Chapter 6

Leaving the arena shaken by Frank O’Shea’s reappearance, Dean calls his brother Nick but reaches his sister Summer first. Summer admits she’s on probation at Brown after a sorority toga incident and hints she might transfer to Briar. Nick then advises Dean to keep his head down with O’Shea and promises legal backup if needed, which steadies Dean.

Back at the house, Dean downplays O’Shea to Garrett and Logan, noting the odd midseason hire while hiding the bad blood. He notices Tucker’s absence and later isolates himself with schoolwork, but intrusive thoughts about Allie push him to call her for another hookup. Allie refuses and hangs up.

From Allie’s POV, Dean continues texting, tempting her with secrecy, but she shuts it down before rehearsing lines with Hannah. Their practice exposes Allie’s emotional fatigue post-breakup and sparks a reflection on how friends handle silence and past misjudgments about Justin.

Hannah asks whether Allie regrets leaving Sean; Allie doesn’t but admits she isn’t ready to date. She toys with having a no-strings fling yet concedes it doesn’t suit her and that Dean’s player reputation makes exclusivity unlikely. Talk turns to Thanksgiving: Hannah will be with family, and Allie will be in Brooklyn, anxious about her father’s progressing MS.

Hannah reassures Allie she can take the time she needs to grieve the relationship without judgment, and Allie accepts the support, reaffirming her boundaries despite lingering temptation.