Sweet Valley Confidential Chapter 21: Elizabeth is in Love With Bruce Now

Elizabeth heads back to Sweet Valley for Jessica and Todd’s wedding. Bruce picks her up from the airport and she asks him what’s been going on.

“I know most of what’s happened in the last two weeks, but maybe, being on site, you know more. So, tell me,” she said.

“Do you want Caroline Pearce’s story or the truth? Fair warning: The truth is not nearly as interesting.”

“I’ll start with the truth.”

It really doesn’t make much sense because Elizabeth was actually there for the truth, which even the book admits is boring. Why would Elizabeth start with this let alone ask about it -ask about the crazy rumors, dude!

“Well, first of all, Todd went nuts when he found out that Jessica’d left him. You know how cool he can be?

No?

This time he just lost it. He wouldn’t consider anything but getting on the first plane to New York. Whatever happened in New York, he wasn’t going to talk about it, but whatever it was, they came back here together.

It was literally that Jessica walked outside of Elizabeth’s apartment, and everything was fine again due to a magical hug the sisters shared.

“All he would say was that they both had changed. I know it sounds impossible, but everyone could see something was different. Jessica was calmer and happier. Even your brother and Aaron had to admit it, and that’s saying a lot. However you did it, she and Todd came out better than ever. The question everyone wants to ask is, What kind of magic did you perform?”

A hug. That was the magic she performed that somehow transformed everyone into better people with stronger relationships. Even Aaron had to admit it after seeing Todd and Jessica post-New York trip for two weeks.

“None. It really was all Jessica …”

“Whatever you say.”

“… and Todd, too. They just let love take over. Don’t ask me to explain. It’s like hope, you can’t explain it.”

It makes just as much sense as the magic hug thing.

Bruce asks Elizabeth if they can talk later that night, but not to worry it’s nothing bad. Elizabeth is convinced he’s going to announce he’s getting married or some such.

Later, Elizabeth meets up with her family. Todd is there, and things are okay but awkward between them. “Maybe it would never be perfectly comfortable, and that would have to be good enough. Lots of rooms had elephants in them.” I mean that sounds terrible, but I guess realistically that’s probably the happiest ending we’re going to get out of this unrealistically happy ending.

Also, “Seeing how much Todd and Jessica loved each other softened Elizabeth’s heart somewhat.” Makes total sense.

The twins kind of have a wedding ceremony of their own where they exchange lavalieres and cry because they’re happy to be in each other’s lives. Todd is like, “I’m here too! I care about you Elizabeth.” K thanks bye Todd.

Elizabeth realizes she too has grown as a character:

Later, as they were leaving, Elizabeth was able to kiss Todd good-bye on the cheek. It was weird, but she made up her mind to get used to it. Turned out that along with Jessica, Elizabeth had changed, too.

Enough that she was also able to take her suede jacket right off the new Jessica’s back.

And she knew she was ready to open Todd’s letter.

There you have it, Elizabeth has grown so much as a character that she doesn’t just let Jessica wear her Elizabeth’s new clothes whenever Jessica feels like it. AND she’s ready to read Todd’s motherfucking letter. Let’s find out what it says:

The contents of the letter would mean little now, but her readiness to open it meant everything.

The contents mean so little, in fact, that we never find out what he wrote. But it doesn’t matter because it’s her willingness to read it. Duh.

Todd and Jessica share a brief scene where they say they love each other. Todd is so impressed Jessica was able to reconcile with Elizabeth, he thinks she’s amazing. It’s very weird she’s getting the credit for that, and also sad since she just cried and emotionally manipulated Elizabeth into hugging her/solving all their issues.

On her way to see Bruce, Elizabeth has a whirldwind of thoughts:

• First she tells us all about how Bruce’s house, which she isn’t even at yet, is decorated. Also, apparently he has sold it recently.
• She tells us it’s clean because of Clara who has been working for Bruce’s family for years.
• Then we find out Bruce and Elizabeth have the same taste in everything and have great converstions.
• Suddenly, Elizabeth realizes that Bruce must be in love! As you could tell from the previous thoughts she had, this was the logical conclusion.
• She feels sad because this will mean she’s going to lose Bruce becuase he’ll be busy being in love. But I guess moving across the country wasn’t the same because they talked on the phone a couple times.

Elizabeth is really worked up when she gets to Bruce’s house, and he’s like, “Let’s forget the serious talk and drink!” As Bruce talks about selling the house and other things, Elizabeth notices he’s very attractive and has nice, feminine eyelashes.

Finally, Elizabeth can’t take the suspense and demands to know who Bruce’s in love with. He’s shocked that she’s figured out he’s in love with someone! And he confesses he’s moving to New York because the woman is there.

“Enough.” Bruce sounded almost angry. “How can you be so dense? You’re supposed to know me so well. Can’t you see? It’s you. I’m in love with you.”

Elizabeth gasped. That was all she could do.

The cat is out of the bag, people. I repeat, the cat is out of the bag. He confesses he hasn’t spoken up in ten years, and he can’t hold it in any longer.

Then he kissed her. Bruce Patman kissed her! That had never happened before. Not while she was conscious anyway, but that’s a long story.

When I first read that, I was like, “JESUS CHRIST WHAT DID HE DO?” But I think it just means in a dream? But that doesn’t sound like a long story? If anyone knows what this long story is, please share.

How does Elizabeth feel about the kiss?

It was real! And it was wild!

I’m happy Elizabeth is happy and all, but what the hell is with this book and magic hugs and kisses that reveal all feelings and truth? Don’t these people have any fucking thoughts in their head prior to these hugs and kisses?

When they made love, it was completely loving, full of such deep tenderness that the passion almost played second to the adoration.

But the passion was there, and once the love had been established, the excitement took over and spun them out into the wild reaches of the glorious.

At last Elizabeth knew the splendid, the marvelous, the amazing, the spectacular!

The over the top!

That’s the fucking ending. I mean there’s a whole wacky epilogue Matt has to deal with tomorrow, but this is technically the book’s ending. “The love had been established.” Yes, we just saw that happen, thanks book.

I’m also fully on board for Bruce/Elizabeth because why not? But aside from suddenly being like “They are the bestest of friends and Bruce loved her all along” at some point earlier in the book, we really had no actual scenes between these two. Maybe that’s not fair because I didn’t read the earlier books where their friendship was established, but it seems like something I’d wanted included in this book even if I had read the previous ones.

I also wanted something more than, “Todd and Jessica are horrible, but their love softened everyone’s hearts, and then Elizabeth convieniently realized she didn’t love Todd and this was for the best and Bruce’s dick be over the topppppp.” But hey, at least this was fun to write about.