5
After the season and after the reunion there is…the Afterplay of Cottage. Sometimes the reunion doesn’t provide the answers that we, the people, demand. And so three separate conversations must take place highlighting different perspectives centered around West Wilson and Amanda Batula of all…
20 days after the reunion, Amanda comes knocking Lindsay‘s apartment door with two bottles of rose. Amanda refers to the reunion as a sh*t show and knows that her actions have hurt so many people, so she wants to get to a place where she feels good again with Lindsay.
Amanda reached out to Lindsay the day of the statement, but Lindsay is having a hard time processing this. Lindsay knows that right now Amanda needs a big sister and is willing to give her the hard truth and tough love. Amanda’s text messages with Lindsay are also shown.
Amanda admits she hasn’t seen the episodes of Summer House (yet) and claims she’s trying to stay away socially to protect her mental health. Lindsay reminds Amanda that she made a “very grown up” decision with West and she can’t pretend this just didn’t happen.
Amanda admits that she was in a bad relationship with Kyle and recognized himself no more. Going out with West helped her feel young and fun again, and she thinks she may have mistaken that for feelings for West.
“I’ve made some bad decisions, but it’s like I was in such a shi**y relationship. Terrible. Totally lost myself. I didn’t recognize myself anymore. I was like a shell of myself. I just wasn’t myself anymore. And going out, I felt like I was young and in my 20s. And like fun again. And I think maybe I confused myself with falling in love with who I said again and that I’m in love with myself,” Amanda to Lindsay.
Hanging out with West and his friends brought out a side of Amanda she didn’t know she could feel again, claiming it was a euphoric feeling. It made it difficult for her to think rationally and logically. Despite all of this, Lindsay reminds Amanda that it doesn’t excuse her going after that ONE guy Ciara had a past with.
“Hanging out with him and his friends brought out a side of me that I never thought I’d see again. Like this person who wanted to have fun, wanted out. I loved life again. I didn’t feel lost and alone and scared anymore. I felt such a euphoric feeling. It was hard to think rationally or logically through any of it,” she added.
Amanda then drops a bombshell: “I didn’t go after him — he stalked me.” It’s interesting considering West told Ciara that Amanda was the one who was obsessed with him and had a crush on him. Amanda just looks embarrassed and pissed off at this trove of information Lindsay is sharing.
Lindsay realizes that this is exactly her point with West. Amanda states that West actively texted her to hang out all the time and she would say no. According to Amanda, West would stalk her (via group text) and then there was the one time Ciara found Amanda at West’s apartment. Amanda claims it was with a group of people, but she was still there.
Then, when the Kyle split announcement came out, Amanda realized she can’t sit in her apartment anymore, hence her party girl behavior with West. When West came up with “is something going on here” Amanda wondered WTF is going on. Lindsay says that West manipulated Amanda, but Amanda reminds Lindsay that those were not her words. Lindsay wonders why Amanda didn’t shut things down with West, but Amanda admits that she was selfish and felt overwhelmed by someone who cared about her (someone with a “little wee,” but nonetheless naked).
Amanda’s biggest takeaway from the reunion? She doesn’t remember much because she was yelled at, so she took her leave, something she used to do often with her marriage. Getting attention from West made her feel special because Amanda claims she felt unlovable. Lindsay wants Amanda to focus on self-love. It’s time for Amanda to learn to do this on her own.
Amanda realizes that maybe she got her feelings confused, and Lindsay reminds Amanda that West is not God’s gift to women.
Amanda Batula admitted she may have gotten her feelings mixed up with West during a meeting with Lindsay Hubbard on Summer House Aftermath
Amanda explains that she has “partially” talked to West about the future. She has had conversations with him about wanting children and making him aware of her wishes and needs in a relationship. But Lindsay suggests that instead of stirring up trouble with West, it’s time for Amanda to start dating again so she can get some life experience.
Lindsay warns Amanda that West is already out there, embarrassing her. In fact, he was on the phone with Meija Moreno earlier today. He also got Meija in March, but somehow Amanda is the one other woman. Lindsay makes a big point when she says, “Imagine you’re so bad that we forgot how bad of a man Kyle was to you.”
All Amanda wants is to be loved, and she claims to have felt that much from West. Now Amanda feels “really stupid,” and Lindsay tells Amanda that West has to go.
7 days later, West goes to Kyle’s apartment…for the first time. However, the dog obviously knows West, which makes things difficult. Kyle is unsure what to do with West, who admits that things is strange. Kyle has no agenda, and West suggested this meeting be off camera, but alas, here we are.
The processing and slowing down didn’t happen for West until the last two weeks, post-reunion and post-adrenaline rush. The friendships that imploded have been very difficult for West to watch, considering he was the one who caused it. Kyle finds it hard to believe anything West says, and West admits that he would do things differently if he could go back. He understands why his words are discredited, but wants an honest conversation with Kyle.
Kyle chooses to have full honesty from West, even though it could be hurtful. West says that, like Amanda, he didn’t watch the second half of the season. Kyle wonders about the things West did to “lure” Ciara back, leaving everyone wondering what his intentions are. West is a very sensitive guy and this is something he needs to be aware of, especially if it’s “pure friendship”.
West Wilson faced some tough questions from Kyle Cooke on the episode of Summer House Aftermath
West explains that he kissed Ciara twice and states that he tried to do the right thing “a handful of times” with her. Okay… West says that Meija (his girlfriend) acted like they had an exclusive relationship, and he admits that they were, even though he tried to keep it quiet. Clearly, West wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Not visiting his family at Christmas was West’s way of trying to show that he wasn’t on the same level of commitment as Meija.
Kyle thinks Amanda could have benefited from some time to herself, and West agrees. West knows it looks bad, but points out that his relationship with Amanda came from a steady, three-year friendship, and he doesn’t regret his feelings for Amanda. West says (hesitantly) that he’s ready to settle down for a relationship. West also admits that he loves Amanda, and even said so the night he left their room during the season. The concept of being IN LOVE is a little different, but he states that he has loved Amanda for a very long time.
Kyle worries about West and worries about Amanda, so it’s been difficult to navigate. Kyle also wants West to apologize to Meija, and West admits that he owes a lot of people apologies.
7 days later, Ciara hosts Meija, West’s girlfriend. Meija states that she is still in shock, and Ciara states that she is “surviving and thriving.” Ciara apologizes to Meija about the footage of her kissing West, but Meija says it wasn’t Ciara’s responsibility to tell her.
Meija explains that West would be going away for the weekend and she would be staying at his apartment. He would come home and obviously leave out details about what was going on in the Hamptons. Meija admits she gives her partners a “long leash,” but she should have kept West closer.
After the reunion, West wrote to Meija, “you win.” This is not a game and what does she win? Flashbacks from previous seasons show that West has been at this for almost 2 years, which shows how secretive he has been about all of this.
Ciara Miller and Meija Moreno met on Summer House Aftermath
West and Meija talked for over 6 hours and now most of their conversations are over phone calls because of Amanda. Meija finds it difficult to completely disconnect from West as she was dazzled by this new relationship. She goes on to say that West going with Amanda to Italy is a huge FU for everyone involved in this situation. But why is West still calling Meija?
Ciara points out that West loved the thrill of Amanda hiding in plain sight. Meija admits that she also loved the secret of their seriousness until she realized that she wasn’t really in on the secret. Meija refuses to be silent and she toasts to move on. Ciara and Meija decide to make fun of this whole situation, and as they bond over this, they realize they’ve formed a friendship.. and sometimes you just have to ride wheels to show how wild you can be.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SUMMER HOUSE AFTER THE EPISODE?
