By midweek, Jo and Sebastian struggled to make progress on their song; despite meeting on Monday and Tuesday, a noticeable wall lingered between them as they batted around the chorus and verses without breakthroughs. On Wednesday, after helping open the Revelry for a bridge tournament and getting ready in the venue’s bathroom, Jo went to her scheduled dinner with Van at Vi’s Bistro.

Van arrived impeccably dressed, and their banter was light at first. Jo received a text from Gigi during the meal but silenced her phone, still raw from their recent fight. When Jo and Van questioned whether the outing was a date, Van admitted he wanted it to be and showed gentle affection by tucking her hair behind her ear. In that moment, Jo heard a strangled growl through her telepathic link with Sebastian, signaling his reaction from afar.

As they ordered their prom-night favorites, Van confessed he had repeatedly rehearsed this conversation and expected Jo’s anger. He apologized for how he treated her years ago, describing how he used to approach relationships like video games—saving and returning when convenient. He said hearing Jo’s song, which he believed was about their past, prompted him to seek closure and apologize.

Listening, Jo recognized that the dinner was really about untangling the past. She realized with clarity that the song was not actually about Van and that she did not want to be there romantically. She told Van she had gotten over him long ago but had been afraid to move on, and she accepted his apology for the person she had been nine years prior. When Van asked if she wanted to try again, Jo declined.

They asked to have their meals boxed up, and Jo insisted on paying for old times’ sake. Outside, Van offered a ride home, which Jo declined in favor of walking on the warm, windy night. Van shared that he was leaving for Boston in the morning to avoid the impending hurricane. They exchanged goodbyes on friendly terms.

Instead of lingering, Jo turned away first and, feeling her heart pull her toward something new, broke into a run—implying she was heading toward Sebastian and the future rather than the past.