Nine summers earlier, Alex cannot afford a major vacation because he is working extra library shifts and putting his earnings toward Bryce’s community-college tuition. When Alex tells Poppy she can still go to Paris without him, Poppy immediately redirects them to a cheaper trip to Nashville instead. At the same time, Poppy is privately carrying a larger secret: after failing a science requirement and losing faith in school, she has decided not to return to college, though she has told only Alex and is postponing telling her parents until after the trip.

As Poppy finishes packing, her mother corners her with a bulk box of condoms, assuming that Poppy and Alex might sleep together on the trip. The conversation embarrasses Poppy, not only because of the implication about Alex, but because her mother is proudly talking about Poppy’s future while Poppy is hiding her plans to leave school. Downstairs, Poppy deliberately turns the situation into a joke in front of Alex and her parents, which leaves Alex mortified but also briefly amused once they finally escape.

On the drive to Nashville, Poppy tries to lighten Alex’s mood by flirting, joking about mechanical bulls and handsome country singers, and insisting on a country playlist. Their banter shows their usual rhythm: Poppy pushes for fun and mischief, while Alex plays the steady, teasing straight man. When they arrive, their Groupon motel turns out to be a tacky themed place, and the silliness of the setting keeps the mood playful.

In the motel room, the joking about the condoms leads into a more serious conversation about sex and family. Alex admits that his father never really gave him a proper sex talk, which reminds Poppy how much responsibility Alex has always carried since his mother died and how often he serves as the emotional anchor for his family. Poppy reflects that their bond partly comes from this familiar dynamic: Alex makes the world feel safe, and Poppy draws out his lighter side.

The conversation deepens when Alex realizes Poppy is still a virgin, having assumed otherwise because she has left parties with other people. Poppy explains that she wants her first time to feel right and special, while Alex awkwardly admits he has had sex before, with a girl named Lydia rather than Sarah. Their teasing escalates into one of their familiar physical, laughing exchanges, with Alex leaning over Poppy and using his exaggerated sad-puppy expression to make her laugh.

In that close, playful moment, Poppy experiences a sudden, undeniable shift: for the first time, she wants to kiss Alex. The feeling is immediate and intense, but she hides it away instead of acting on it, deciding to keep that desire secret. Alex, unaware of the change in her, simply invites her to continue their Nashville adventure and go find a mechanical bull.