Viola lies awake replaying Jesse’s words. An inner voice reminds her of his sincerity, while another reminds her of his years of coldness. She wakes late to a text from Mike scheduling a meeting with her, Jesse, and Otto.

In the dining room, Ethan tells Viola that Jesse believes Viola and Ethan are a couple. He explains that Jesse saw him and Shannon being affectionate, then cornered him and accused him of cheating on Viola. Viola realizes this implies Jesse pays far more attention to her than she thought. Ethan says he told Jesse the truth: He and Viola are not dating, and he is in love with Shannon. Jesse’s reaction was to apologize and leave, looking dumbstruck.

Viola looks for Jesse but cannot find him before their meeting. At the meeting, Jesse keeps his expression unreadable as he presents ideas for Limerence 3. Viola is thrilled to discover that Jesse’s creative vision aligns perfectly with hers, particularly his desire to stick to the source material. Jesse proposes two playable characters, Noham and Aqualuna, surprising Viola. Mike and Otto argue for cutting one character. In unison, Viola and Jesse vehemently refuse. Jesse passionately explains that the relationship between the two main characters is the story’s core and cannot be removed.

Viola and Jesse take turns explaining the books’ central tragic plot: The main characters are reincarnated lovers cursed to a cycle where one dies the moment the other confesses their love. Jesse concludes that the story is an ode to the enduring power of love. His eyes meet Viola’s for a brief, intense moment.

After the meeting, Mike distracts Viola, and Jesse disappears. Viola rushes to find him, going to his room. When he opens the door, she steps inside and asks directly if he likes her.

Viola confronts him with contradictory evidence: his drunken confession and confrontation with Ethan versus his years of indifference and his refusal to kiss her under the mistletoe a year ago. She asks why he acted repelled by her if he was attracted to her, speculating that he despises himself for his attraction because he thinks so little of her. Jesse denies this, but when she asks why he never tried to ask her out, he replies that she knows why.

Before Viola can respond that she does not know, a housekeeper knocks. Overwhelmed, Viola abruptly ends the conversation, suggesting they pretend it never happened and remain coworkers. She leaves, ignoring what sounds like Jesse calling her name.

Viola resolves to keep her relationship with Jesse strictly professional. The next morning at breakfast, Jesse catches a falling muffin from her overloaded plate and carries it to a table for her. A Nephilim developer immediately draws him into a work discussion.

Later, during a group photo that leads to a massive snowball fight, Viola helps build a snow fort. Her mittens become soaked, leaving her hands painfully cold. On the porch, Jesse wraps his warm hands around her freezing fingers. Jesse asks if she remembers their first meeting six years ago.

He reveals that during that meeting, he asked her to get coffee. She realizes that she didn’t know he was asking her on a date and inadvertently rejected him. He explains that immediately after, she told him about a persistent male colleague who made her uncomfortable, which he misinterpreted as a direct warning to stay away from her. 

Viola realizes their entire awkward history is based on this misunderstanding. Jesse explains that he avoided her for years because he thought he was respecting her wishes. He confesses that the mistletoe incident was difficult because he had wanted to kiss her for years but felt he couldn’t. 

Before they can talk further, Jesse is called to the snowball fight. He gives Viola his insulated gloves before leaving. Viola is left stunned, holding his warm gloves.

Unable to get warm in bed that night, Viola decides to use a hot tub. She avoids the first tub, where Ethan and Shannon are having a romantic moment. The second contains Mike, Otto, and Jesse. Mike invites her in, creating a space next to Jesse. Jesse avoids looking at her as she enters.

Viola joins Jesse in mocking the video game Fallout 76, which Otto is defending. Annoyed, Otto gets out, followed quickly by Mike, leaving them alone. Jesse reveals that Otto is secretly in love with Mike and likely orchestrated the departure to get time alone with him. 

An awkward silence falls. To break the tension, Viola asks about his favorite games, and they find common ground. Playfully arguing over Persona, Viola stands to leave, mimicking Otto’s exit. Jesse chuckles and tugs her wrist to pull her back down.

Viola loses her balance and falls directly into Jesse’s lap. She becomes acutely aware of his erection. As she scrambles to move, Jesse apologizes for losing control. Viola, feeling intensely aroused, tells him she doesn’t mind. She asks if he still likes her; he confirms he does and likely always will. She settles more comfortably on his lap, and he struggles to maintain composure. 

Just as the moment intensifies, Mike returns, having forgotten his room key. Jesse and Viola instantly separate. Jesse says he is going to the kitchen for water and leaves. Mike apologizes for leaving Viola alone with a man she barely knows and asks if she was uncomfortable; Viola says she trusts Jesse.

Unable to sleep, Viola goes to Jesse’s room at three o’clock in the morning, using the pretense of returning his gloves. She finds Jesse awake; his copy of The Sunken Heart is on his bed. After a brief exchange, Viola admits she came to talk about the hot tub. Jesse apologizes again for losing control, but Viola reassures him she didn’t mind.

Viola confesses that she had a huge crush on him for years. She tells him that she welcomes his attraction to her. Jesse tells her that if she is only looking for casual sex, he is not the right person. He explains that his feelings for her are too deep and long-standing to be casual. He is concerned about the potential for getting hurt, especially since they will be working closely together.

Viola is moved by his confession and makes a proposal. She suggests they use the remaining days of the retreat to hang out and do whatever they want—from making out to playing games to talking—to see if there is a real connection between them. After a moment of consideration, Jesse smiles and agrees to her terms. Viola rises onto her toes and smiles against his lips.