This article contains spoilers from The Summer I Turned Pretty (season 2, episode 5).
Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty know a thing or two about the magic of Cousins Beach and how the true majesty of it is in the way things there feel untouched by the can-be harshness of reality, existing instead in a slice of life that feels a little bit like Heaven on Earth.
There’s no way that’s more true than in the romances and relationships that flourish in Cousins, the bonds that grow stronger throughout the summer, and a perfect show of that is in the love that exists between Belly and Conrad. They’ve given each other infinity, and it’s made more beautiful in each new moment we get with them and each flashback we see.
Another could-be power couple that we’ve spent far too much time thinking about as of late is Steven and Taylor, and the reason their moments this season mean so much is because of a confession Taylor made to Belly last summer.
In the midst of a disagreement that happens at a party on Belly’s birthday, Taylor calls her out for only thinking about herself and asks how she could be so naive when it comes to what her best friend has been feeling:
“How do you not know that I’ve had a crush on Steven for years?”
Of course, there was more to it than that; Belly had walked in on her brother and her best friend making out before things turned sour between the forever besties, and for both of them, the moment felt like a betrayal. Belly because she thought her best friend was ruining something great for her brother and Taylor because she didn’t understand how Belly could not have known she was in love with him.
Fans soon learn that Steven told Taylor their time together was a mistake, and while she says it nonchalantly, it’s evident that it hurt her. So when we saw them begin interacting in season 2, we had a dose of nervous optimism.
That nervous optimism has grown to full-fledged excitement as season two progresses, and episode five gave us what we’d been hoping for — an almost kiss between them and a moment so sweet that it felt a little bit like Taylor was getting her happily ever after fairy tale moment.
That’s right, in a moment that stole our hearts completely, Steven asks Taylor to dance, proving to her the whole idea of a Debutante Ball isn’t barbaric and outdated; that it can be romantic and full of magic, love and fairytale-esque embraces that say everything words feel too superfluous for.
Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty everywhere love Steven and Taylor’s blossoming relationship (and yes, she does have a boyfriend who isn’t Steven, but Milo isn’t her dream guy, as Steven points out). It’s giving us a bit of solace as we move forward with the idea that Belly isn’t seeing what we all are: that Conrad really has been there for her through it all. Instead, we’re getting more Jeremiah and Belly this season, and while some fans are rooting for them to be endgame, we’re not on team Jere (sorry, y’all.)
Now, we can’t talk about Steven and Taylor without mentioning Shayla, the powerhouse of a character that was his love interest in season one. While we learn no more than that she “broke up with him after a perfect summer together,” fans did have time to prepare as actress Minnie Mills gave fans the news that she wouldn’t be returning for season two in the months leading up to its premiere.
It gave us time to mourn the loss of her character, and while we were hoping for a return at some point, this connection between Steven and Taylor is turning into something we are really rooting for.
Shayla and Steven had something beautiful; something authentic and mesmerizing; but with Taylor, it feels almost like coming home, and how magical is it that sometimes we get a second chance at a love that feels like growing up?
You can catch up with The Summer I Turned Pretty now on Prime Video, and we have a feeling you, too, will be on Team Steven and Taylor and Team Belly and Conrad — rightfully so.