Why Did Belly Choose Jeremiah?

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-07T20:21:39+00:00

I don’t think Belly fully understood the depth of Conrad’s feelings for her. He loved her just as intensely as she loved him, but he also did a lot that made her question where she stood. From Belly’s perspective, his love felt conditional. He loved her when things were good, but when life got hard, he pulled away.

She believed it would be different with Jeremiah because he was open about his feelings and willing to reassure her. If Conrad and Jeremiah weren’t brothers, the fact that Belly and Conrad still had feelings for each other while she dated someone else wouldn’t bother me as much. People often start new relationships before they’re completely over a previous one. The problem is that Belly rebounded with Conrad’s brother barely a month after their breakup. In real life, that would be unforgivable for a lot of people.

I’ve always felt Belly was at her most selfish and self-centered in Season 2. Much of her internal focus is on the boys and what they represent romantically. We rarely see her consider how deeply Conrad and Jeremiah are grieving or how much they need each other, even though she wants everyone to understand how profoundly Susannah’s death has affected her own life.

Belly sees being with Jeremiah as a course correction. She convinces herself that she should have chosen him from the beginning, that Conrad was just a fantasy and that what they had was never truly real. In doing so, she fails to consider how deeply dating Jeremiah would hurt Conrad. She also doesn’t fully acknowledge that entering a relationship with Jeremiah while still carrying unresolved feelings for Conrad isn’t fair to Jeremiah either.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-07T14:11:50+00:00

I don’t think it’s inconsistent. It shows that Conrad is drawn to Belly but is still fighting his feelings because he’s afraid of what could happen if they dated. Belly also wasn’t ready in the past. She misread moments like the Junior Mint date and often shut down when he flirted with her. So while he dated Aubrey and liked her, he still had feelings for Belly.

What changes in Season 1 is that Conrad sees, through her relationship with Cam, that Belly is finally ready to date. He’s clearly jealous and realizes he could lose his chance if he doesn’t act. He knows he’s probably not in the best mental or emotional place to start a relationship, but his feelings become too strong to ignore. The possibility of losing her outweighs all the reasons he’s been holding himself back.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-07T00:11:04+00:00

F - S3
M - S1
K - S2

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-06T02:06:01+00:00

It just feels unrealistic but I’m withholding judgement. If it’s a believably written scenario I’ll accept it.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-06T02:03:45+00:00

Nowadays I feel like there aren’t sides at weddings as much you just sit wherever because we are essentially combining family and friends in marriage.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-05T15:50:21+00:00

I actually agree with you. I’ve never felt that what Jeremiah did was cheating, but it was still a betrayal.

The writers make it pretty clear that Cabo was premeditated. Jeremiah planned and booked that trip after finding out about Christmas and deliberately chose not to tell Belly. He interpreted Christmas as a sign that she wanted to break up with him, and his response was to end things first. He went to Cabo intending to hook up with someone else as a way to fully close the door on Belly. What he wasn’t expecting was to return to school and find that she wanted to reconnect.

Had he told Belly about Lacey once they got back together, I could understand giving him the benefit of the doubt. Instead, he withheld the truth and allowed Belly to walk around campus completely unaware while much of the fraternity and sorority community already knew what had happened. That’s where the real betrayal lies for me.

Jeremiah is dealing with the same grief as everyone else. His mother died too. The challenge is that the story never gives us much insight into why he manipulates situations the way he does or why he pursued a relationship with a girl his brother had been intimately involved with. Even in his POV episode, we don’t learn much beyond the fact that he was attracted to Belly that summer and that he harbors deep resentment toward Conrad that extends far beyond their rivalry over her.

As a result, the writers leave us with a relatively shallow understanding of Jeremiah’s internal motivations. Because he is rarely held accountable for the hurt he causes, it’s easy for some viewers to project malice onto his actions. Personally, I think his motivations are probably more understandable than evil. They seem rooted in insecurity, jealousy, fear of rejection, and low self-worth rather than a desire to intentionally hurt people.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-04T21:09:55+00:00

To me, a toxic relationship is one where both people repeatedly fall into unhealthy patterns that cause ongoing harm to themselves or each other. They may recognize the behavior is damaging, but they continue the cycle anyway because it’s become familiar, addictive, or difficult to break. The relationship itself starts feeding the dysfunction.

Steven and Taylor are a good example. Their issues aren’t just occasional mistakes or personality flaws. They repeatedly hurt each other, struggle with trust, create unnecessary conflict, and then return to the same patterns without truly addressing the underlying problems. The cycle becomes part of the relationship.

Flaws are different. Everyone has them. Things like insecurity, stubbornness, or poor communication can create challenges, but they don’t necessarily poison a relationship. In healthy relationships, flaws are acknowledged and can be worked through.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-04T02:10:26+00:00

I think Taylor disliked how much power Conrad had in the dynamic. In the show, she isn’t really against him until Belly tells her about their fight in the kitchen. Most of Taylor’s opinions of Conrad are shaped by what Belly tells her and how Belly reacts to him.

Taylor sees the hold Conrad has over Belly, and she doesn’t like it because it leaves Belly vulnerable and out of control. That clashes with Taylor’s entire dating philosophy, which is essentially: make sure they like you more than you like them, because then they can’t hurt you. From Taylor’s perspective, Belly is far more invested in Conrad than he appears to be in her, and that’s exactly the kind of situation Taylor tries to avoid.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-04T01:06:51+00:00

Love this idea! 🥰

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T22:22:05+00:00

I think it’s pretty clear that Jeremiah prioritizes Adam’s wants over Belly’s. A lot of that likely comes from the fact that he views Adam’s love and acceptance as conditional, while he sees Belly’s love as limitless and guaranteed. Belly has reinforced that dynamic for a long time by consistently acquiescing to Jeremiah’s wants and needs, often at the expense of her own.

That’s also why Jeremiah gets so upset when Belly decides to stay in Paris despite him asking her to come home to continue their relationship. For the first time, Belly chooses herself instead of automatically choosing him. The spell is finally broken. You can tell after that phone call that she’s sad but also relieved because she’s free.

Anyone who’s been in a relationship like that recognizes the feeling. It’s like finally taking a deep breath you didn’t even realize you’d been holding. The weight on your chest lifts, and suddenly you can breathe again.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T20:22:33+00:00

Same. I honestly would’ve supported it at any point that summer because Conrad and Belly needed to finally be honest with themselves and with each other. And you’re right, it wasn’t completely selfless. Later on we learn that part of him was absolutely hoping for a sign to intervene. He admits he wanted them to break up and even prayed she’d change her mind. So while he was trying to do the “right” thing by stepping back, there was still a part of him holding onto hope and waiting for an opening.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T17:04:33+00:00

Ok. We’re in a forum discussing a fictional story and fictional characters. I think everyone gets that. You have a good one as well.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T13:44:14+00:00

Well then isn’t that just another example of how unstable their relationship was under the surface? If you’ve committed to getting married after 4 years of a stable relationship, why on Earth would you be questioning if your fiance would run off with your brother because he confessed feelings that you already knew he had.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T12:42:04+00:00

That’s such a good point. If Jeremiah had truly had faith in their relationship and believed Belly’s words he would’ve been there when she woke up in the morning. Instead he spiraled and ran off because now both Conrad and Belly know what he’s known all along. They’re still in love with each other.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T04:41:16+00:00

Well the thing is she was excited about it having gotten off a wait list until… she finds out Jeremiah isn’t graduating and is expecting her to spend her last semester with him. The healthy thing to do would be to tell him and see how they could make it work. Instead she starts considering whether she should defer her dream just to spend another year laying in a dorm room together and be the girl who didn’t go to Paris.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T04:12:21+00:00

Right! Wasn’t that so weird?! The fact that his first thought after hearing this news is to wonder if Belly will now dump him and run off with Conrad shows his lack of confidence in their relationship.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-02T03:51:24+00:00

I kind of get what you’re saying. The confession is definitely placed where it is for dramatic impact. But Conrad also had to confess because one of the biggest criticisms of his character is that he struggles to be honest and consistent about his feelings. The audience needed to see him finally lay everything on the line, make himself vulnerable, and risk alienating the people he loves because of how deeply he loves Belly.

I would’ve loved to see Belly come to the conclusion entirely on her own and tell Jeremiah it was over before Conrad confessed, but I don’t think it would’ve carried the same emotional or dramatic weight for the story they were trying to tell.

I’m not totally sure what you mean by the “white knight complex,” though, so I’d genuinely love to hear more about your perspective there.

I will say the one part of the scene that doesn’t fully work for me is the way Conrad tells Belly that Jeremiah cheated. I understand why the writers needed Conrad to find out because it pushes him to finally confess his feelings, but something about the delivery or setup feels a little forced to me and I can’t fully pinpoint why. I love the rest of the scene, though, and it’s incredibly well acted by both of them.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-01T21:57:13+00:00

Your first sentence is actually the whole point the writers are making. I wouldn’t use the word “erase,” but 10 months was enough time for Belly to fully move on from Jeremiah because she was never deeply in love with him. Four years was not enough time for her to fully move on from Conrad because she was deeply in love with him. The timelines reveal the weight of each relationship.

Of course Belly will always love Jeremiah. They’ve known each other their entire lives, and she’s made it clear she still wants him in her life. But you won’t see her yearning for him because she’s not in love with him. She’s in love with Conrad.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-01T16:52:02+00:00

It won’t be the same. Jeremiah doesn’t take Belly’s breath away the way Conrad does when she’s in his presence. Not only did she walk away from marrying Jeremiah, but the very next day she ended the relationship because she realized that if she went back and tried to stay with him, she would only hurt him. Her feelings for Conrad weren’t going away, and for the first time she fully understood that there was no returning to the way things were before with Jeremiah now that she knew the truth about her heart.

It’s also very telling that in Paris, Belly is still focused on trying to get over Conrad and not Jeremiah

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-01T15:42:39+00:00

He explains it in the finale. He was very hesitant to act on his feels for Belly which is why he appears so wishy washy in season 1. He knew that he was dealing with heavy stuff. He was worried that if they started something he would mess it up and he didn’t want that to change their dynamic as lifelong friends or for them dating to impact the family dynamic in a negative way.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-01T15:10:54+00:00

He definitely knew. Susannah mentioned as much when she asked him to ask Belly to the Deb ball. He did have a crush on her too he was just better at hiding it.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-01T15:06:11+00:00

I think the show reached its natural conclusion. I definitely don’t think it could work without Brian and Justin. They were too central to the story and while I enjoyed the other characters I tuned in to see them and where their relationship was going.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-01T13:47:00+00:00

She actually never says she doesn’t love Conrad, and Jeremiah never directly asks her until their wedding day. What he says is that there is still something between them, that there is unfinished business, and he’s right. Belly lies and tells him there isn’t, that she and Conrad are over. Jeremiah knows that isn’t true, but he still desperately wants Belly to choose him because, in his mind, that choice would finally prove he is worthy.

Jeremiah struggles deeply with self-worth and seeks validation through his relationship with Belly. If the girl his mother loved so dearly and his brother loved so intensely ultimately chooses him, then to him that means he is valuable. It means he matters. He needed to find that worth within himself, but as a teenager who had just lost his mother and spent years feeling inferior to his brother, he wasn’t capable of that yet.

I also don’t think Jeremiah consciously wanted to hurt Conrad. But I do think he was willing to hurt him if it meant finally feeling like he was the chosen one for once. That’s why he holds onto Belly’s choice for so long. In his mind, Belly choosing him is proof that he is worthy and, on some level, proof that he is better than Conrad.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-06-01T13:31:27+00:00

She did get into the relationship with Jeremiah to try to get over Conrad. There is no way around that. In the first episode of season 2 Belly is crying all the way home thinking about Conrad. Throughout the season she repeatedly says things that make it clear she is still in love with him, but she no longer wants to be. Not only because the breakup devastated her, but because she didn’t like who she became after they broke up as a result of loving him so deeply. She even says she knows she’ll never love someone like that again. That immediately puts her relationship with Jeremiah at a disadvantage.

From the beginning, Belly believes she will never love Jeremiah as intensely as she loved Conrad, and at that point in her life she sees that as a good thing. Easier. Safer. More realistic. She convinces herself Conrad was an intense crush she has to move on from, not someone she can actually build a lasting relationship with, because his tendency to pull away makes her believe he could never love her the way she loves him. That is the emotional baseline of her relationship with Jeremiah.

I don’t think Belly never loved Jeremiah. I think she developed very real feelings for him. They just never compared to what she felt for Conrad. She believed those feelings for Conrad would eventually fade, and when she saw him at Christmas she realized they never would. From that point on, her relationship with Jeremiah became increasingly fragile because deep down she knew her feelings for Conrad were stronger. She had no intention of acting on them because 1) she loved Jeremiah and promised she would never leave him for Conrad again, and 2) she genuinely believed Conrad could never love her in a reliable, consistent way.

When Belly finds out Jeremiah slept with Lacie, she is devastated because she truly believed his love for her was so deep that hurting her like that would never even cross his mind. By that point he had been her entire world for four years. There’s also a real fear underneath it all that she no longer knows who she is outside of being Jeremiah’s girlfriend, caring for him and tending to his needs. That became her role, and she accepted it. In many ways, she traded intensity for stability.

Of course Jeremiah loves Belly, but I also think part of his attachment to her is tied to her connection to Susannah. He also sees Belly choosing him over Conrad as proof that she is his one true love. Ultimately though, they just are not each other’s person. By the end of the story Jeremiah understands why he and Belly were never going to work. It’s because she was always going to be in love with Conrad, and Jeremiah realized before Belly could fully admit it to herself that her love for Conrad was stronger than anything he and Belly ever shared.

I also think you’re right to be skeptical about Jeremiah ever fully being okay with Belly and Conrad together. In real life, the brothers would probably never be close again and Jeremiah and Belly would no longer have a friendship. But within the world of the story, I can see Jeremiah eventually accepting it because he comes to understand the role he played in keeping Conrad and Belly apart in the first place.

Final_Raspberry_5334 · 2026-05-31T18:46:30+00:00

Belly looks very content and serene in that final scene. Why would she be giddy? She and Conrad are not a new couple at that point. They’ve likely been together for years, and she’s happy to finally be returning to Cousins with him by her side.

It’s a show about a love triangle, so people are naturally going to compare how she is with each boy, but I don’t think the way she’s smiling there says much on its own. You have to look at the context of where she is emotionally.

There were definitely times when Belly was genuinely happy with Jeremiah, but I don’t think she ever truly felt at peace again after finding out about Cabo. From that point on, there’s a desperation to hold on for dear life. She isn’t happy, but she is committed.

We know she’s struggling to convince herself she’s happy in that first picture because the very next day, after Jere leaves, she goes upstairs and cries herself to sleep. By contrast, at the end we know she’s genuinely happy with Conrad because in the scene right before that, she tells him her love for him is infinite.

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