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Chapter 14
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
The next day, Lily meets Ryle, Allysa, and Marshall at Bib’s. Allysa immediately notices Lily’s eye; Ryle told her that Lily had slipped on oil and hit her head. Lily doesn’t know what to think about Ryle lying about the injury that he actually caused, but she plays along. Dinner goes according to plan otherwise, and the group finishes the evening with dessert. When dessert arrives, the waiter tells them that the chef would like to congratulate Allysa on her pregnancy. When Lily looks up, she sees that the man is motioning to Atlas. Lily asks if he’s the chef, confused, and the waiter explains that Atlas steps into all roles as needed.
Though Lily believed and still believes that Ryle is sorry, his willingness to lie and protect his reputation in front of his family feels uncomfortably reminiscent of her father’s behavior. Ryle feels regret, it seems, but she wants none of the accountability that goes along with his actions. To Lily’s horror, she finds herself laughing along with his story—something she used to judge her mother for doing. This scene also reveals the true nature of Atlas’s job at Bib’s; as the chef and owner of the restaurant, he has become far more successful than Lily than he initially let on.
Themes
Atlas immediately notices Lily’s eye and the injury to Ryle’s hand, correctly guessing at what happened. He walks away, clearly angry, without saying anything. Lily excuses herself to go to the bathroom. She takes deep breaths to calm down, but when she tries to leave the door pushes toward her. Atlas steps in. He asks her what happened and doesn’t believe her when she assures him it is nothing. She tells him it was only an accident. He begs her to leave Ryle. Lily tries to explain that Ryle isn’t like that, and Atlas responds that she sounds just like her mother. When Lily tells him he is making her uncomfortable, Atlas steps aside so she can leave.
While Atlas’s status in life may have improved, his ability to identify signs of abuse and his drive to protect Lily remain as strong as ever. Atlas demonstrates that he understands Lily better than anyone by seeing through her when no one else does. When Lily won’t tell him the truth, he compares her to her mother in an attempt to shock her out of her lie. Being like her mother has always been Lily’s worst fear—which Atlas is well aware of—and it wounds Lily so deeply because part of her already believes it’s true.
Themes
Ryle sees them as they exit the bathroom. He is livid and asks Lily what is going on. Atlas heads back to the kitchen at first, but he changes his mind. He turns to confront Ryle, threatening him if he ever hurts her again. Lily yells for Atlas to let Ryle go, addressing him by name. Ryle notices the familiarity between them. He remembers Atlas’s name from their first meeting on the roof, and he asks Lily if this is the guy she had sex with out of pity. The two men start fighting and only stop when two waiters step in. Atlas tells Ryle to get out of his restaurant.
As a teenager, Atlas never got a chance to stand up to Lily’s father, so he takes this opportunity to do so with Ryle. Ryle curbs his physical anger at Lily’s request, but he is still committed to hurting Atlas—so he does so with his words, attempting to undermine what Atlas meant to Lily when they were kids. In the same way that Atlas hit Lily where it most hurt (her mother) Ryle finds Atlas’s weak spot: Lily.
Themes
Ryle and Atlas leave in opposite directions before Lily can explain the situation to either of them. Lily runs after Ryle and tells Allysa that she’ll explain in the morning. Outside, Ryle grabs the keys from Lily’s hand. On the way home, he won’t let her speak. She tries to get him to listen once they arrive home, but he yells that he never wanted a relationship or the stress that goes along with it in the first place. Lily retorts that he should leave then if she’s such a burden. He tells her that’s not what he wants.
When things are going well with Lily, Ryle is patient and attentive. However, as soon as miscommunication or doubt creeps in, Ryle turns cold and unresponsive. He seems to forget all the things he has loved about being with Lily, throwing his distaste for relationships—something he took back months ago—in her face. To Lily’s credit, she calls his bluff, which breaks Ryle out of his rage.
Themes
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Ryle demands naked truths from Lily. He asks if she knew Atlas worked there, and she tells him that’s why she didn’t want to go back. Ryle also wants to know if she told him about their fight. Lily explains that Atlas only made an assumption and came to the bathroom to check on her. She tells Ryle that she and Atlas both suffered abuse as kids, which is why Atlas feels so protective of her. Ryle tells her that she has to tell him if she wants to end their relationship before he ends up getting more hurt. Lily assures him that she wants to be with him only.
Lily realizes that she didn’t tell Ryle the whole truth, and she uses this opportunity to honor the exchange of honesty that is the foundation of their relationship. She recounts the role Atlas played in her life not only to appease Ryle, but also because she wants him to understand that part of her of history. Ryle’s response indicates that his violent reaction to seeing Atlas and Lily comes from his fear that she will leave him or be unfaithful to him. This once again hints at a possessiveness and mistrust that underlies Ryle’s love for Lily.
Themes
