Chapter 7: A Carpet Tack in the Ass – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Gage Bishop takes out his anger on the upstairs apartment above his law office, demolishing walls to expand the closet for a prospective tenant—Zoey Moody. His brothers Cam and Levi arrive and immediately suspect he has ulterior motives. Gage insists he is only helping family, noting that Zoey is Hazel's best friend and practically a sister. To prove he has no romantic interest, he rattles off a list of Zoey's flaws: she's annoying, irresponsible, late, says everything she thinks, hates animals and Story Lake, and is likely to leave town. The conversation shifts to the ongoing trauma of Miller's death; the driver who killed him has been charged but faces a maximum of three years, a sentence the Bishops find outrageously insufficient. They channel their frustration into physical labor—framing the new closet and installing a large vanity. A scuffle ends with a carpet tack in Gage's ass. Hazel arrives, praises the renovation, and admits she came to guilt-trip the brothers into visiting Laura. Despite their reluctance, Hazel insists that family must be present through awkward and painful times.

Key Events

Gage aggressively demolishes a bedroom wall while venting anger over the driver's light sentencing.
Cam and Levi arrive; Cam forbids Gage from renting to Zoey, accusing him of using the apartment to make a move.
Gage defends his actions as family support and denies any romantic feelings, listing Zoey's negative traits.
The brothers physically wrestle in the torn-up carpet, and Gage gets a carpet tack in his rear.
Declan, Gage's paralegal, witnesses the fight but agrees not to tell their mother.
The trio works in productive silence, completing drywall and installing a new vanity.
Hazel visits, praises the apartment, and strong-arms the brothers into agreeing to visit Laura.

Character Development

Gage: His anger simmers beneath a facade of easygoing charm. The chapter reveals his inner conflict: he is attracted to Zoey but actively denies it, using a mental list of her flaws to keep distance. His need to demolish and rebuild mirrors his desire to control something amid the helplessness of Miller's case.
Cam: Protective and suspicious, Cam sees Gage's renovation project as a transparent ploy. His concern stems from wanting to avoid drama for Hazel and the wedding. Cam also shows a softer side when Hazel arrives.
Levi: Acts as the quiet voice of reason, calling out his brothers' avoidance of harder emotions. His attendance at Hazel's writing class hints at his own creative outlet and growth. He remains the most reticent about the family tragedy.
Hazel: Though present only at the end, she serves as the emotional catalyst, pushing the Bishop men to face their grief and support Laura. Her confidence in the renovation underscores her trust in Gage's intentions.
Zoey (off-page): Her character is defined entirely through Gage's contradictory descriptions—attractive yet a "disaster"—and through Cam's fear that she will disrupt the family.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Family loyalty vs. personal desire: Gage frames his renovation as a favor to family, but his brothers see it as a romantic maneuver. The tension between obligation and attraction runs through the chapter.
Grief and anger: The driver's three-year sentence hangs over every conversation. Gage channels his rage into demolition, Cam into bickering, and Levi into quiet observation. Physical labor becomes a coping mechanism.
Denial and self-deception: Gage lists Zoey's flaws to convince himself and his brothers he is not interested, yet the evidence (the closet expansion, the large vanity, Hazel's insider knowledge) suggests otherwise.
Forced proximity (trope): Levi explicitly names "forced proximity" as a romance trope, underscoring the novel's self-awareness. The apartment is literally set up to bring Zoey and Gage together.
The carpet tack: A literal pain in the ass that mirrors the figurative discomfort Gage feels about his attraction to Zoey and his family's grief.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Gage's internal struggle and sets the stage for Zoey's move into his building, which will force proximity between them. It also advances the family's shared grief storyline: the insufficient legal outcome pushes all three brothers to seek physical release and avoidance, until Hazel intervenes. The chapter solidifies Cam and Hazel's wedding as a backdrop and introduces Levi's creative pursuits, hinting at future character arcs. Most importantly, it reveals that Gage's feelings for Zoey are far from the "only negative ones" he claims, planting seeds for the central romance.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Gage insist he dislikes Zoey, and what evidence undermines his claim?
Gage recites a list of Zoey's undesirable traits to Cam and Levi, emphasizing she is irresponsible and likely to leave town. Yet his actions contradict his words: he is spending his weekend renovating the apartment specifically for her, expanding the closet and buying a high-end vanity. Hazel's comment that Zoey "will love it" confirms Gage is going above and beyond a standard rental.
How does the chapter use physical labor to address emotional trauma?
The three brothers channel their anger over the driver's light sentence into demolition and construction. Gage swings a sledgehammer, they frame walls, and they install drywall—all without talking about their grief. Levi explicitly says the work "feels good" because it's easier than discussing feelings. This motif suggests that manual work provides temporary relief from helplessness.
What role does Hazel play in moving the family forward?
Hazel arrives with a clear purpose: to push the brothers to visit Laura, who has been isolating herself. She rejects their excuses that Laura "throws things" and insists that family shows up even when it is awkward. By securing their agreement, Hazel breaks the avoidance cycle and reinforces the novel's theme that connection is necessary for healing.