Waiting outside a jammed door, Scarlett is met by Lukas, who arrives with keys. They immediately deflate the tension around Pen’s drunken outing by joking about the “elephant” of their kinks. Lukas unlocks the door, waits while she gathers her things, and confirms the door jams both ways, quietly prioritizing her safety.

As they walk, Lukas notices Scarlett massaging her shoulder and identifies her past labral tear. At his request, Scarlett steps closer; he firmly positions her arm and spine to stretch the joint, giving palpable relief. While holding the stretch, Lukas asks if her anxiety stems from Pen’s new date and reveals he didn’t ask where Pen is. He states he isn’t jealous and, though frustrated, would have accepted “vanilla” sex out of commitment.

The conversation shifts to their futures. Scarlett asks if Lukas will see others; he says it’s complicated. He points out that Scarlett, not seeing anyone, could find someone who will give her what she needs, which unsettles and excites her. He then asks whether her nerves are about him specifically or men in general, forcing an honesty she’s not ready for.

Scarlett declines Lukas’s offer to walk her home and leaves, still feeling an unexpected kinship. She falls asleep and wakes to a midnight email from Lukas titled “What you need,” reading: “If you decide to go for it, I think it should be me.”