Spoiler heads-up: this page is the “tell me what actually happens” version. If you’re just trying to binge in order, use the Full Episodes page links under each arc.
The whole setup is simple (and honestly… perfect for this kind of fast mini-series): Tessa Sinclair comes back to North Lake High, runs straight into Ronan Beaumont (the Beaumont heir + her old nemesis), and one messy one-night mistake turns into a fake-dating deal meant to make their exes spiral. Of course, the “fake” part doesn’t stay fake for long.
Arc 1 — Episodes 1–10: Setup & the deal
Go to Episodes 1–10 on Full Episodes
This arc is the “okay wait, I’m hooked” part. Tessa is back at North Lake High with that sharp, defensive energy she uses like armor. She doesn’t come in looking for love. She comes in looking like someone who already decided she’s not letting anyone get close again.
And then Ronan is there. The Beaumont heir. The rich nemesis. The guy who’s used to being looked at like a walking label (perfect student, perfect family name, perfect reputation). The story sets them up like this: they know exactly how to push each other’s buttons, and they’re both stubborn enough to press them anyway.
The “one-night mistake” changes the vibe instantly. It gives them a shared secret, and in a high school setting that’s basically gasoline. It also gives them a reason to be in each other’s space without admitting they want to be. That’s where the fake-dating deal comes in: they decide to “date” publicly as a weapon. Not because they’re soft. Because it’s petty and it gets under their exes’ skin.
So in this first stretch you get the rules of the game:
They’re not supposed to care.
They’re supposed to perform.
They’re supposed to win.
And it’s fun because they’re weirdly good at it. The banter, the tension, the “I hate you” chemistry… it’s all there. But the most important thing this arc sneaks in is this: they’re not just enemies. They understand each other’s pride. They recognize each other’s loneliness. They just pretend they don’t.
Arc 2 — Episodes 11–22: Complications start
Go to Episodes 11–22 on Full Episodes
This is where the fake relationship stops being a cute prank and starts colliding with real people. Because exes do not politely exit the stage. They lurk, they interrupt, they twist stories, they try to “win” by humiliating someone first.
So the couple has to keep acting… even when it’s inconvenient. Even when it’s awkward. Even when they’re tired. And that’s the trap: the more you perform closeness, the more you accidentally build closeness.
You’ll feel the story shift here. The teasing is still there, but you start getting those tiny protective moments that don’t look fake at all. Ronan doesn’t just show up as “the rich guy.” He shows up as the guy who notices when Tessa is cornered and steps in. Tessa doesn’t just play the role either—she starts defending him too, even when she could’ve stayed quiet and safe.
This arc also starts pushing on two pressure points that keep coming back later:
1) Jealousy and pride.
Not the cute rom-com kind. The kind where both of them are thinking: “Why does this bother me so much?” and then refusing to answer their own question.
2) Reputation.
Ronan’s whole life is shaped by how things look from the outside. Tessa acts like she doesn’t care what anyone thinks… but she absolutely hates being talked about like she’s weak or “easy” or anything she didn’t choose for herself.
By the end of this arc, the fake dating is still technically the plan. But it’s already doing what fake dating always does in these dramas: making them feel safe around each other in public… and way too exposed in private.
Arc 3 — Episodes 23–35: Feelings get messy
Go to Episodes 23–35 on Full Episodes
This is the “uh-oh” arc. The pretend line starts cracking, and neither of them handles it normally because neither of them is built for calm emotional honesty. They’re both proud. They both hate feeling vulnerable. And they both have that annoying habit of saying the opposite of what they mean when they’re scared.
The big change here is that the conflict stops being “our exes are annoying.” It becomes “I don’t know if I can trust you.” Not because one of them is evil, but because they’ve both been trained to expect people to leave.
Tessa’s pattern starts showing clearly. When she feels safe, she gets soft for half a second… and then she panics and slams the door. She’d rather be the one who walks away first than be the one who gets left. That’s basically her whole emotional engine.
Ronan’s side is different but just as messy. He acts confident like he’s untouchable, but the story keeps reminding you he’s trapped. He’s “Ronan Beaumont” second. “Beaumont heir” first. So when he starts wanting something real with Tessa, it automatically turns into a threat to his neat, controlled life.
This arc is full of misunderstandings, but the better kind: the ones that come from fear and pride, not from random stupidity. They’re close enough to hurt each other now. And the rivalry stops being “fun enemies.” It becomes personal. Because the opposite of love isn’t hate in this story. It’s pretending you don’t care.
Arc 4 — Episodes 36–48: Secrets & fallout
Go to Episodes 36–48 on Full Episodes
Okay, this is the heavy arc. This is where the show cashes in all the tension it built earlier and turns it into consequences.
Secrets pop up (and not just romantic ones). Motives get questioned. Side characters stop feeling like background noise and start feeling like problems. And when the couple is already emotionally unstable, it doesn’t take much to tip them into a real fight.
This is also where the “performance vs real” theme gets loud. Because the entire relationship started as a performance. So once things get complicated, everyone starts asking the same question in different ways:
Is this real… or are they still acting?
That’s why characters like the exes matter here. Beckett and Jessie aren’t just there to annoy you. They’re there to poke the couple right in the weak spots—public pressure, humiliation, “exposing” someone, forcing a reaction. They try to turn the relationship into a joke again, because if it’s a joke, it can’t be a threat.
And then there’s the Beaumont pressure. This arc leans harder into Ronan’s identity issue: he’s been treated like a family asset for so long that “choosing love” isn’t just romantic. It’s rebellious. If he’s going to be real with Tessa, he has to be real in a way that costs him something. Otherwise it’s just secret comfort with no future.
By the end of this arc, you’re usually mad at both leads at least once. But you’re also very aware of the real stakes now: if they don’t learn how to trust, the relationship doesn’t just “end.” It breaks them back into their old patterns.
Arc 5 — Episodes 49–62: Final run
Go to Episodes 49–62 on Full Episodes
This last stretch is basically: no more looping. The story stops circling the same jealousy fights and starts landing the plane.
The fake deal can’t survive anymore because the ex drama isn’t funny now—it’s harmful. And the couple isn’t playing anymore either. They’re attached. They’re scared. They’re tired of acting like nothing matters.
Tessa hits her “rejection” phase here the hardest. If you’ve ever watched someone sabotage the thing they want because it feels too safe to trust… that’s the vibe. She doesn’t reject Ronan because she doesn’t care. She rejects him because she cares and it terrifies her. She’s basically fighting her own reflex to run.
Ronan’s payoff lands here: he finally stops living as “the Beaumont heir” and starts choosing who he is. Not in secret. Not in half-measures. Like, actually drawing a line with the people who control his life and making it clear where he stands.
And that’s why the ending works for a lot of fans. It isn’t just “they kissed, done.” It’s the story making both of them do the thing they avoid:
Tessa chooses trust instead of disappearing.
Ronan chooses honesty instead of hiding behind reputation.
So yeah, it’s still dramatic. It’s still a mini-series. But the final arc leans more into emotional payoff than some giant “I bought the school” kind of stunt. It’s a clean wrap-up because the core problem (fake vs real) finally gets answered out loud.
If you want the story conclusion spelled out beat-by-beat, the spoiler page is here: Ending Explained
