If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or scrolled through bookish Instagram lately, you know the "Team Jeremiah" vs. "Team Conrad" debate isn't just a casual fan preference. It’s a war. And at the center of this hurricane is the question of who did Jeremiah end up with once the salt air cleared and the Cousins Beach house was finally packed up.
Look. Fans of the show are currently living in a state of high-anxiety limbo, but for those of us who grew up reading Jenny Han’s original trilogy, the answer has been written in stone (and ink) since 2011. It’s complicated. It’s messy. It involves a very controversial wedding that never actually happened.
Jeremiah Fisher is the golden retriever of the series. He’s the sunshine, the "easy" choice, and the guy who actually notices when Belly is sad while Conrad is busy brooding in a corner. But in the world of YA romance, "easy" rarely translates to "endgame." To understand why Jeremiah's story ends the way it does, we have to look at the massive shift that happens between the second book, It’s Not Summer Without You, and the final installment, We’ll Always Have Summer.
The Jeremiah and Belly Era: Why It Felt Right (For a While)
Let’s be real. In the second book and the second season of the show, Jeremiah wins. He just does. After the grief of Susannah’s death and the constant emotional whiplash of Conrad’s "I love you/get away from me" routine, Jeremiah is a breath of fresh air. He’s there. He stays.
By the end of the second arc, Belly chooses Jeremiah. They go to college together. They are a "thing" for two whole years. For a solid chunk of the narrative, the answer to who did Jeremiah end up with is quite literally Belly. They share a life at Finch College. They have a routine. They have a history that isn't just childhood nostalgia but actual, adult-ish partnership.
But then, Jenny Han decided to throw a wrench into the works.
The Cabo Incident and the Engagement
This is where the fandom usually starts screaming. During their sophomore year of college, Jeremiah and Belly take a "break" after a massive fight. It’s that classic Friends "we were on a break" trope, but with more sunscreen. During this week-long split, Jeremiah goes to Cabo and sleeps with a girl named Lacie Barone.
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He doesn't tell Belly.
When she finds out, he doesn't just apologize—he proposes. It’s a classic "panic move" to keep her from leaving him. And the wildest part? Belly says yes. They spend the majority of the third book planning a wedding that neither of their families wants. They’re nineteen. They’re living in a beach house trying to prove they are grown-ups while clearly falling apart at the seams.
The Final Breakup: It Wasn't Just About Conrad
If you think Jeremiah loses Belly solely because Conrad Fisher exists, you're only getting half the story. The relationship actually dies because Jeremiah realizes he will never be the "first" person in Belly’s heart.
There’s a specific, heartbreaking scene in the third book where Jeremiah sees Conrad helping Belly with something small—cleaning up or a shared glance—and the realization hits him like a freight train. He sees that the intensity he has for Belly isn't mirrored by her. She loves him, sure. But she isn't in love with him the way she is with his brother.
On their wedding day—yes, they actually get to the day of—they call it off. It’s mutual, though devastating. Jeremiah finally accepts that being someone's second choice is a slow way to die.
So, Who Did Jeremiah End Up With?
If Belly is with Conrad, where does that leave our favorite Fisher brother?
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In the books, Jeremiah’s ending is a bit more open-ended than Conrad’s, but we do get closure. After the wedding-that-wasn't, the brothers have a massive falling out. It takes years for them to repair that bond. Jeremiah disappears from Belly's immediate life for a long time while she goes to study abroad in Spain and grows up on her own terms.
The Mystery Wedding Date
In the final pages of We’ll Always Have Summer, we jump forward in time to Belly and Conrad’s wedding. Jeremiah is there. He’s standing by the water. And he isn't alone.
Jenny Han gives us a tiny, crucial detail: Jeremiah shows up to the wedding with a girl. We don’t get her name. We don't get her life story. But he’s holding her hand. He looks happy. He looks like a man who has finally stepped out of the shadow of his brother’s epic, messy romance.
Jeremiah ends up with a new, unnamed partner who presumably loves him without the baggage of a childhood triangle. For a character who spent his whole life being compared to Conrad, this is actually the healthiest ending he could have asked for. He gets a fresh start.
Why the TV Show Might Change Things
Now, let’s talk about the Prime Video series. Gavin Casalegno has brought a level of depth to Jeremiah that arguably wasn't as prominent in the books. The show version of Jeremiah is more observant, more hurt, and perhaps more "endgame material" than his book counterpart.
There is a massive movement online calling for a "Team Jeremiah" ending. Fans argue that the "Cabo plot" is outdated and ruins Jeremiah's character growth. If the showrunners decide to deviate from the source material, the answer to who did Jeremiah end up with could change entirely.
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However, as of right now, the show has stayed remarkably loyal to the emotional beats of the books. Even if they soften the blow, the narrative gravity usually pulls Belly back toward Conrad.
Does he end up with a career?
Beyond romance, Jeremiah's "ending" is also about finding his own identity. In the books, he’s often seen as the one who will take over the family interests or find a path that is uniquely his, separate from the "prodigal son" image Conrad carries. He finds peace with his mother's death in a way that feels more grounded than the others. He grows up.
Misconceptions About the Ending
- "Jeremiah cheated." This is the biggest debate. Technically, they were broken up. But the fact that he hid it and then used a marriage proposal to cover the guilt is what really ended the relationship.
- "Jeremiah and Conrad never spoke again." Not true. The epilogue implies they are back in each other's lives, though the relationship is forever altered.
- "Belly hated Jeremiah." Never. Even when they broke up, there was a profound love there. It just wasn't "marriage" love.
The Reality of the "Team Jeremiah" Experience
If you're rooting for Jeremiah, the ending of the story feels like a betrayal. You’ve watched him be the shoulder to cry on. You’ve seen him be the "fun" one who masks his pain with a smile.
But honestly? Jeremiah deserves better than being a "safe" option. When he walks into Belly and Conrad’s wedding at the end of the series with a new woman on his arm, it’s a victory. He isn't the runner-up anymore. He’s just Jeremiah.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re still reeling from the books or the show, here is how to process the Jeremiah saga without losing your mind:
- Read the Epilogue Carefully: Most people skim the end of We’ll Always Have Summer. Read the letters. They explain the time jump and the healing process between the brothers better than any summary can.
- Watch the Interviews: Jenny Han and the cast have dropped hints about Season 3. They’ve acknowledged that the characters are older now and the "Cabo" plot might be handled with more nuance for a 2020s audience.
- Explore the "What If" Fandom: If you hate the canon ending, the fanfic community for TSITP is massive. There are thousands of stories exploring an alternate reality where Jeremiah and Belly actually make it down the aisle.
- Accept the "Fresh Start" Theory: The best way to view Jeremiah’s trajectory is as a liberation. He spent years trying to win a game that was rigged from the start (Belly’s heart). By ending up with someone else, he finally wins.
Jeremiah's journey is a reminder that sometimes, the person you "end up with" isn't the person you've known since you were ten. Sometimes, the right person is the one you meet after you’ve finally learned how to stand on your own two feet.