Deep End

Scarlett and Lukas travel to Amsterdam for World Aquatics. Scarlett is enchanted by the city as she and Lukas spend some time exploring. They meet up at the aquatics center where they run into another swimmer with whom, Lukas admits, he and Pen had a threesome. They tried to mix up their sex life by inviting thirds. Lukas says Pen always found their thirds until Lukas noticed Scarlett and suggested they invite her to join them; Pen didn’t end up asking because Scarlett was with Josh at the time. Scarlett is surprised but flattered.

The next day, Scarlett and Lukas meet back up in Lukas’s room. Lukas gets worried when he notices bruises on Scarlett’s body and insists on tending to them. They talk about different dives and swimming strokes. Scarlett reveals that she hopes she and Lukas end up at the same med school. Lukas agrees but admits that he’s not deferring his acceptance to compete in the Olympics again next year. This is going to be his last year because he has other things he wants to accomplish. He also wants to spend his life with someone he loves. Scarlett starts crying, insisting she’s fine although she’s unsure if she is.

On the way home, Lukas notices that Scarlett has him saved in her phone as “Scarlett Penelope.” He takes it and changes the contact name. After they land, Scarlett agrees to spend the night at Lukas’s. When they arrive, Lukas’s friends are hosting a surprise party. Scarlett and Lukas chat alone until Pen interrupts, insisting she has to talk to Lukas privately. Scarlett gets a cab home. She feels anxious until she realizes Lukas has saved himself as “Lukas Scarlett” in her phone.

Lukas shows up at Scarlett’s house and they spend the night together.

During therapy, Scarlett talks about her upcoming meets. She has two competitions before the NCAA championships. Sam is proud of Scarlett’s positive outlook. Afterward, Scarlett meets up with Pen who apologizes for pushing Scarlett out of the party—she wanted to talk to Lukas because Theo broke up with her. Pen’s disappointed because Theo was much more emotional than Lukas—Pen has remarked on Lukas’s coldness for months, but Scarlett can never understand what she means. Pen expresses regret for breaking up with Lukas and asks if he and Scarlett are officially dating. Scarlett reluctantly admits that they’re not.

Scarlett talks to Sam about the situation with Pen and Lukas. Sam suggests that Pen is attached to him because they bonded over their trauma when they were kids—a distinctly different connection than Lukas has with Scarlett.

After her session, Scarlett returns home to find Lukas waiting for her. She’s been ignoring him ever since her conversation with Pen. She expresses concern that he and Pen might be better suited. Lukas insists otherwise and the two have sex. Afterward, he reminds Scarlett she has nothing to be afraid of.

For the Pac-12 meet, Scarlett and Lukas travel to separate events. While away, Scarlett sets aside her worries. She and Pen enjoy their time together and even get matching henna tattoos before the meet. They do well. A week later, they dive at Zone E and qualify for championships.

Scarlett meets up with Lukas at the aquatic center in the days before the NCAA championship. They break away from Lukas’s friends and have sex in a meeting room. During intercourse, Lukas admits there’s something he’s wanted to tell her for a long time. Terrified, Scarlett begs him not to say it, but Lukas professes his love in Swedish anyway. Immediately afterward, Pen calls Lukas. She tested positive for doping. Lukas and Scarlett race out to find her.

Lukas and Scarlett pick up Pen. On the drive, they try to make sense of her drug test. She’s frantic and can’t explain the results. Scarlett reassures her, inviting her to stay at her house. Pen insists on staying with Lukas instead. Over the following days, Scarlett and Lukas barely see each other. When they do communicate, it’s all about Pen. The tension abates when Pen discovers the test was a false positive.

The campus floods with people before the NCAA. Scarlett tries to stay positive.

Three dives into the championship, Scarlett realizes she’s “having the best competition of [her] career” (414). At the end, she looks at the board, shocked to see that she’s won. Lukas finds her in the locker room afterward and they share a passionate kiss. Pen bursts in and gets angry seeing them together.

Bree, Bella, and Victoria follow Pen into the locker room, shocked to see Scarlett and Lukas together. Lukas doesn’t move away from Scarlett even when the others accuse them of betraying Pen. Lukas reveals that he and Pen haven’t been together for months. Pen insists he and Scarlett were only supposed to be having sex, and that Scarlett stole her boyfriend and the NCAA gold medal. Lukas insists that he’s in love with Scarlett and tells her that he wants to be with her forever. She cuts him off, using their safe word, and begs him to give her space.

Scarlett flies back to St. Louis unannounced after the NCAA. She gets an internship with Barb’s colleague and intermittently dives at the local club. In the meantime, she receives apologetic texts from Bree, Bella, and Victoria, and encouraging emails from Coach Sima. Still upset, Scarlett drafts a letter to Pen—she doesn’t send it but feels better having gotten her emotions out. Realizing she misses Lukas, Scarlett looks at his location on her phone and discovers he’s in Sweden. She calls Barb about helping her buy a flight to visit him. Barb agrees. When Scarlett looks up, she’s shocked to see Pen.

Pen admits she saw Scarlett’s location and decided to visit her so she could apologize in person. She explains why she was upset and admits she was wrong to say the things she did. Scarlett is understanding but expresses her own hurt feelings. They agree to be friends again and drive to the airport together. Pen returns to California and Scarlett heads to Sweden.

Scarlett arrives at Lukas’s with Jan’s help. Lukas doesn’t seem surprised to see her—he’s been watching her location, too. They discuss everything that’s happened, profess their love, and kiss.

A few years later, Scarlett and Lukas attend med school in different locations. They’re engaged and keep in touch via phone and text. When they finally reunite, they climb into bed together, hug, and joke about being a couple.