The book’s narrative and character trajectories rely heavily on the theme of love and the risk of betrayal. This is essential to the novel as a romance narrative, in which personal growth and happiness are aligned with a secure relationship. Kiki’s character growth over the course of the novel entails learning that love includes a risk of being hurt, and mature love will accept that risk and prove resilient to challenge and loss. The novel presents both negative and positive models of partners and relationships, navigating the balance between self-preservation and vulnerability.

Kiki’s first experience with the threat of loss occurs when her mother is ill with cancer and becomes frail as a result of aggressive treatments. Feeling the need to protect and look after her younger sister, and convinced her own emotional needs would be a drain on her already burdened mother and father, Kiki adopts a strategy of repressing and denying her emotional needs. This strategy of oppression is reinforced when her one attempt to find an outlet of joy, a party with her friends, results in Nile making unwanted advances, lying to Kiki in an attempt to engage her sexual compliance, then lying about the encounter to Rianne.