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
Back in the present, Lily finds herself overwhelmed by her journal entries and the memories that they stir. She feels renewed sympathy for both Atlas and her mother. Lily grabs her phone to call her mother, but texts from Ryle asking if she’s awake distract her. She responds and finds that he’s on his way over already. He is clearly exhausted when he arrives. He tells Lily that he just finished an 18-hour surgery and admits he’s too tired to have sex. Still, he wants to sleep next to her. As he dozes, Lily massages his hands and his back. When she finishes, he tells her that she may be the best part of his life.
For the first time, Lily’s old journals not only remind her of the past but also spur her to act in the present. As she reads through the troubled events of her childhood, the experience and distance she has gained in the intervening years have started to loosen her long-held judgment of her mother. Before Lily can act on her impulse to express this to her mom, however, Ryle distracts her—as is often the case. Ryle’s admission that Lily is becoming increasingly central in his life shows that she is affecting him as much as he is affecting her.
Themes
The kiss that follows is not gentle at all. Ryle is revived by Lily’s attention, and the two decide they can no longer wait to have sex. Lily is surprised at how good Ryle makes her feel, and she gets lost in the sensations he causes. For a moment, she feels so much pleasure that she worries she may pass out. When they are finished, they are too tired and happy to move. Ryle groans and tells Lily that he is worried he will become addicted to her.
The intimacy and pleasure of being with Ryle distracts Lily from every other part of her life: her exhaustion, processing the past, and concern for the future. That Lily and Ryle find sex with each other addictive suggests that Lily’s feelings for Ryle are beginning to complicate her ability to assess her relationship logically.
Themes
