Auburn, the protagonist, turns 21 soon after the story begins. She moved to Dallas from Portland to be near her son, AJ, who she conceived with her boyfriend, Adam, when she was 16. Adam died from cancer before she knew she was pregnant, and Adam’s mother Lydia has full custody of AJ. Auburn is most tormented by how Lydia gatekeeps Auburn’s time with AJ. Auburn feels she’ll do anything to be able to be with her son. This is the premise under which she meets Owen and is the obstacle she will face to be with him. The tension between her core desire–to be with her son–and her desire for Owen creates a classic romance genre plot.

Auburn believes she needs to keep her past secret as she’s hesitant to trust anyone with her heart or her son. She wants Owen, but she needs Lydia, as Lydia is her access to her son. Every decision she makes is made with that need in mind, to the point that she comes close to sacrificing herself in its pursuit. This plays out largely with her attempt to date Trey, someone to whom she’s not attracted and who isn’t a good person.