Phoebe and Sam don’t finish painting until after midnight. It gets hotter and hotter in the house, and when they’re done Sam suggests that they swim in his pool. Phoebe doesn’t have a swim suit and decides to be brave and swim in her underwear. In the pool, Phoebe surprises herself by kissing Sam. One thing leads to another, and they end up in his bedroom. Their chemistry is explosive, and both enjoy the sex. The next morning, she wakes in Sam’s bed to a knock at the door. She realizes that she had plans with Conner and left her phone back at her dad’s house. It must be him. She panics, but Sam tells her that Conner would find out eventually that they were together. Phoebe isn’t sure that they will be together and then realizes that Sam correctly interprets her silence. It’s obvious that his feelings are hurt, and she feels terrible as she scrambles for her clothing.

Sam stalls Conner while Phoebe leaves through the back door so that they can keep the previous night a secret. Back at their dad’s house, Pheobe and Conner eat the Taco Bell that Conner brought over, and he scolds her for not answering the door. He hasn’t caught on that she was at Sam’s when he stopped by, and Phoebe is relieved. After they eat, Conner leaves and Phoebe heads back to Sam’s house. She hopes to talk to him about the night before. Sam mentioned that his last relationship ended badly, and the last thing she wants is to hurt him. Although it’s obvious that he would be open to a committed relationship, Phoebe asks him if they can just be neighbors who hook up for a while. She’s happy when he agrees. She invites him to a Fourth of July picnic with her brother and Shani, but he replies noncommittally. She goes home and cuddles with Lenore, who slipped in the door when she was on her way to Sam’s house. She texts Allison to ask what kind of supplies she might need to take care of the cat, and Allison suggests that they meet up.

When Phoebe and Allison meet up to buy supplies for Lenore, talk turns to Sam. Phoebe admits to sleeping with him and frets that she may have wrecked things: Sam wants a relationship, but she isn’t sure how that would work. Allison points out that Phoebe could make it work but that she always puts up emotional walls between herself and others. Phoebe brings up her parents’ divorce, and Allison assures her that everyone has baggage: She’s adopted, which doesn’t bother her, but the fact that her parents are white and she’s Korean has been an issue at times. Her wife’s family was initially unwilling to accept that she was gay. She assures Phoebe that if she wants to, she could pursue a real relationship with Sam.

Back at home, Phoebe cuddles with Lenore. She hopes to see Sam soon, but in the days that follow he seems scarce. The Fourth of July is coming up, and Phoebe, Conner, and Shani are having a picnic to celebrate, after which Conner plans to propose to Shani while they watch the fireworks. Sam still hasn’t responded, so Phoebe writes him a quick note, apologizing for her behavior and asking him to come to the picnic.

The skies are gray and cloudy on the Fourth of July. Conner is tense because a thunderstorm would mean having to postpone his proposal, and Phoebe is nervous because she has no idea whether Sam will show up. She chats with Conner and Shani until she spots Sam walking toward them. Conner and Shani are happy to see him. Initially, conversation between Sam and Phoebe is stilted. Sam is hurt that she doesn’t want a relationship but tells her that he won’t let a one-night stand ruin a friendship with someone he genuinely likes. Phoebe feels a distinct pang and realizes that she does want something with Sam; she’s just not sure what. She feels herself falling even harder when it becomes evident that Sam sees through her aloof exterior: He understands better than she does that she’s kind and empathetic underneath. The two kiss, and both Conner and Shani grin. Rain starts falling, and everyone leaves. Phoebe goes home with Sam but won’t stay the night after they have sex. She explains that she needs space to finish her dissertation, and he says he understands.

Phoebe returns to her dad’s house well after two o’ clock that morning. She gets little sleep because Conner shows up bright and early the next day. Still, she’s happy to see him. The two chat about Sam. (He and Shani knew that the two would hook up and are happy about it.) The conversation then turns to their father. Conner explains that though their father usually let him do whatever he wanted, it was because he didn’t really want to be bothered with parenting. In addition, he remained prone to volatility and rage. Phoebe recalls her mother’s overbearing parenting style but wonders if she acted that way to appear to others as a good mother and not out of actual concern for Phoebe. Sam brings them coffee and tells Conner how sorry he is that the proposal didn’t work. He adds that he heard Shani saying how much she enjoys flash mobs and that he taught his students a basic dance to the Chumbawamba song “Tubthumping.” He says he could arrange for them all to meet in a park, do the dance, and then Conner could propose. Phoebe rolls her eyes, but Conner loves the idea, and they agree to do it.

After Sam leaves, Phoebe starts thinking about her dissertation. She hasn’t yet tackled the chapter on In Cold Blood. She’s intimidated by this book, which is considered the first in the true crime genre. She stands by her arguments, though: She thinks that true crime speaks to the problems and concerns of the era in which it’s written. Capote’s book is ultimately a meditation on how people perceived crime and society during the 1960s. As each decade brings its own societal changes, true crime evolves as a genre. In addition, she thinks that true crime reflects individual fears about power and control: No one has complete control over their lives. That any innocent person could fall victim to a serial killer strikes a visceral chord in people.

Phoebe takes her laptop over to Sam’s house. She explains that she wants to spend time with him but has to work. She tells him that she would be able to work better if he were also doing a productive activity. She knows that he recently started building a guitar and suggests he work on that project. She tells him she’s applying for a job at a nearby school but will likely have to return to North Carolina in a month. He says he’ll help her move but adds that their relationship doesn’t have to end then; it can just change.

The next day, she meets Allison to shop for a blazer for her interview at the local school. She apologizes to Allison for getting so angry at her when they were young, and the calm, circumspect nature of Allison’s response surprises her: She tells Phoebe that she knew even when they were teenagers that Phoebe was hurting because of her parents’ divorce. Allison worried that their friendship would end after Phoebe moved away with her mother. She doesn’t think young people truly have the capacity to deal with such difficult events; instead, she thinks they should forgive themselves and each other. She tells Phoebe she’s grateful to have the opportunity to reconnect and be friends again.