Below Her Mouth (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Dallas ends her relationship with Joslyn because despite their passionate intimacy, she experiences a profound disconnect, while Joslyn reaches climax, Dallas cannot, leaving her feeling inadequate and emotionally distant. This inability to feel fulfilled with Joslyn, despite the physical passion, prompts Dallas to make the difficult decision to end the relationship, recognizing something fundamental is missing.

• dallas
• joslyn
• breakup
• intimacy
• relationship ending

Jasmine visits the lesbian bar because she feels abandoned and emotionally vulnerable after Rile leaves for a business trip. Her friend Claire takes her there as a distraction, essentially acting as a wingwoman. The visit hints at Jasmine's suppressed desires and inner conflict about her identity, which has been lying dormant beneath her seemingly perfect life.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jasmine's feelings of abandonment create the emotional void that draws her to explore her true desires.

• jasmine
• lesbian bar
• claire
• emotional vulnerability
• self-discovery

Dallas pursues Jasmine because despite Jasmine's initial resistance and disclosure about her engagement, the spark between them is immediate and powerful. When Jasmine leaves the bar feeling vulnerable and lonely after Claire abandons her, Dallas sees an opportunity and follows her outside. The consensual kiss that follows confirms Dallas's intuition that the attraction is mutual, motivating her to continue pursuing the connection.

• dallas
• jasmine
• pursuit
• attraction
• rejection

Dallas ends up working on Jasmine's roof the morning after their first night together because she deliberately seeks her out, using her work as a roofer to create a coincidence. The summary indicates this is a deliberate choice, Dallas makes sure she ends up at Jasmine's house, signaling that their encounter made a lasting impression on her and that she's intentionally pursuing a deeper connection.

Foreshadowing: Their passionate kiss outside the bar established that Dallas was deeply interested in pursuing Jasmine further.

• dallas
• roofer
• job
• coincidence
• pursuit

Jasmine breaks down crying after her first intimate encounter with Dallas because she realizes she has betrayed her fiancé Rile. The tender moments quickly become overshadowed by overwhelming guilt as she confronts the reality of her infidelity. Dallas comforts her, but the emotional weight of her betrayal hangs heavily over both women.

• jasmine
• crying
• guilt
• betrayal
• rile

Jasmine chooses to keep her affair secret and dive deeper into her relationship with Dallas because she is experiencing a profound awakening of her true desires and identity. Rather than confronting Rile or ending the affair, she decides to explore this side of herself while maintaining her engagement. This decision reflects her internal conflict between societal expectations and her newly discovered authentic self.

• jasmine
• affair
• secret
• hiding
• decision

The confrontation is triggered when Rile unexpectedly returns home early and walks in on Jasmine and Dallas together in an intimate moment. This abrupt intrusion forces the hidden affair into the open, leading Jasmine to frantically chase after Rile down the street. The scene exposes the emotional chaos that has been building beneath the surface of Jasmine's double life.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the story, Jasmine's decision to keep the affair secret while continuing to see Dallas builds toward this inevitable collision.

• rile
• confrontation
• intrusion
• affair exposed
• emotional climax

Dallas leaves after the confrontation because the situation becomes unbearable, she witnesses Jasmine chasing after Rile, and the intensity of the moment forces her to retreat. The emotional upheaval, combined with the reality that Jasmine's life is fundamentally complicated by her engagement, causes Dallas to slip away. This departure represents the collapse of their secret relationship and leaves both women dealing with unfulfilled longing.

• dallas
• leaves
• confrontation
• aftermath
• departure

Jasmine cannot be intimate with Rile after her affair with Dallas because the guilt and emotional damage from her betrayal have deeply affected her. When Rile attempts to resume their physical relationship, it only reminds Jasmine of the damage she has caused, leaving her in tears. The affair has fundamentally changed her ability to connect with Rile, as she is now grappling with both her guilt and her suppressed identity.

• jasmine
• rile
• intimacy problems
• guilt
• emotional damage

Dallas and Jasmine reconnect months later through a chance meeting, which provides them an opportunity to address their past and heal. In this reunion, Jasmine opens up to Dallas about her past struggles, finally shedding the burdens of secrecy and shame. Their honest conversation allows them to embark on a journey toward healing, forgiveness, and a potential new beginning together.

• reunion
• healing
• forgiveness
• chance meeting
• new beginning

Jasmine shares the story about her past unreciprocated love, which she gave up for familial obligations, because she feels safe enough with Dallas to reveal her vulnerabilities. This revelation is part of their deepening emotional connection, where both women open up about their histories. Jasmine's story about sacrificing her own desires for someone else's ambitions parallels her current situation with Rile, showing why Dallas's support feels different.

• jasmine
• past
• unreciprocated love
• vulnerability
• emotional bond

Dallas encourages Jasmine to pursue her career dreams because she recognizes that Jasmine has repeatedly sacrificed her own ambitions for Rile's sake, including turning down a significant career opportunity. Unlike Rile, Dallas assures Jasmine that in a relationship, she would always support her partner following their heart's desires. This contrast highlights how different Dallas's approach to love is from what Jasmine has experienced with her fiancé.

• dallas
• career support
• sacrifices
• relationship differences
• encouragement