55 pages • 1 hour read
Meagan BrandySay You Swear (Boys of Avix, #1)
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 21-30Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 21 Summary
Arianna doesn’t see many of her friends during midterms. Then, one day, she and Cameron decide to go out with the boys. When Arianna sees Chase, she momentarily freezes but finds herself hugging him anyway. She tears up remembering their night together. Chase starts talking intimately to her, but then Arianna sees Noah with Paige in her periphery. She still isn’t sure what their dynamic is and wants to get away from Chase. Noah interrupts and tells her that he’s taking Paige home but only came to the party to see her. She came for the same reasons and agrees to drive Paige home with him.
Afterward, Noah takes Arianna on a drive to Sunset Cliffs, one of his favorite places to be alone. The view moves Arianna. They sit on the cliffside, study the night sky, and talk about their families, friends, and futures. Finally, Arianna admits that the reason she agreed to come to Avix with her friends was because she didn’t care where she went to school. The only thing she wants to be is a mom. She admits that her dream is silly in comparison to Noah’s aspirations, but he takes what she’s saying seriously and tells her that motherhood is what his mom wanted, too. She gave him a football every year for his birthday because that’s what he asked for. Arianna realizes that he chose football because it was cheap and because succeeding at the sport would be an easy way to make his mom proud.
Chapter 22 Summary
On Sunday, Noah and Arianna drive to Tri-City Medical, where they’re going to visit his mom. Noah explains that she’s been in the rehab center since her stroke two years prior. Arianna now understands why he chose Avix.
Inside, Noah introduces Arianna to his mom, Lori Riley. She is kind and gentle. When Noah goes to grab her a juice, Lori thanks Arianna for making Noah happy, as this is the best she’s seen him in years.
Afterward, Ariana and Noah go to Pasco Bella Farms to visit the pumpkin patch and corn maze. Security kicks them out when they find them kissing in the maze.
Chapter 23 Summary
Arianna and Cameron watch the boys’ away game in the common room. The friends all talk on the phone after the boys win. Later, Arianna and Noah FaceTime and make plans to meet up when he gets back to campus.
Arianna and her friends prepare for a camping trip that weekend when the boys get back. Arianna invites Noah to come. He agrees, taking Arianna aside to kiss her in private.
Chapter 24 Summary
The friends drive to Mount San Jacinto. Noah brings his tent and helps the boys set everything up. He’s glad that Arianna invited him, as he didn’t like the idea of being away from her or her going away with Chase. That evening around the fire, he longs to be intimate with her. He can’t believe how perfect she is and how much he already cares about her.
Chapter 25 Summary
In the morning, Noah makes coffee and breakfast for everyone. The friends spend the day hanging out, chatting, playing cards, and throwing the football. That evening, Arianna and Noah go for a walk in the dark and end up falling into the pond. Afterward, they hide behind Noah’s truck to change and start kissing. Then, they have oral sex in Noah’s tent. They rejoin their friends before anything else can happen between them. Sitting by the fire, Arianna feels breathless, staring at Noah across from her.
Chapter 26 Summary
On Sunday, Arianna gets up early to say goodbye to Noah before he leaves to visit Lori. Afterward, Chase gets up and joins Arianna near the fire. Chase starts reminiscing about other times they spent together and reveals that Mason punched him years prior when he tried to initiate something with Arianna. Arianna feels confused by the story.
Suddenly, Noah’s truck reappears and interrupts their conversation. He brings Arianna a coffee and admits that he doesn’t want to say goodbye. Arianna suggests that she come with him. They drive to the rehab center and visit with Lori. Arianna enjoys hearing Lori’s stories about Noah, realizing that he could mean more to her than her other friends.
Chapter 27 Summary
Arianna and Cameron watch the boys’ football practice. Suddenly, Noah and Chase start fighting each other. Upset, Arianna insists that she and Cameron leave. At the campus coffee shop, Cameron confronts Arianna about her dynamic with Chase. She’s annoyed that their conflict is ruining the group and thinks that Arianna has been insensitive to Chase. Arianna tries to explain how she feels and says that she doesn’t want to bring up the issue again since she’s finally feeling happy.
The boys leave for another away game. The night before, Noah FaceTimes Arianna and tells her that Mason is starting the first quarter. Arianna is thrilled for her brother.
Arianna and Cameron watch the game on television the next day. They are beside themselves when Mason gets tackled and doesn’t get up. Arianna’s dad calls to see if she and Cameron are okay. Then, Noah puts his face in front of a reporter’s camera. Arianna realizes that he’s telling her that Mason will be fine.
Arianna collapses into Noah’s arms when everyone gets back. He gets Mason on FaceTime so that he and Arianna can talk. Mason insists that he’ll be okay but doesn’t want to tell their parents the extent of his injuries. Arianna agrees to keep his secret.
Afterward, Arianna and Noah are alone in her dorm. They kiss, and Arianna realizes that she needs to be with him.
Chapter 28 Summary
Arianna and Noah close themselves in Arianna’s room. During foreplay, they tell each other that they fantasized about one another while they were apart. They have sex, and Noah’s feelings for Arianna overwhelm him.
Chapter 29 Summary
In the morning, Arianna finds a note from Noah saying that he had to visit his mom but left her some food. He invites her to get dinner later. Afterward, she FaceTimes Mason to check up on him. That afternoon, Arianna runs into Chase, and he asks her if she’s with Noah. She says that she is and feels hopeful that they’re okay now.
After dinner that evening, Noah gives Arianna a ride home. In the car, Arianna marvels at how “sweet and humble” Noah is. They head back to Arianna’s place and close themselves in her room again.
Chapter 30 Summary
Arianna and Noah visit Lori again on Sunday. Lori asks the nurse, Cathy, to photograph them on the patio. Afterward, Noah thanks Arianna for being there for him and suggests taking her to another of his favorite places. He drives her to his high school stadium, where he tells her about his friendship with Paige. They both had sick parents and supported each other through these hard times.
Arianna and Noah start dancing on the field. Watching Arianna, Noah realizes that he’s in love with her. He secretly wonders what would happen if he “devoted [his] life to loving” her instead of to football (304). He asks her to attend the football gala with him, and she accepts.
Chapters 21-30 Analysis
Arianna and Noah’s developing relationship begins to teach both characters about The Healing Power of Love. Arianna’s and Noah’s feelings for one another have developed rapidly and unexpectedly. Although Arianna can’t logically make sense of why she feels so connected to Noah, she does know that she feels safe and comfortable when she’s in his presence. Furthermore, the more time that she spends with him, the less consumed she feels by her heartbreak and frustration over what happened between her and Chase. In this way, Noah’s humility, gentleness, and selflessness begin to usher Arianna toward personal growth and renewal. At the same time, Arianna’s character also has a positive impact on Noah. Their reciprocal dynamic allows the two characters to learn from each other and support one another through difficult times. The novel uses their deepening romance to capture how healthy, caring relationships might help the individual both grow and feel strong and capable.
Chapters 21-30 introduce passages written from Noah’s first-person point of view. Arianna’s first-person voice remains the predominant narrative authority and guide. However, throughout this excerpt, Noah’s voice begins to emerge amid Arianna’s. Such moments formally enact the balanced dynamic that Arianna and Noah are creating together. For example, in Chapter 23, Arianna describes her reunion with Noah after he and the team return from their game. Her narration reveals her internal experience and includes details like the fact that she feels as if Noah’s “words are wrapping around [her]” when he speaks, that her “heartbeat hammers in [her] chest” when they’re close, and that she understands that Noah “isn’t afraid to show” how much he wants her (239). In Chapter 24, the narrative then shifts into Noah’s first-person point of view and offers access to his private interiority. This chapter includes intimate details from Noah’s perspective, including that he “want[s] [Arianna’s] body to heat all over in anticipation” when she sees him, that he thinks “[s]he is perfect,” and that she is “all [he] see[s]” (243). By placing Arianna’s and Noah’s narrations side-by-side, the novel reveals the ways they feel about each other. Although Arianna and Noah both have insecurities and doubts about themselves, they know how they feel about one another. This narrative choice captures the mutuality of their dynamic and underscores how their balanced dynamic is helping both of them feel strong, capable, and secure.
The more time that Arianna and Noah spend with one another, the more of their vulnerabilities they show to one another. This openness, in turn, strengthens their relationship and bond. For example, while Noah has helped Arianna heal from her sorrow over Chase, Arianna is helping Noah cope with his mom’s illness. Noah’s decision to invite Arianna to the rehab center to meet Lori is his way of showing Arianna that he wants her in his life. Furthermore, he reveals his vulnerability to her by telling her about his mom’s condition and inviting her into his family. Lori’s character is also a narrative device used to provide perspective on Noah’s character and The Journey Toward Self-Discovery. In Chapter 22, for example, when he temporarily leaves Lori’s room, Lori thanks Arianna for “bringing life back into [her] boy” (222), as he has been unhappy and down since she fell ill. Lori’s revelation helps Arianna see that Noah needs her as much as she needs him. This dynamic reverses in Chapter 27 when Mason gets injured and Noah does everything in his power to comfort and support Arianna. In these ways, Arianna and Noah are learning how to be one another’s support systems. They are solidifying The Importance of Friendship and Family for each other. Their actions capture their deep care for one another and their desires to bolster and empower one another through difficult times.
