The narrative returns to the honeymoon. Lake calls Vaughn a “selfish bitch,” and Will agrees, grateful for how things turned out. Will draws a parallel between Vaughn leaving him because she did not want to be with him out of pity, and a time Lake tried ending things because she thought Will was with her out of pity. Lake corrects him, saying she was giving him time to think, not breaking up. They promise never to fall apart again. Lake asks Will to describe what it was like when he first saw her.

The story shifts to the first day Will met Lake. Will, now a 21-year-old high school English teacher, is getting ready for work when he sees Lake expertly backing up a U-Haul across the street. He’s immediately intrigued by her and the sadness in her eyes. An older woman, whom he later learns is Julia, arrives in a Jeep. Caulder plays with Lake’s brother, Kel, and Lake joins the game, pretending to be a zombie.

Will crosses the street and introduces himself to Lake. He’s struck by her green eyes and southern accent. He offers to help them move their stuff into the house later. At school, Will thinks about Lake during his third-period class with students including Javier, Eddie, Gavin, and Nick. 

Will repeatedly looks out his window, hoping to see Lake, and Caulder teases him about his crush. Will notices the curtains in Lake’s house quickly shut and suspects she’s watching for him, too.

The next morning, it snows. Will sees Lake come outside in pajamas and Darth Vader house shoes and fall on the ice, cutting her shoulder on a garden gnome. He brings her inside his house to bandage the wound, feeling a strong physical attraction. He makes her coffee and gives her his late father’s mug. He insists she take his jacket when she leaves, hoping it will ensure another meeting. As she walks away, he calls out a playful Star Wars farewell.

The narrative returns to the honeymoon. Lake says she had a crush on Will after he bandaged her shoulder and their trip to the grocery store.

The story returns to the day of Lake’s fall. Will is at home, unable to concentrate on his lesson plans because he keeps thinking about Lake. Caulder tells him Lake is outside, trying to figure out how to get to the grocery store. Will goes outside and impulsively gets into Lake’s car, offering to ride with her to give directions to the store. He intentionally takes her on a longer route to spend more time with her.

While pretending to check her bandage, Will touches her hair. He discovers they share a favorite band, The Avett Brothers, which deepens his attraction. Lake tells Will about her father’s recent death, which explains the sadness he saw in her eyes. Will feels a connection through their shared loss but avoids discussing his own parents.

When they arrive at the store, Will admits he took the long way. Inside, they share an intense, silent moment after he brushes a wet strand of hair from her cheek. He teases her about her southern accent and learns her favorite cereal is Lucky Charms and that she misses Texas. He asks if she misses her boyfriend, but she confirms she is single.

In her driveway, Lake does a southern belle impression that Will finds very attractive. He almost kisses her but stops himself, kissing her on the forehead instead. He meets Julia and mentions that he’s 21. He asks Lake on a date for the following night, and she accepts.

The narrative returns to the honeymoon. Lake tells Will his forehead kiss was the best kiss she’d ever had up to that point. Will kisses her forehead again. Lake asks to hear about their first date from his perspective.

The story shifts to the day of their date. Will is nervous, as it is his first date in two years. He plans to take Lake to a poetry slam at Club N9NE but worries she won’t like it. Will resolves to tell Lake about his parents and his guardianship of Caulder that night. He studies family photos on his wall and notices the red-hatted garden gnome from across the street in an old picture.

Will sees Lake outside in the morning, and they flirt. He tells her to brush her teeth because he intends to kiss her that night. At school, the secretary, Mrs. Alex, flirts with Will. Mrs. Alex mentions Will’s faculty advisor needs to schedule a quarterly observation. Gavin teases Will after inferring he has a date. That evening, Kel asks Will if he is going to be Lake’s boyfriend and jokingly warns him about all of Lake’s bad habits.

Lake playfully makes Will drive across the street to pick her up. In the car, Will gives Lake a grilled cheese sandwich, explaining they do not have time to eat at a restaurant. Lake asks about his parents, but Will deflects by starting a game of Would You Rather, holding her hand during the drive.

Arriving at Club N9NE, Lake is concerned that it is a dance club. Inside, Will explains it’s a poetry slam. At the bar, Will sees his student Gavin, but is not surprised, as he has socialized with Gavin and his girlfriend, Eddie, at poetry slams before. Gavin promises to keep Eddie from interrupting their date.

The narrative returns to the honeymoon. Lake is shocked to learn Gavin knew about their date from the beginning. Will teases her that he is saving the story of her appearing in his class for after he describes their first kiss.

The story returns to the date at Club N9NE. Will explains the concept of “the sac,” or sacrificial poet, to Lake—the emcee chooses a person at random from the crowd to go on stage and perform a poem off the cuff to get things started. Lake and Will sit close together in the booth, and Will tells her he likes her. Lake is deeply moved by the performances, even crying during one poem. Will watches her reactions and realizes he is falling for her.

Lake begs Will to perform a poem. Although he’s nervous to perform for her, he agrees. On stage, inspired by the hopeful look in her eyes, he decides to tell her his story through poetry. Will performs a poem titled Death, detailing his parents’ fatal accident in a collision with an 18-wheeler two years ago and his subsequent guardianship of Caulder at age 19.

After the poem, Will returns to the booth, worried about her reaction. Lake is crying, but looks at him with hope rather than pity. She takes his hand and kisses the center of his palm. Overcome with emotion, Will kisses her for the first time, a light, brief kiss on the lips. Feeling the need to leave before he loses control, Will takes her out of the club. Outside, they share a long, silent, intimate embrace. He sees Gavin and Eddie leaving and ends the hug to avoid an introduction.

On the drive home, Lake falls asleep. In her driveway, Will lets her sleep, watches her peacefully, and kisses her forehead before waking her. At her house, they share another long embrace at her front door. Realizing he cannot leave without a proper kiss, Will calls her back to the car and kisses her through his car window. As he gets out of his car, he realizes he forgot to compliment her. At home, Will reflects that it was the best date he has ever been on.