Almost two years ago, the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty ended, and I was feverishly unwell. I could not, for the life of me, accept the fact that I had to wait an unknown amount of time for the third season. Besides the fact that I wanted to keep watching Steven and Taylor bicker like an old married couple for, like, I don’t know, ever, Belly’s choosing of the Fisher boys left me slightly nauseous. I remember thinking, “Thank GOD there is another season, so this can be corrected.” Even though Conrad basically told Belly to kick rocks in the season 2 finale, it’s obvious that he is unequivocally the right guy for her, and I really don’t think we need to argue about it. Respectfully, I think that anyone who is Team Jeremiah is… well, blind.
I don’t want to talk about the fact that we have to wait until September to see if Belly corrects her slight lapse in judgment. However, what I will talk about is who Belly should be walking down the aisle to at the end of the series. Ahead, all the reasons why I think Belly should finally end up where she’s always wanted to be—next to Conrad.
Conrad knows Belly better than anyone else does
There’s something intensely intimate about knowing all the little details about someone. Throughout the first two seasons, there are hints everywhere that show how distinctly aware Conrad is of Belly. He knows what she likes, how she feels, what she’s interested in, how she thinks—all without having to be told. This shows up in big ways, like when he agrees with Laurel that the debutante ball is not really her style, and in small ways, like knowing she thinks Swedish Fish “taste like candles”—something he had to fill Jeremiah in on.
I understand that you don’t end up with someone just because they know your favorite candy, but I do think that who you end up with should be someone who really, truly knows you—and chooses you, despite all your quirks and faults. That’s not to say that Jeremiah doesn’t pay close attention to Belly, but he doesn’t perceive her in the same way. When Conrad tells Belly, “You don’t know the effect you have on people,” or, “You have the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen, your whole face lights up,” he communicates how much attention he pays to her, which requires a type of commitment and interest that can’t be replicated or forced.
Conrad challenges Belly in the best way
I understood why Taylor was “Team Jellyfish” in season 2, even though I disagreed with her. She saw how happy Belly was not having to second-guess whether Jer liked her or not—and I get that! As Steven explains to Taylor, and as Belly echoes in the season 3 trailer, being with Jeremiah is “easier,” but that’s not necessarily a good thing. Steven explains this to Taylor simply, saying, “He doesn’t challenge Belly… not the same way Conrad does.” He goes on to say that she is deeper than more people realize and that “she deserves to be with someone who sees all the amazing, complex things she has to offer.” Damn, Steven. Way to set the bar high for all brothers everywhere.
“For Belly, Conrad is the sun, and when the sun comes out, the stars disappear.”
The point is, because Conrad wants what’s best for Belly, he’s not afraid to push her. He calls her out when she does or says something that goes against who she is, like being a debutante. And he gets her to think and talk about her feelings when her instinct is to try to shut them up for the good of others. Conrad knows how to bring out the best in Belly. Even when we don’t always agree with how he does that, he has her best interests in mind, pushing her to be better and happier in every way. That’s what you want out of a partner.
Belly has never been able to move on
Back in season 1, Belly asks Taylor, “How am I supposed to fully jump into something with Jeremiah when a piece of my heart still beats for his brother?” All these years later, I think Belly is still asking herself that as she approaches marrying Jeremiah, saying, “Everywhere I go, there is a memory of Conrad.” It’s not a coincidence that Taylor Swift’s Red gets increasingly louder throughout the new season’s trailer. There is just the right amount of emphasis on the lyrics “moving on from him is impossible when I still see it all in my head” to make it abundantly clear that Belly isn’t over Conrad and might never be. Considering Conrad tells Belly, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over you,” in season 2, I’m not really sure why they are still fighting it.
They say you always remember your first love, and I think that’s true for everyone. But the difference with Belly and Conrad is that they are still in love with each other, no matter how hard they try to put it behind them. At the end of the day (and as cheesy as it sounds), you just can’t argue with what your heart is telling you. Ultimately, if Belly can’t move on, maybe it’s because she’s not supposed to.
Everyone sees Conrad is right for Belly—even Jeremiah
The people who are closest to Belly know that Conrad is her world. In season 1, Laurel says, “For Belly, Conrad is the sun, and when the sun comes out, the stars disappear,” meaning that she can’t help but put him at the center of everything. That’s been obvious since she was a little girl, according to Susannah, who always thought Belly would end up with one of her boys, knowing innately that it would likely be Conrad. Steven sees it, too, and tells Conrad in season 2, “I’m rooting for you, bro.”
Most of all, Jeremiah knows that Belly loves Conrad, even telling Belly, “There will always be something between you and Conrad.” At the end of season 2, Belly chooses Jeremiah, but he tells Conrad, “It doesn’t feel like it.” Jeremiah can see that even though Belly is with him, the love she and Conrad have for each other will always get in the way. In the trailer for the new season, Jeremiah says, “I see the way he looks at you,” and even though Belly tries to convince Jeremiah that Conrad doesn’t matter, I don’t think she’s fooling anyone, even herself. To quote Belly from the most painful teaser, “Life’s too short not to spend it with the person that you love.” For her, that person has always been Conrad.
Hailey Tagliarino, Assistant Managing Editor
As Assistant Managing Editor for The Everygirl, Hailey Tagliarino oversees, writes, and edits content across various categories on the site. From the pitching stage through publishing, she works alongside the team to ensure that the content that our readers see every day is inspiring, relatable, and timely.
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