More Than Just a Love Triangle
Let’s face it, a stunning narrative deserves an equally stunning finish. The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 finale faded to black, and the internet did what it does best, it lit up. Edits, hot takes, endless chatter, all swirling until one truth stood clear: after two seasons of heartache and longing, Belly Conklin made her choice, and it was Conrad Fisher.
Cue the celebration from Team Conrad across TikTok, Instagram, and every buzzing group chat. For many, it was the slow-burn payoff they’d been waiting for, the romantic arc finally reaching its peak.
But here’s the thing, it wasn’t only about picking a boy.
This was never a simple love triangle. Jeremiah, with his golden-retriever energy, infectious smile, and unwavering certainty, represented a safe harbor. He was the easy choice, the boy who would never intentionally break her heart.
Conrad, on the other hand, was the storm. He was the complicated, brooding, emotionally constipated moon boy we all seem to be doomed to love. Choosing Conrad wasn’t choosing the easier love; it was choosing the truer one. It was choosing the messy, painful, profound connection that had lived in her bones since childhood. It was choosing the person who felt like home, even when home was on fire.
And yet, the finale offered a twist that elevated the story far beyond a love triangle: Belly didn’t just choose Conrad over Jeremiah. She chose Belly.
Paris, Clarity, and a Confession
Let’s rewind. The entire season was a masterclass in Belly’s grief, not just for Susannah, but for the version of herself that existed when Susannah was alive. For much of the season, she was drifting, caught between brothers, chasing a summer that no longer existed.
And then came Paris. Belly, now living abroad and carving out a life of her own, finds herself surprised when Conrad shows up at her apartment. What follows is a day that feels like borrowed time: sightseeing along the Seine, laughter woven through the cobblestone streets, even a kiss that suggests old feelings never really died. Later that night, they walk by the river, and when Conrad whispers, “Now you’re stuck with me forever,” Belly flinches. She asks if his love is real, or just another way to honor Susannah’s memory. His reply is raw: “I’ve changed everything about myself except the one thing I can’t—that I love you.”
But doubt lingers. So he leaves.
The Train Scene That Sealed It
And then comes the moment, the one destined for fan edits forever. Alone in her apartment, scrolling through birthday messages, Belly stumbles across a childhood photo her mom sent: a reminder of the girl she once was, the girl who always chased what she wanted. That’s when she runs. Through the Paris streets, Taylor Swift’s Out of the Woods pulsing like a heartbeat, until she finds Conrad on the train. There, breathless and unshaken, she tells him the truth, not just that she loves him, but that in every version of herself, in every possible world, she would still choose him.
“If there are infinite worlds, every version of me chooses you in every one of them.”
Jenny Han on Belly and Conrad’s Ending
Jenny Han herself has said that this ending was always about staying true to the story rather than the book’s exact beats. “Doing what I think is best for the story has always been my north star … and the story to me fit for these three seasons,” she told the Los Angeles Times. About Conrad’s arc specifically, she added: “In his heart of hearts, he knew Belly still loved Conrad and he knew Conrad still loved Belly. And he also knew he was always going to keep taking her back no matter what she said.”
Why This Ending Resonates
The season closes with Conrad and Belly walking into the beach house hand in hand — a return to where it all began, but with a Belly who feels entirely different. Not naïve, not defined by longing, but sure of herself and the love she’s choosing.
For a generation that is relentlessly analyzing attachment styles, setting boundaries, and championing self-love, Belly’s arc is everything. It’s a reminder that the best love stories aren’t about finding someone to complete you. They’re about finding the courage to complete yourself, and then having the bravery to offer that whole heart to someone else, even if it’s complicated.
So yes, celebrate the ship. Make the edits. Relive the Train scene.
Belly’s ending wasn’t about winning a love story; it was about reclaiming her own. The real choice wasn’t between two brothers, but between the version of herself who drifted through summers past and the version who finally stepped forward, certain of who she is and what she wants.
Belly did. And that’s a victory that lasts longer than any summer.
What do you think, was Belly’s choice about love, or about finally finding herself? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned to The World Times for more stories that captivate.
