Hard Love Chapter 16 Summary

  • John catches up with Marisol and asks her what's wrong. Birdie called to let her know her mom is worried sick. She didn't tell her parents where she was going, and they freaked out when she didn't come home.
  • Her mom went through her room and found John's number, too, so she called his parents and now everyone's concerned together. Yikes.
  • Marisol says she'll call her mom in the morning before she leaves. Morning? Aren't they leaving in the afternoon?
  • This is awkward. Marisol's decided to go to New York with her new lesbian friends. She doesn't want to hurt John, but she needs to do this.
  • He doesn't get it. Can't she hang out with them another time? Why doesn't she find some new friends to meet up with at Stanford?
  • She tries to explain: She's at escape velocity right now, and she wants to go with them.
  • Later, everyone eats hot dogs and veggie burgers on the beach and Diana sings songs. She has a beautiful voice, John notices.
  • Everyone cheers for her songs. Next up? "Hard Love" by Bob Franke.
  • Coincidence? We think not. The song is about how hard it is to turn away from someone you love, and how love can heal you sometimes.
  • John decides to call his mom and let her know where they are; he feels badly for making her worry.
  • When she picks up the phone, he can hear how relieved she is—she was so worried about him.
  • He tells her he's at the conference and apologizes for the letter, saying he doesn't hate her.
  • She says she knows she's made a bunch of mistakes. She just thought he had his dad, but she guesses that was wrong.
  • Also, she and Al talked about it, and maybe it's not the best idea to move him right now, so they don't have to move in with Al after the wedding.
  • Al jumps on the phone and says his friend Brian has been around all morning helping figure out where John is. He should hang on to a buddy like that. Plus, his dad is pretty ticked off.
  • John figured he would be. He reassures them that he'll be home tomorrow.
  • Diana comes up and asks him if he's okay. He tells her she was right—he is in love with Marisol even though he knows he doesn't have a shot.
  • She tells him it's okay and makes him promise to write her when he gets home.