Under the RugPaperback, 22 October 2019

At eight years old, Jake Walden is sexually assaulted by his male babysitter. The incident is swept under the rug by Jake's parents, leaving him confused about the limits of love and loyalty. Jake copes by immersing himself in reading, playing guitar, and writing music. But after moving to a new town leads to a falling out with his father, Jake discovers the leverage of telling lies, and the numbing calm of drugs and alcohol, all subsequent addictions matched only by his uncontrollable search for true allegiance.

Years later as a musician in Los Angeles in a band on the rise, Jake meets Clive, his best friend; Allison, an unconventional love; and Roger, a drug-peddling killer and Allison's ex. Throughout the course of one night, Jake discovers that Roger tried to eliminate him in an act of jealousy and that Clive may have been caught in the middle, forcing Jake to realize the sad truth of his most beloved friendship.