Chapter 20 Summary: Key Events, Themes, 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

The chapter opens on Thursday morning with Daisy texting Liam to confirm their fourth date: a San Jose Sharks hockey game at SAP Center that evening, where they plan to meet Taara Auntie, Ashok Uncle, and their sons Nihan and Imran. Liam replies with enthusiasm.

After sending the message, Daisy struggles to concentrate on her work. Her mind keeps returning to the previous weekend's interrupted encounter with Liam, and she wrestles with questions about what would have happened if they hadn't been stopped—whether sleeping together would have complicated their fake engagement, and whether being with him means betraying her family or finally moving past old wounds.

Her focus is broken when Rochelle pings her with a message that Tyler wants to see her. Before she leaves, her coworkers banter about office gossip: Zoe reveals that Andrew is leaving, that Brad will hear Mia and Zoe's branding pitch, and that Hunter asked about Daisy. Mia defends Daisy's appeal, while Josh feigns jealousy.

In Tyler's office, he confronts Daisy about convincing Liam to give Mia and Zoe a chance to present the branding pitch he rejected the previous year. Daisy defends the decision, pointing out that the women in the room didn't feel represented by the current branding. Tyler presses her for other suggestions, and she proposes reorganizing the office by division—developers together, marketing together, finance near the developers.

Tyler then reveals that Andrew has given his notice, leaving a project manager opening. Daisy recommends Josh, citing his experience working with Andrew and his likability. Tyler pushes back, noting that Daisy herself has demonstrated leadership by advocating for the rebrand, proposing the reorganization, questioning Brad's vision, and recommending Josh. He offers her the job. Daisy's mouth goes dry—the role means more money and prestige but also more commitment, and she doesn't feel ready to lead. She declines.

The chapter shifts to Liam's perspective. He's excited about the game and has received club seats with a center-ice view. He calls Daisy, and they banter about hockey—she reveals she follows the sport because she used to watch games with her dad after Sanjay moved away. She teases him about the Sharks' playoff chances and then lists all the reasons she might not come: helping Mia prepare the pitch, debugging a program, and helping Josh transition into the PM role. Liam's mood deflates until she laughs and confirms she'll be there.

Liam asks why she turned down the promotion. She says she's not ready for that kind of commitment and prefers to keep her options open. Liam reflects that she's clearly made friends at Organicare and put her neck on the line to save the company—he wonders if she's doing the same with him, helping while pretending she doesn't care.

The conversation turns flirtatious. Liam mentions he'll bring his fan gear, and Daisy asks what he means by that—a question she repeats at the end of the chapter. He deflects, then teases her about kissing him when he picks her up, referencing his fall from her roof. They discuss their unresolved physical tension; Daisy insists intimacy would be a mistake under their rules, while Liam admits he likes kissing her. The chapter ends with Daisy again asking what he meant by fan gear.

Key Events

Daisy confirms Date #4 with Liam: a Sharks game at SAP Center with Taara Auntie, Ashok Uncle, Nihan, and Imran.
Tyler confronts Daisy about getting Mia and Zoe a hearing for their rejected branding pitch; she defends the decision.
Daisy proposes reorganizing the office by division.
Tyler reveals Andrew's resignation and offers Daisy the project manager role; she declines and recommends Josh.
Liam receives club seats with a center-ice view and calls Daisy.
Daisy reveals she follows hockey from watching games with her dad.
Liam questions why Daisy turned down the promotion; she cites commitment avoidance.
The two flirt about kissing and their interrupted weekend encounter.
Daisy twice asks what Liam means by fan gear, a question left unanswered.

Character Development

Daisy continues to grow into her voice this chapter. She acknowledges that her behind-the-scenes persona was an act—she was never shy in high school, and she's rediscovering confidence through her friendships at Organicare and her willingness to advocate for others. Yet her refusal of the project manager role reveals a deeper pattern: she's still avoiding commitment, not just in romance but in her career. She frames it as keeping her options open, but Liam's pointed observation—that she's clearly invested in her coworkers and the company—suggests she's not being fully honest with herself.

Liam shows a more vulnerable side. He wants Daisy to know the man he is today, not the broken teenager he once was, and he hopes that sharing the things he loves—like hockey—will help her see him differently. His reflection on Daisy's commitment avoidance mirrors his own growth: he recognizes that she helps people while pretending not to care, and he wonders whether she's doing the same with him.

Their dynamic is marked by push-and-pull. Daisy insists on her rules to feel safe, while Liam enjoys testing them. His admission that he likes kissing her is a direct challenge to her framework, and her repeated question about fan gear suggests she's both curious and wary of what he's planning.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Commitment avoidance is the chapter's central theme. Daisy declines a promotion that would require her to stick around, using the same logic she applies to her fake engagement. Liam's question—whether she's helping him while pretending she doesn't care—ties her professional and romantic avoidance together.

Self-discovery and voice appear in Daisy's realization that her quiet persona was an act. Her advocacy for Mia and Zoe, her office reorganization proposal, and her willingness to question Brad all signal a woman finding her footing.

Rules and their limits recur throughout. Daisy's rules about intimacy are designed to keep her safe, but Liam's flirtation—and her own curiosity—suggest the rules are already straining.

Hockey as shared ground functions as a motif: the game is the occasion for their date, a way for Liam to share what he loves, and a reminder that Daisy has her own history with the sport through her father.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the central tension of the novel: two people who are both avoiding commitment while being drawn toward each other. Daisy's refusal of the promotion mirrors her resistance to intimacy, and Liam's observation about her behavior forces the reader—and Daisy—to see the pattern. The chapter also advances the workplace subplot, with Andrew's departure and Daisy's advocacy for her coworkers setting up future developments. The hockey date promises to bring Daisy and Liam into closer contact with family expectations, and the unresolved fan gear question creates anticipation for what's to come.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Daisy decline the project manager position, and what does her reasoning reveal about her character?

Daisy declines because the role requires commitment—she'd be the glue that holds the team together, and she doesn't want to be tied down. This mirrors her approach to relationships: she keeps her options open to avoid vulnerability. Her reasoning reveals that her commitment avoidance isn't limited to romance; it's a broader pattern of self-protection.

2. How does Liam's perspective in this chapter differ from earlier portrayals of him?

Liam's interiority shows a man who wants to be seen as he is now, not as the broken teenager he once was. He's excited to share hockey with Daisy and hopes she'll look at him with the same passion she had as a teen. His reflection on Daisy's behavior—helping while pretending not to care—shows he's perceptive about her defenses and perhaps recognizes his own past patterns in her.

3. What is the significance of Daisy's repeated question about fan gear?

The question, asked twice, serves as a running tease and a symbol of the unresolved tension between them. Daisy is both curious and wary of what Liam is planning, and her inability to let the question go suggests she's more invested in him than her rules admit. It also sets up anticipation for the hockey date.