oona that her boyfriend Thomas once said she looked like a kid playing dress-up, and that she thinks he might now be an ex. Oona reassures her that Thomas doesn't sound worthy and helps her see the dress in a new light. Aubrey struggles with her reflection, recalling her father's comments about her swimmer's build and her own dislike of her shoulders and arms. But Oona's kindness and insistence that Aubrey looks like a Greek goddess begin to shift her perspective. Aubrey decides to buy the dress, even though she still hates her reflection, because she wants to try to see beyond it.

Key Events

Milly finds a gown and agrees to alterations, but remains emotionally distant after the brunch with Gran.
Oona reveals that her sister Kayla dated Anders on and off, and that Kayla died twenty-four years ago.
Aubrey learns that Archer has been missing for two days and feels unsettled by his absence.
Oona helps Aubrey try on a blue dress and offers encouragement about her appearance.
Aubrey confides about Thomas's hurtful comment and her belief that they may have broken up.
Aubrey connects Kayla's death year (1997) to the year of the disinheritance.
Aubrey decides to purchase the dress, signaling a tentative step toward self-acceptance.

Character Development

Aubrey's internal struggle with body image is central to this chapter. She repeatedly compares herself to Milly and hears her father's and Thomas's critical voices in her head. Her father's comment that she wouldn't be a swimmer if she took after the Storys is a backhanded insult that she has internalized. Oona's genuine compliments and patient guidance offer Aubrey a different perspective, and by the end of the chapter she expresses a desire to see herself differently, even if she doesn't yet know how. This marks a small but significant shift in Aubrey's self-perception.

Milly remains largely closed off, still affected by the brunch with Gran. Her polite but disengaged behavior suggests that something about that encounter troubled her deeply, though she doesn't share the details with Aubrey. Oona serves as a warm, maternal figure who listens without judgment, providing a contrast to the critical voices in Aubrey's life.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Family Legacy and Reputation: Oona's comments about the Storys—how hard it was to resist a Story, and how Gran never approved of Kayla—highlight the family's outsized influence on the island and the weight of their reputation.
Body Image and Self-Acceptance: Aubrey's discomfort with her shoulders and arms, and her eventual decision to buy the dress, explore the tension between external validation and internal worth.
Secrets and the Past: The chapter deepens the mystery around Kayla's death and its connection to the disinheritance year, while Archer's disappearance adds another layer of unresolved secrets.
The Dress as Symbol: The blue dress represents Aubrey's tentative embrace of her own beauty and her willingness to challenge the negative voices in her head.
Class Distinction: Oona's description of Kayla as a "townie at heart" underscores the divide between the Storys and the island's residents.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter provides crucial clues about the central mystery. Oona's revelation that Kayla died in 1997—the same year the Story siblings were disinherited—creates a direct link between Kayla's death and the family's rupture. Aubrey's instinct to ask about Cutter Beach suggests that location may hold significance. Additionally, Archer's continued absence raises questions about his role in the unfolding events. On a personal level, Aubrey's growth here sets up her character arc, showing her beginning to resist the toxic messages she has absorbed from her father and boyfriend.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What does Oona reveal about Anders and Kayla's relationship, and why is it significant?

Oona says that Kayla dated Anders off and on throughout high school and college, that they broke up often, and that Kayla always took him back. She describes Anders as "very intense" and notes that Gran never approved. This is significant because it establishes a romantic connection between a Story sibling and a townie, and it ties Kayla's death to the same year as the disinheritance, suggesting the two events may be connected.

2. How does Aubrey's perception of herself change over the course of the chapter?

At the start, Aubrey is deeply self-critical, hating her shoulders and arms and believing she looks like a frump next to Milly. She recalls Thomas's comment that she looked like a kid playing dress-up and her father's backhanded remarks about her swimmer's build. Oona's persistent compliments and the experience of wearing a well-fitted dress gradually shift Aubrey's perspective. By the end, she still hates her reflection but acknowledges that it may be a distorted image, and she decides to buy the dress as a way to try to see beyond it.

3. Why does Aubrey connect Kayla's death to the disinheritance year, and what does she consider asking Oona?

When Oona mentions that Kayla died twenty-four years ago, Aubrey quickly calculates that this is 1997, the same year her father and his siblings were disinherited. She feels a prickling sensation and is struck with the urge to ask Oona if something happened to Kayla at Cutter Beach (also called Cutty Beach), a location that has appeared in a strange line in Cutter's novel. However, she cannot bring herself to ask, because it would mean reliving the way Kayla died. This moment hints that Kayla's death may be linked to the family's secrets and the events at Cutter Beach.