For Lainie, feeling unwelcome is only the beginning of her struggles. Her mom is addicted to painkillers, her stepfather is a felon, and her dad traded her in for a new family. So what if she's kicked out of high school? Determined and attractive, Lainie sets out to make her own path. Shane, the young man she begins dating and believes is trustworthy, transforms into a possessive and cruel boyfriend. When Efren, Shane's older cousin, enters her life, Lainie grasps onto a sliver of hope, falling in love. Shane's obsessive and abusive treatment of her, however, casts a deep shadow over Lainie and Efren's chance to find safety and a future free of the fear of Shane's sadistic retribution. Will their love persevere, or will Shane's pervasive and negative influence push Lainie and Efren apart, forcing them to love secretly?