One plot device is to not tell someone something and then the other person gets upset. That's a huge plot device. Nobody runs around and informs their friends of every little detail, but of course it does sign some hesitancy in romantic relationships. I think it's OK to have some hesitancy in intimate relationships. I can't help but think of Secrets and Lies by Mike Leigh (1996) Plot devices can irk people, that's not realism. But if Hamlet kills his uncle the play is over, or a quite different play. In fact there is a lot of what if fiction. I remember once someone was irked that Cheryl Strayed was a heroin addict for a time. She square community disapproved. There's a lot more on heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophies. The other plot device is being threatened by rivals, and triangles. If things get bogged down, introduce a romantic rival. I love how passive aggressive Emily Gilmore is. There's a real problem of respecting other people'...