Rylee Thomas

Rylee Thomas, the book's female protagonist, is a 26-year-old woman living in Los Angeles. A native of San Diego, she grew up in a stable family with loving parents and an older brother whom she adores. After graduating from UCLA, she decided to stay in Los Angeles, where she now works as a social worker and manager at Corporate Cares, a non-profit organization that runs The House, a home for young boys who do not have parents or have been abandoned, abused or neglected by them. She is very dedicated to her job and works hard to relate to the boys in her care. In addition to working in the corporate office, she takes regular 24-hour shifts caring for and supervising the boys. She lives with Haddie, her college roommate and best friend.

A few years before the story opens, Rylee was engaged to her longtime boyfriend...