The novel’s central conflict stems from the story Chris tells of Emily’s death and the story the assistant attorney general insists that the evidence tells. Initially, Chris insists that Emily shot herself because the two made a suicide pact—a promise that both teens would die together by suicide. Later, Chris retracts this, insisting that Emily desired to die by suicide but that he did not and planned instead to change Emily’s mind. The state insists that the forensic evidence means it is impossible for Emily to have fired the gun; this casts doubt on Chris’s new story. Indeed, he has changed his version of the truth, making other characters skeptical as to whether or not Chris can be trusted and inviting the reader to explore this as well.

Chris is characterized as loving and genuine. The narrative shows this in flashbacks, when he vows to be protective of Emily. He also wants desperately to reveal the truth to Jordan McAfee. McAfee refuses to hear it, adamant that his job is not to present the truth to the jury but to present a convincing case of Chris’s innocence. These two, McAfee stresses, can be at odds with one another.