Overview

Hallie moves into Wren's newly renovated house as a temporary roommate and prepares for a first date arranged through her design firm. The date unexpectedly leads to a Chicago Raptors hockey game at the United Center, where Hallie discovers her date, Brian, is married and then locks eyes with her past love, player Rio DeLuca, on the ice. The encounter triggers panic and unresolved feelings as Hallie resolves that, despite their history, she no longer loves Rio.

Full Summary

Hallie settles into Wren's renovated home, where Wren reassures Hallie that she is happy to have a roommate and jokes about leveraging Hallie's connection to Tyler Braden. Their friendship is portrayed as genuine, built on months of working together during renovations and shared life circumstances, with Hallie grateful for the affordable rent and a safe, supportive environment. Wren confirms she referred her neighbor to Hallie's design firm, giving Hallie hope for a new project she needs to complete her internship.

Hallie reveals she has a date that evening with Brian, a new client of Tyler's, motivated partly by the chance to impress Tyler and secure a full-time position after her internship. Despite Wren's teasing and an offer for a ride if Hallie's unreliable car fails, Hallie remains ambivalent about dating, admitting she feels out of practice and more comfortable staying busy.

Meeting Brian at the design office, Hallie rides with him and learns he owns multiple homes and will only be in Chicago intermittently. His demeanor shifts from shy to smug as he drives toward a surprise destination, which Hallie realizes is the United Center on a Raptors game night. The arena setting floods her with anxiety, given her history with a Raptors player she has purposefully avoided since moving to Chicago.

Brian leads Hallie to seats on the glass, directly behind the net where Chicago defends twice. Hallie tries to remain inconspicuous and keep her eyes off the ice, overwhelmed by the pervasive presence of the player she once knew—jerseys, signage, and crowd energy all pointing to him. Brian attempts small talk about hockey, but continuous notifications on his phone draw Hallie’s attention.

During the first period, Hallie sees repeated texts from a contact saved as a diamond ring emoji on Brian’s phone. Confronted, Brian admits to being in a newly open marriage but had not disclosed this to Hallie. Feeling deceived, Hallie prepares to leave, only to be interrupted by a violent hit against the glass right in front of them that drops a Tampa player to the ice.

As the crowd erupts, Hallie looks up and recognizes the hitter as Rio DeLuca, number 38, now a defenseman for the Chicago Raptors. Rio glances up and locks eyes with Hallie, visibly recognizing her despite her shorter hair and the years gone by. For a suspended moment, the noise and crowd fall away for Hallie as she confronts the reality of seeing Rio again after months of intentionally avoiding any chance of this encounter.

The stare carries their shared history and unresolved tension. Hallie’s heart stirs with remembered feeling, but she consciously pulls back, reminding herself of everything that happened between them and affirming internally that, although she once loved Rio DeLuca, she does not anymore.

Who Appears

• Hallie Hart — interior design intern; new roommate to Wren; goes on a first date with Brian; unexpectedly confronts her past when she sees Rio DeLuca at the game.
• Wren — Hallie’s friend and new roommate; homeowner of the renovated house; offers support and facilitated a client referral.
• Brian — new client of Tyler; Hallie’s date; takes Hallie to a Chicago Raptors game; revealed to be married and in a newly open relationship.
• Rio DeLuca — Chicago Raptors defenseman; Hallie’s past love; recognizes Hallie from the ice during the game.
• Tyler Braden — Hallie’s firm lead/designer; referenced as Brian’s designer and Hallie’s prospective boss; motivation for Hallie to accept the date.