“The living room alone could fit three of the living rooms from Corbin’s last apartment. The dining room is open to the living room, but the kitchen is separated from the living room by a half-wall. There are several modern paintings throughout the room, and the thick, plush sofas are a light tan, offsetting the vibrant paintings. The last time I stayed with him he had a futon, a beanbag chair, and posters of models on the walls. I think my brother might finally be growing up.”

Tate observes how Corbin has changed since the last time they lived together, which foreshadows his shift in attitude towards Tate having a boyfriend at the end. This description also serves to contrast with Miles’s barren apartment and shows how a person’s inner state can be reflected in their surroundings.

“I’m staring at her because she hasn’t spoken yet, but her nod is the nicest thing a girl has ever said to me. I ask her where she’s from, and she tells me Arizona. ‘Phoenix,’ she specifies. I don’t ask her what brought her to California, but I do tell her my father does business in Phoenix a lot because he owns a few buildings there.”

Hoover foreshadows an obstacle to Miles and Rachel’s romance through their parents’ unexpected romantic relationship. Miles connects Rachel moving from Phoenix to his father’s trips to Arizona, and the relationship between their parents becomes a significant problem for them. Insights into Miles’s backstory inform how readers understand his actions in the present with Tate.

“I come to the conclusion that his appearance is completely contradictory. It’s as if two different creators were at war when he was envisioned. The strength in his bone structure contrasts with the soft, inviting appeal of his lips. They seem harmless and welcoming compared with the harshness in his features and the jagged scar that runs the length of the right side of his jaw.”

While offering a description of Miles as a conventionally-attractive man with a dark past, Hoover also uses this description to characterize the dualities within him: All the pain he has experienced is reflected in the armor he puts on to protect himself, but there’s a softness and willingness to love underneath it all.