Plot
Hardin is still pining for Tessa, a year after she broke up with him upon discovering his manuscript for After, their love story. His publisher Katherine urges him to produce a follow-up to the best-seller before year's end.
Forced to go clubbing with Katherine and her friend, Hardin cannot enjoy himself as he has continual flashbacks of Tessa. Katherine and her friend get Hardin to take them to his place but he's not enjoying himself, drinking until he passes out.
Over a lunch with his mother and birth father the next day, Hardin is reprimanded for drinking again, wallowing and not trying to move on. Explaining that Tessa was his whole reason for being and his muse, he has writer's block. Hardin's mum suggests he makes peace with the past, then mentions Natalie, from his youth is now living in Lisbon.
Hardin flies down to make amends with Natalie, going to the bridal shop where she works. She ushers him out, but meets with him later. He has a flashback to when they'd met. To recover an expensive watch in a poker game, Hardin accepted a bet to seduce her and produce proof, so he recorded it.
Natalie moved to Lisbon to escape the backlash from Hardin's friend making the video go viral. She had also lost her means to go to college, so decided to make a fresh start far from the incident. After they've caught up, Natalie invites Hardin to meet up with her and her friends on the beach. There Sebastian, a guy wary of him, talks him into cliff diving.
Sailing the next day with Natalie, telling her about when Tessa broke up with him, Hardin is made to realise both situations were similar. Both had their private lives made public with no warning. Back on the beach, Sebastian and his friends beat Hardin up for flirting with another one of his friends, who gets locked up in jail.
Hardin's birth father comes down and bails him out. He gives him a motivating pep talk, making him see that he can both hold a place in his heart for Tessa, but slowly work on moving forward. As Hardin is cleaning his space, he sees Landon's wedding invite, asking him to be his best man. He decides to stay a while longer, to try to write.
Natalie comes by with a care package for Hardin, apologizing for Sebastian's behavior. She almost kisses him, but he reminds her he's still in love with Tessa. He thanks her for being able to forgive him. Hardin, feeling inspired, starts writing again. Finishing the manuscript entitled Before, he gives a copy to Natalie, asking for her OK before submitting as she's included in it. She's happy with it, Hardin surprises her with the coastal house of her dreams.
Back in America, Nora is with Tessa, nervously hoping the ceremony proceeds without a hitch. As best man and maid of honor, Hardin and Tessa walk down the aisle together, the first time they've seen each other in over two years. At the reception, he bribes his little half-brother to ask her to dance, so he can cut in.
Hardin's best man speech about missing half of his soul resonates with Tessa. He follows her out, they apologise to one another, then come together. Tessa calls them a mess, which he disagrees with. They decide they are inevitable. Hardin, in a moment of clarity, gets down on one knee and proposes.
Flash forward, Hardin arrives home with his book Later under his arm. He greets their little girl, then a visibly pregnant Tessa.
