Never Have I Ever saw Devi in the middle of a love triangle, but there is a reason she chose to date Paxton Hall-Yoshida at the end of the season 2 finale. Devi kissed Ben in the season 1 finale after already having kissed Paxton, further complicating the matters of her love life in season 2. Her solution was to date both guys at the same time, though the consequences of her actions came back to haunt her.
Throughout season 2 of Never Have I Ever, Devi and Paxton’s relationship was fraught with ups and downs. On the surface, the pair couldn’t be more different, and even Paxton concluded they just didn’t make any sense because of their contrasting interests and personalities. Interestingly enough, that’s precisely what makes him and Devi work in many ways. After learning Devi was cheating on him with Ben, it took Paxton a while to get over the embarrassment and shame that came with the very public breakup (and what it meant to his reputation). After losing out on his swimming scholarship following an injury sustained in a car accident, Devi tutored Paxton as they slowly re-established their connection.
By the time the Never Have I Ever season 2 finale rolled around, it seemed Devi was about to call it quits and abandon all hope that she and Paxton would ever be more than awkward friends (if that). However, Paxton showing up to the dance and publicly claiming Devi as his girlfriend is why she ultimately chose to date him again. She let him know that she would absolutely not date him in secret, no matter how affected his ego was from her previous dating fiasco involving him and Ben. Devi felt she’d also paid for her actions by tutoring Paxton and shouldering the blame for his injury, which happened on the night he found out she was cheating. But there was only so much Devi could do and she couldn’t hold Paxton’s hand forever while waiting for him to either move on or forgive her.
Paxton stepping up and making a very public entrance with Devi at the dance made it clear he’d changed his mind and they were both willing to give each other another chance despite feeling hurt in the past. The majority of Never Have I Ever season 2 was spent on rebuilding their relationship, which blossomed more thoroughly than in season 1. The finale was a culmination of Devi accepting she’d made a mistake and forgiving herself for it, and Paxton getting over himself and his insecurity regarding how others would perceive him if he dated someone many thought was not cool.
Devi is still incredibly attracted to Paxton as well, but the choice to date him is made slightly easier by the fact that Ben, her other love interest, is currently dating Aneesa. It’ll be interesting to see where Devi and Paxton’s relationship goes now that they’re official and there are seemingly no obstacles in their way (for now, at least). Ben realizing Devi did actually like him, and that her actions during some parts of Never Have I Ever season 2 stemmed from jealousy, could complicate things further in a potential season 3 of the Netflix series. For now, however, Devi chose Paxton in a moment that felt quite organic to both their characters’ journeys thus far.