All drunk dials have consequences, but Belly’s might have the best outcome. In the aftermath of everything that went down last week, The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 Episode 7 (“Love Affair”) is quick to begin the clean-up—both literally and figuratively. Laurel arrives livid after Belly’s drunk voicemail, and after a misunderstanding that ended in a slap across Belly’s face, the mother and daughter finally sit down and talk to each other about their grief after Susannah’s death. Laurel admits that she was trying to be strong for Belly and Steven when she really should have just been honest about her emotions, and they both finally find space for each other to feel everything fully. We love to see the growth!
That also extends to the house, which has been the major focal point of this season. After Laurel lets it slip that Susannah had reached out to Julia about custody before her passing, she decides to make it up to the kids by trying one last ditch effort to save the beach house. Julia and Laurel take a walk down to the lakefront gazebo, finally providing a space for Julia to open up about her animosity toward this house and her parents. She felt abandoned and like a pawn in her parents’ arguments, she admits, and even though Susannah tried hard to include her as part of the family, both Laurel and Julia agree that she liked to steer clear of any messy conversations.
Julia’s anger isn’t totally unfounded: Susannah sent a letter to her half-sister instead of calling about both her cancer and the house, and in her anger about the distant communication, Julia never replied. Feeling guilty, she couldn’t get on a plane to attend the funeral, and selling the house was her way of wiping her hands clean of the entire ordeal. But the conversation with Laurel opens her up to the idea of finding her own place at the beach house and she agrees to back out of the sale—as long as Jeremiah and Conrad’s dad Adam buys it from her.
When Adam arrives at the beach house, he’s initially hesitant about the idea. But as honesty is the name of the game in this episode, he eventually caves and even apologizes for not being a great father or husband. He poses a deal to the boys: he’ll buy the beach house, but that means he has to sell their Boston home. They agree quickly and Adam is out the door again and off to Boston to get started on the sale.
GIF – 28:20 – Jeremiah and Conrad talk on the beach
With the house back in their hands, the brothers also finally patch up their icy relationship. Conrad reveals that he got into Stanford, and tries to do the older brother thing where he claims he would rather stay close so as not to abandon the family. But Jeremiah pushes him to accept the transfer because it’s his dream school, and suddenly the entire gang is pulling an all-nighter to help Conrad study for his final the next day.
That night, he and Belly talk around their feelings yet again and she almost admits to having feelings for…someone, but Conrad falls asleep before she finishes her thought. Despite their constant talks about second chances and not fucking things up again, it’s pretty clear that Belly has eyes for Jeremiah these days—but who’s to say what would happen if Conrad could gather the courage to tell her exactly how he feels.
Belly orchestrates the all night study session, complete with McDonald’s burgers, a hype up playlist and all of the study materials you could ever want. In the morning, Laurel gives her blessing to road trip up to Brown with the brothers to “finish what she started”; what ensues is a very awkward drive to campus, dripping with sexual tension.
After dropping Conrad off at his final, Belly and Jeremiah head over to Finch College where he’ll be attending in fall and the school that Belly’s counselor said she has a chance of getting into. They frolic flirtatiously around campus and visit the volleyball court, where Belly admits she can see herself thriving. In that moment she decides to beg for her spot on the team back when she gets home. But it’s not just volleyball that Belly envisions: she can see herself there with Jeremiah on the sidelines and the two of them studying until 2 a.m. Without saying it, she admits that she can see a future with Jeremiah.
It doesn’t take her long to say what’s on her mind, though. They drive back to Brown and while they wait for Conrad in the parking lot, Belly asks if he’ll ever give her a second chance. Jeremiah replies that he can’t bear the thought of her ditching him at the last second again. Belly swears she won’t, saying that they’re different people now. They inch closer together, eyes locked and mouths inches away. It doesn’t take long for them to collide, and when they do, it would take something seismic for them to part.
That, of course, would be Conrad, who clears his throat to announce his presence. The entire episode had felt like a season finale up until this point, but now there’s another wrench in the wheel. In next week’s actual finale we’ll see the aftermath of the kiss and Conrad’s reaction to his little brother making out with the love of his life. The love triangle lives on!
That, of course, would be Conrad, who clears his throat to announce his presence. The entire episode had felt like a season finale up until this point, but now there’s another wrench in the wheel. In next week’s actual finale we’ll see the aftermath of the kiss and Conrad’s reaction to his little brother making out with the love of his life. The love triangle lives on!