Garrett fails his philosophy midterm and desperately begs Hannah Wells to tutor him so he can stay eligible to play hockey.

Hannah agrees to tutor Garrett after he offers to fake-date her to boost her appeal to her crush, Justin Kohl.

Hannah and Garrett begin tutoring sessions at his townhouse, and she performs one of her original songs for him.

At Beau Maxwell's party, Garrett and Hannah fake-date together until Justin arrives and pulls Hannah into a private conversation.

Hannah proves she is a good kisser by impulsively kissing Garrett, and the charged moment is interrupted when Dean walks in.

Garrett learns he earned an A-minus on his philosophy midterm retake, crediting Hannah's tutoring for the turnaround.

Hannah reveals to Garrett that she was raped at age 15 and asks him to help her reclaim her sexuality.

Hannah and Garrett attempt intimacy but she struggles with flashbacks, so they choose to climax separately as a safer first step.

Garrett and Hannah have sex for the first time on Halloween night after he shares his history of childhood abuse.

Garrett kisses Hannah publicly in front of her friends after a hockey game against Harvard, revealing his real feelings.

Garrett confronts Hannah about Justin's rumored date; she cancels it and they agree to become an exclusive couple.

Cass drops Hannah from the showcase duet; she receives special permission to perform an original composition as a solo act.

At Thanksgiving dinner, Phil demands Garrett break up with Hannah, and Garrett confronts his father about physically abusing Cindy.

Phil visits Hannah at her diner job and threatens to cut Garrett off financially unless she ends their relationship.

Garrett reveals his trust fund grants him full financial independence from Phil, and he and Hannah reconcile.

Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham strike a mutually beneficial arrangement — she tutors him in philosophy while he fake-dates her to attract football player Justin Kohl. As tutoring sessions deepen into genuine friendship, Hannah reveals she was raped at age 15 and asks Garrett to help her reclaim her sexuality, and his patience helps her make real breakthroughs. The two fall in love and become an official couple, but their relationship is soon threatened by Garrett's controlling father, Phil. Phil pressures Hannah to end the relationship by threatening to cut Garrett off financially, and she submits to protect him. After a period of heartbreak and separation, Garrett gains full financial independence through his late mother's trust fund, Phil's leverage disappears, and Hannah and Garrett reconcile.

The central deal, romance, and reconciliation between Hannah and Garrett.

Garrett texts Hannah a shirtless selfie in a last-ditch attempt to convince her to tutor him, but she firmly refuses.

Hannah attends a frat party with Allie and has a brief, hopeful interaction with her crush Justin on the dance floor.

Garrett's hockey team defeats St. Anthony 3-0 while Garrett forces himself to ignore his father watching from the bleachers.

Phil gives Garrett only a dismissive nod in the arena parking lot after the game and climbs into his SUV alone.

Hannah's mother reveals during their weekly phone call that the family cannot afford to travel for Thanksgiving this year.

Hannah accidentally stays overnight at Garrett's place after binge-watching Breaking Bad and exchanging childhood stories until late.

Justin approaches Hannah in the ethics class hallway, but Garrett interrupts by arriving with coffee and acting territorially friendly.

Cass skips a rehearsal claiming illness; MJ admits he recently asked her out, suggesting he is manipulating her for artistic control.

An intoxicated Hannah performs enthusiastic karaoke at the bar during Dean's birthday celebration.

Devon enters the bar with his new girlfriend, stirring up Hannah's deep insecurities about her difficulty with sexual intimacy.

Drunk Hannah tries to initiate sex with Garrett at his house, but he gently refuses to take advantage of her.

Hannah surprises Garrett and his roommates by cooking Nana's lasagna for dinner while they are away at hockey practice.

Logan tells Garrett on the bus home from Harvard that Justin bragged to teammates about an upcoming date with Hannah.

Hannah runs into Rob Delaney after a hockey game; Garrett punches Rob after he calls Hannah a slur.

Garrett's team wins the Frozen Four championship game and Hannah rushes outside the arena to celebrate with him.

While the central romance develops, a rich backdrop of secondary events shapes Hannah and Garrett's world and the people around them. Phil Graham's emotional coldness toward his son — visible in chilling post-game interactions — establishes the family wounds Garrett carries, while Hannah's social anxieties and financial struggles ground her daily life. Key moments of vulnerability, including Hannah's drunken karaoke night and Garrett's refusal to take advantage of her, quietly build the trust that makes their romance possible. Manipulative supporting characters like Cass and Rob Delaney create friction that forces both protagonists to act, while friends like Logan, Allie, and Birdie shape the story's emotional texture. The pool closes with Garrett's championship triumph, a moment of pure joy that arrives only after all obstacles have been cleared.

The behind-the-scenes moments and supporting events that shaped the story.

Garrett drives Hannah home from the frat party and first proposes the fake-dating arrangement during their conversation in the car.

Logan tells Garrett after a hockey team weight-training session that he has developed a crush on Hannah.

Garrett admits to Hannah during a tutoring session that he plays hockey because he genuinely loves the sport, not only because of his father.

Hannah wakes up nestled against Garrett after accidentally staying overnight and realizes she genuinely wants to be there.

Garrett confides while dancing with Hannah at the bar that the song playing was his late mother's favorite and was played at her funeral.

Garrett seeks advice from teammate Birdie about making a first intimate experience comfortable and positive for a partner, without sharing Hannah's details.

Hannah cancels her Halloween plans to help with the dormitory crawl and chooses to spend the evening with Garrett instead.

Garrett reveals to Hannah that his father first physically struck him on Halloween, one year after his mother died.

Hannah notices bruises on Cindy's arms and watches Cindy flinch nervously at Phil's touch during the Thanksgiving dinner.

On the drive home from Thanksgiving, Garrett confesses his fear of becoming like his abusive father and Hannah tells him she loves him.

Hannah performs her original song at the winter showcase and pours all her heartbreak into it, earning a standing ovation.

Hannah wins the $5,000 winter showcase scholarship, easing the financial burden that has weighed on her family.

Hannah discovers that Garrett warned every man on campus not to date her and angrily heads to the locker room to confront him.

Hannah reveals to Garrett that Phil threatened to cut him off financially unless she ended the relationship.

Garrett tells his teammates and coach the truth about his father's abusive nature, and Phil is collectively ignored at the Frozen Four championship.

Beneath the surface of Hannah and Garrett's romance lie the pivotal moments of revelation and decision that define who they are and what they must overcome. Early turning points — Garrett's honest admission that he loves hockey for himself, Logan's unrequited confession of feelings, and Hannah's quiet realization that she genuinely wants to be with Garrett — lay the emotional groundwork for deeper connection. Critical revelations follow in rapid succession: Garrett's disclosure of his childhood abuse, Hannah's discovery of Cindy's bruises, and their mutual declaration of love on the drive home from a devastating Thanksgiving. After the forced breakup, Hannah's emotionally charged showcase performance signals her readiness to fight for the relationship, and her confrontation of Garrett about Phil's blackmail finally removes the last barrier between them. The story concludes with Garrett's teammates and coach collectively denying Phil any recognition at the championship, marking his complete liberation from his father's shadow.

The key decisions, discoveries, and emotional revelations that define the story.

Elle Kennedy

Novel

Fiction

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