s ▁brut al ▁treatment ▁of ▁his ▁mother , ▁his ▁father ▁be ats ▁him ▁up ▁and ▁forces ▁him ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁house . ▁His ▁mother ▁gives ▁him ▁money ▁and ▁Christian ' s ▁address , ▁who ▁had ▁run ▁away ▁years ▁before . ▁Their ▁father ▁is ▁still ▁searching ▁for ▁him . ▁Bad ly ▁injured , ▁J ace ▁then ▁moves ▁in ▁with ▁Christian . ▁Grad ually ▁it ▁comes ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁reader ▁that ▁J ace ▁beat ▁his ▁ex - g irl friend , ▁La uren , ▁after ▁he ▁finds ▁out ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁been ▁sleep ing ▁with ▁his ▁friend . ▁J ace ▁is ▁ha unted ▁by ▁this , ▁and ▁ref uses ▁to ▁be ▁involved ▁in ▁any ▁rom antic ▁relationships , ▁despite ▁feeling ▁a ▁strong ▁att raction ▁to ▁a ▁co - worker , ▁Dak ota . ▁The ▁brothers ▁then ▁work ▁out ▁a ▁strategy ▁to ▁see ▁that ▁their ▁mother ▁is ▁res cu ed ▁from ▁their ▁father ’ s ▁ab use . ▁After ▁their ▁mother ▁ref uses ▁to ▁come ▁at ▁Thanks g iving , ▁as ▁planned , ▁J ace ▁and ▁Christian ▁go ▁to ▁River ▁forest . ▁As ▁she ▁is ▁not ▁home ▁yet , ▁J ace ▁vis its ▁La uren , ▁and ▁they ▁share ▁a ▁kiss . ▁J ace ▁breaks ▁off ▁the ▁kiss ▁upon ▁remember ing ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁there ▁to ▁apolog ize ▁to ▁La uren , ▁who ▁claims ▁that ▁everything ▁is ▁ok . ▁J ace ▁ref uses ▁to ▁accept ▁this ▁and ▁apolog izes . ▁La uren ▁reve als ▁that ▁she ▁knows ▁his ▁father ▁is ▁ab us ive , ▁as ▁over