Serena Malcolm is barely keeping her head above water.When an accident kills her father and disables her mother, Serena's idyllic life in Birch Falls ceases to exist. Gone are the days of parties, study dates and a carefree life. At the tender age of 18, she finds herself stepping into a parental role with only her best friend, Kai, and an elderly neighbor as her support system. After spending two years lost in a balancing act of caring for her mother, working two jobs, and graduating college, Serena forgets what it's like to be cared for. That is, until Dominick Reeves, a devastatingly handsome cop with a sexual intensity that cannot be ignored, swoops into Serena's life.What starts as a whirlwind romance begins to turn sinister as Dominick increasingly asserts control over her world. Serena may have wished for escape, but she finds herself in exile.