Who Does Steven End Up With in Summer I Turned Pretty

Nivedita Dubey
July 25, 2025

Summary:

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 confirms Steven and Taylor broke up during a time jump
The pair’s complicated relationship continues despite dating other people
Steven’s accident and coma mark a turning point for their emotional journey

Did Steven and Taylor Break Up in Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty?

Steven and Taylor _ The Summer I Turned Pretty _ Prime Video

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 opens with a three-year time jump, confirming that Steven and Taylor broke up during this unseen period. The series does not reveal the exact reason behind their separation, but subtle hints emerge in the first two episodes.

An evident factor could be the age gap between the characters — Taylor is two years younger than Steven, who graduates early from Princeton and begins working at a high-profile finance firm named Breaker. This life change likely impacted their relationship, creating emotional and logistical distance.

Despite their breakup, Steven and Taylor continue a physical relationship with casual meetups in Taylor’s dorm. In one early episode, Taylor explains their setup by saying there are “no drama [and] no strings [attached].” This arrangement highlights their unresolved feelings while both are dating other people — Steven with Mia and Taylor with Davis.

Their continued involvement complicates matters, as both struggle to stay emotionally detached. Steven still desires a real relationship, while Taylor insists on keeping things casual to avoid the emotional fallout of another breakup.

What Happens to Steven in Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty?

Steven_ The Summer I Turned Pretty _ Prime Video

While Belly embarks on a new journey in Paris, Steven sees major life changes of his own. After graduating early and with honors from Princeton University, he accepts an internship at Breaker, a well-known finance company.

His career success, however, contrasts with ongoing emotional turmoil. In Episode 2, Steven finally ends things with Mia and meets Taylor to reconnect. What begins as a lighthearted food trip turns into a tense and emotional conversation. Steven proposes that they give their relationship another try, but Taylor rejects the idea, fearing emotional complications.

Shortly after, tragedy strikes. As Steven drives away from Taylor’s dorm, he is hit by a moving vehicle and rushed to the hospital. Taylor informs Belly, who immediately visits her brother. Conrad also steps in, convincing a doctor to assign the hospital’s head of neurology to manage Steven’s case.

Steven is placed in a temporary coma, marking a dramatic shift in the season’s storyline. His accident serves as a moment of reckoning, especially for Taylor, who begins to confront her true feelings.

Do Steven and Taylor End Up Together in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3?

Following Steven’s accident, Taylor experiences a wave of emotional clarity. Sitting by Steven’s hospital bed, she confesses that she “never loved anyone like [she] loved [him]” and realizes that she doesn’t want to lose him again.

Despite her heartfelt admission, the emotional impact of the accident leads Steven to a different conclusion. He starts to feel that his efforts to rebuild their relationship have been one-sided, and the accident forces him to reevaluate how much he has been investing emotionally.

By the end of Episode 2, Steven and Taylor’s future remains unclear. While Taylor is ready to reunite, Steven questions whether he should keep pursuing a relationship that has already caused him pain.

The season leaves their storyline unresolved, setting the stage for deeper exploration in the remaining nine episodes.

How Does Steven and Taylor’s Story Differ From the Books?

In Jenny Han’s original The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, Steven and Taylor never have a full-fledged relationship. They only kiss once, and the books do not follow up on their dynamic. Steven ends up alone in the final novel, We’ll Always Have Summer.

However, the Prime Video series has taken creative liberties with several plotlines, including giving more attention to Steven and Taylor’s relationship. This adaptation offers a more developed arc, giving fans the chance to see what a potential romance between the two would look like.

Showrunner and author Jenny Han has confirmed in interviews that she enjoys “changing things up” from the source material, aiming to improve and expand character arcs for television. Her creative choices signal that Steven and Taylor’s story is far from over — even if the books left it behind.

When Did The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Release?

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premiered on July 16, 2025, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. The third and final season brings back key cast members including Lola Tung (Belly), Sean Kaufman (Steven), Christopher Briney (Conrad), Gavin Casalegno (Jeremiah), Rain Spencer (Taylor), and Jackie Chung (Laurel).