Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in It Ends with Us, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Cycles of Abuse
Naked Truths
Good and Evil
Chosen Family
Summary
Analysis
Lily attends Allysa’s birthday party with her old work friend, Devin. Devin is gay, but when Lily confides in him about Ryle, he offers to pretend to be her boyfriend to make Ryle jealous. Allysa lets them in, dragging them to where Marshall and Ryle are standing. Devin introduces himself as Lily’s partner, but no one is convinced by his over-the-top performance. Allysa pulls Lily away to the kitchen where they can speak privately. Lily compliments her apartment, and Allysa tells her that she didn’t marry Marshall for money; he was broke when they fell in love.
Though Lily doesn’t want to encourage Ryle’s unfair behavior, her love for Allysa prompts her to come to the party anyway. This evening is a significant step in their friendship, as it seems to be the first time they see each other outside of work. Lily brings her friend Devin as a support and buffer, but he also accompanies her to make Ryle feel jealous. While Lily is trying to honor her and Ryle’s decision not to get involved with each other, Devin’s role shows that her desire for Ryle is beginning to influence some of her actions.
Themes
Devin joins them in the kitchen to let Allysa know that Marshall is looking for her. After she leaves, Devin tells Lily that he met Ryle. When he heard that Devin was Lily’s date, Ryle stared daggers at him. As they talk, Devin sees that Lily is truly nervous about seeing Ryle. He asks her if she really likes Ryle, and she admits that she does. She just doesn’t want to. The two go back to the party, and Lily hangs back while Devin handles most of the socializing. In the living room, she notices people discussing a photograph on the wall.
Alone with Devin, Lily vocalizes her complicated feelings for Ryle for the first time. In the kitchen, she admits how deeply she likes him not only to herself but also to her friend. Ryle’s frosty reception of Devin suggests that he seems to be losing any control over his own urges. His glare also hints at Ryle’s darker side, which Lily witnessed briefly on the rooftop the night they met.
Themes
The photo is large and blurry. While Lily tries to determine what it is, Ryle joins her. He seems angry that she brought Devin. Lily responds that she was just trying to help him move on—to make it stop. Ryle finishes his champagne and throws the glass in the trash can; it shatters. Only after he leaves does Lily realize the photo is the picture Ryle took of her on the night they met. Lily’s anger grows when she thinks about how he hanged a picture of her on the living room wall of the apartment he shares with Allysa, bought her flowers, and treated her rudely for bringing a date when the two of them haven’t even kissed.
Ryle’s dark mood escalates; when he smashes the champagne glass, it demonstrates his capacity for violence. When Lily finally recognizes herself in the photograph, it’s the final straw for Lily. All the ways that Ryle has been unfair to her or put her in an uncomfortable position crystallize into an overwhelming anger; she is no longer willing to tolerate Ryle’s manipulation.
Themes
Lily goes up to the roof to find fresh air. She ignores the other people from the party who are sitting there. Before she can calm down, Ryle appears again, telling the others to go back downstairs. Lily closes her dress over her cleavage when Ryle checks her out. Sensing that she’s upset, he asks her for a truth. Lily’s anger explodes, and she demands to know what he really wants. He tells her that he wants her, even though he wishes he didn’t. Lily tells him that the idea of a one-night stand with him makes her even sadder now that she knows him. Their relationship is just too loaded for casual sex now. She asks him to leave her alone, because his flirting makes her feel worse, not better.
Ryle asks Lily to share a truth with him, but in reality, she has been honest throughout the time they’ve known each other—honest with herself about her deeper needs, and honest with Ryle about her unwillingness to compromise those needs. Ryle’s unpredictable moods, on the other hand, are a direct result of his inability to be honest with himself and act accordingly. Like Lily, Ryle has feelings he doesn’t want to have, but unlike Lily, he has been unable to suppress them. Because he can’t control himself, Lily wisely sets a firm boundary.
Themes
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When Ryle doesn’t respond, Lily returns to the party. She tells Devin that she is ready to go. As Lily is saying goodbye to Allysa, Ryle bursts into the room and makes his way toward her. Lily doesn’t know what he’s planning to do. She freezes in place. When he reaches her, Ryle lifts her into his arms. He tells Devin that he needs to borrow her, and he steps aside. Everyone, including Allysa, stares with confusion as Ryle carries Lily off to his bedroom.
In this passage, Lily experiences a moment where Ryle is fully unpredictable. It is unclear to Lily whether Ryle acts out of anger or love, perhaps because Ryle is unsure himself.
Themes
When they get to Ryle’s room, he puts Lily down. She screams at him and tries to leave, but he pins her wrists against the door. He kisses her, and Lily stops protesting. She reminds herself she doesn’t want a one-night stand. She regains enough composure to tell him to stop. He asks her if he can tell her his naked truth now, and Lily allows him to. Ryle explains that he had the picture of her framed the morning after they met on the roof. He came to her apartment and bought her flowers for the same reason he hung up her photo; he can’t stop thinking about her.
Lily’s reactions to Ryle’s use of force is a muddle of conflicting emotion and thoughts. Her body responds positively while her mind fumes. She wants to kiss him, but she has already spoken her truth and meant it. Ryle, on the other hand, has more to say. The finality of her words on the roof forced him to reckon with himself. His actions are not intentionally manipulative or selfish; instead, they are a direct result of his confusion.
Themes
Ryle tells Lily he understands that his attention is hurtful to her, but it causes him pain, too. He explains that he finally realized that his feelings are rooted in his desire to become the person she needs him to be. He just doesn’t know how to do it. Ryle asks her how he can prove that he really wants to be with her, and Lily tells him that he can prove it by not having sex with her. Ryle agrees, and the two decide to sleep platonically in the same bed.
This moment shows that self-doubt drives Ryle’s hesitation to attempt a real relationship with Lily. The only thing he and Lily can do is to be vulnerable with each other—a kind of truth-telling that they must demonstrate with their actions, not just with their words, or “naked truths.”
Themes
In the morning, Lily wanders to the kitchen to make coffee. Allysa comes in, hungover from the party. While the coffee brews, Lily asks how the house is cleaned up already. Allysa says they hire people to do everything. Finally, they break the ice about Ryle. Lily explains to Allysa that she met her brother well before the day she sprained her ankle, and their connection has only grown since then. Allysa says she’s fine with it, but Lily picks up on some sadness in her voice. Lily presses her, but as Allysa begins to elaborate, Ryle walks into the kitchen.
In this scene, Lily gains a fuller understanding of Allysa, Marshal, and Ryle’s lifestyle. Her friends are wealthy enough to hire help for all aspects of life. Such comfort and ease is compelling to Lily, who has never experienced it. Allysa’s reticence about Lily and Ryle dating also suggests that Ryle is concealing deeper truths about his past that Lily has not yet seen.
Themes
Ryle, having overheard a portion of their conversation, urges Allysa to continue what she was planning to say. Allysa proceeds with some hesitation, expressing her fear that Lily and Ryle’s relationship will end poorly, ultimately impacting her friendship with Lily. Ryle pours his coffee into the sink angrily, then he tells Allysa that he wishes she had more trust in him. He leaves. Lily follows him, and they sit together on the couch. Ryle tells her that he won’t be able to see her for a few days because he has an important surgery to study for. Lily responds that she’ll be busy preparing for the grand opening anyway. They kiss, then he gets ready for work.
This conversation helps characterize Allysa and Ryle’s relationship as siblings. Allysa’s hesitation is not only rooted in concern for Lily, but also in her understanding of her brother’s flaws. Ryle’s angry response ultimately underscores Allysa’s worry. Though his feelings for Lily may be earnest, it’s likely that his inability to control his darker moods will continue to be an issue. For now, though, the couple seems to be balancing their priorities—their work and each other—exceedingly well despite their initial worries.
Themes
