A week after the kiss, Indy learns her airline’s insurance will not cover fertility treatments. While doing dishes and thinking about the kiss, she decides she needs a physical encounter to move past Alex although she has never been able to disconnect sex from emotion.

Ryan emerges from his bedroom in only a towel. When Indy bends over the dishwasher, he teases that the sight matches his fantasies and presses close behind her. She asks point-blank if he finds her attractive. He responds that he sees her as intelligent, kind, and charming first, her physical beauty secondary. Indy presses against him, claiming she is just acting as he did. Ryan lifts her onto the counter, kisses her neck, and touches her thighs. He then pulls back to reveal he was only distracting her to reach the silverware drawer behind her. As she processes her frustration, he casually reveals he is celibate.

The night before a road trip, Ryan hosts a team dinner at Ethan’s suggestion, but the long table prevents real bonding. He reflects on how his distrust of his teammates contributes to their losing streak. A rookie, Leon, appears visibly afraid of him. At dessert, Ryan texts Indy and acknowledges to himself that their recent kiss was not fake. He kissed her partly from possessiveness and partly because he wanted to. When she mentions she may not be home until the next day, he is disappointed.

After dinner, Ethan confirms that Leon’s fear of Ryan is hurting team performance, and Ryan acknowledges he needs to change. Back at the building, his doorman, David, mentions how lovely Indy looked when she left. Ryan has been secretly funding David’s granddaughter’s piano lessons through a fake scholarship. In his quiet apartment, Ryan feels the silence acutely without Indy. He arranges flowers he had delivered for her and assembles a bookshelf for her romance novels. Then Stevie calls and says that Indy is on a bad date and needs a ride home. Ryan immediately leaves to get her.

Indy endures a terrible Tinder date with a man named Jason. She reflects on Ryan’s celibacy and recalls that he has not dated since a woman in college tried to use him. She only agreed to the date because she needs a physical release. The bartender notices Jason’s behavior and discreetly serves her water. When Jason puts his hand on her thigh and invites her home, she refuses.

Ryan strides into the bar and confronts Jason. As patrons begin filming, Indy tries to de-escalate the situation. Jason makes a crude remark and Ryan lunges, but Indy stops him. Outside, Ryan slams the car door and confronts her with visible hurt and anger. Back at the apartment, he accuses her of recklessness and of potentially exposing their arrangement. She confesses she wanted a one-night stand to get over Alex. Ryan tells her to handle her own needs, and she reveals that she cannot orgasm because the trauma of finding Alex cheating intrudes whenever she tries.

Ryan immediately pins her against the wall and kisses her. He reassures her that her body is not broken and positions his thigh between her legs. Mid-encounter, Indy notices the bookshelf Ryan built for her. Knowing he was thinking of her while she was away pushes her over the edge, and she climaxes. He kisses her tenderly and tells her to ask him for help next time, then goes to his bedroom.

Three days into a road trip, Ryan obsesses over his last encounter with Indy and their silence since. He decides he can help Indy achieve orgasms without breaking his celibacy and resolves to be the only one who does. When Ethan calls urging him to join the team at the hotel bar, Indy calls for the first time ever, and Ryan immediately hangs up on Ethan to answer.

Indy is at the store working through an item on her bucket list, which is to grocery shop just for herself instead of for others. She proudly tells Ryan that she’s buying raspberry turnovers instead of the apple ones Alex preferred. When she offers to buy something for Ryan, he gently reminds her the exercise is about being selfish and accidentally calls her “his girl” before changing the subject. He tells her about a party the following Saturday, which will give them the opportunity to fulfill an item on the bucket list she wrote for him by slow dancing. He asks her to buy a new dress on his credit card and one for Stevie too. They agree not to let days pass without talking again.

At the hotel bar, Ryan makes a conscious effort to connect with his teammates. Knowing that Dom requested a trade to Chicago to be near his mother during her cancer treatment, he inquires after her health and apologizes for being distant. Two hours later, he notes that he genuinely enjoyed his time with the team. He and Indy trade flirtatious texts, and before leaving the bar, Ryan invites Leon to work on drills with him after practice. The rookie enthusiastically accepts.

Indy prepares for the secret party and puts on a new red dress. When Ryan zips it up, he touches her neck and hip and tells her no one has ever made him feel as greedy as she does. He reveals the party is for Zanders and Stevie’s engagement because Zanders is proposing at that moment, and Indy bursts into happy tears. Ryan worries the event might be painful for her, but she assures him she is genuinely happy. He mentions he told Zanders not to ask her to help plan the party so she could simply enjoy herself.

At the venue, Indy and Ryan agree to continue their fake-dating performance. Ryan warns his parents she is not his real girlfriend while Indy talks with the Raptors players. When Zanders and Stevie arrive newly engaged, Ryan sheds tears of happiness. On the dance floor, Indy asks if Ryan has ever been in love. He says he was once in college, but it was nothing like what Zanders and Stevie have. He explains he views love as a gamble and does not make bets he might lose, although he casually mentions he was always the sibling who wanted children. When the music turns upbeat, Indy dances with Rio to make him jealous. Ryan comes to the floor, dismisses Rio, pulls Indy close, and tells her no one else gets to touch her.

Indy leans in to kiss him, but Stevie interrupts and says that they’re ready to leave. On the way out, Stevie tells Indy that watching her and her brother together made her realize Indy’s interest in Ryan is genuine. She gives her blessing for a real relationship but warns Indy to be careful with Ryan’s sensitive heart. In the crowded car, Ryan pulls Indy onto his lap despite available seats. Back at the apartment, instead of saying goodnight, Indy asks him to help unzip her dress and then asks him to help her find sexual release. He replies that it’s about time.

Ryan pins Indy to the wall and begins kissing her neck, resolving to make her climax without breaking his two years of celibacy. He carries her to the couch, deliberately avoiding her bedroom and avoiding kissing her on the mouth. They undress each other and masturbate simultaneously.

Afterward, Ryan feels overwhelmed because the encounter made him realize how much he wants a deeper relationship with Indy, and old fears about being used resurface. He abruptly gets up, cleans her with a towel, and avoids her eyes. When Indy asks what’s wrong, he says it is not her fault and retreats to his bedroom. She knocks on his door, but he stays silent. She softly thanks him through the door. Ryan hates himself for leaving her alone and knows he needs to fix things but doesn’t know how.