Chapter 3: Will — Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with Will on a dinner date with Gretchen, a woman he sees casually whenever their travel schedules align. Almost immediately, he makes a costly slip: he calls her Annie—the youngest Walker sister from Rome, Kentucky, where Will previously worked as a security guard. This is the second time he's made the same mistake that evening, and Gretchen is understandably hurt.

Will's mind keeps drifting back to Annie. He recalls how, during his time in Rome, he always noticed her—the quiet, sweet, cute sister—but never spoke to her because he doesn't socialize on the job and because something about her felt dangerous to him. He sensed early on that she could make him feel things he doesn't want to feel. Tonight, however, he talked to her briefly outside the restaurant, and the conversation has scrambled his thoughts. He admits to himself that it was the most enjoyable conversation he's had in a long time.

Gretchen presses him about his distraction. Will half-lies, saying Annie is a family member of the person he'll be providing security for starting tomorrow. Gretchen correctly identifies that person as Rae Rose—the celebrity Will has protected on and off for five years. Will refuses to say Amelia's name aloud, a habit born from taking his job seriously and protecting his client's privacy. He reflects on how often dates recognize him from a BuzzFeed article and pry for celebrity gossip, and he firmly notes he would never sleep with someone he's protecting—especially someone engaged, and someone who feels like a little sister to him.

Will cuts the date short and declines Gretchen's invitation to her hotel. He explains he needs sleep before his new assignment. Gretchen, though initially icy, softens and admits she briefly wished someone would look at her the way Will looks when he thinks about Annie. She then asks if he ever wants to commit to someone. Will answers without hesitation: never. He explains his philosophy—he only dates women who want the same thing he does: singlehood. But he also acknowledges a nagging feeling he can't quite name, one he keeps at bay by staying busy with work and adventures.

After paying, Will walks Gretchen to her car and drives off—not to his own place, but straight toward Rome, Kentucky, deciding to start his assignment a night early. Ten minutes into the drive, his younger brother Ethan calls. Ethan, a divorce lawyer in New York, is unusually hesitant, and Will senses something big coming. Ethan finally blurts out that he proposed to Hannah the night before, and she said yes.

Will's reaction is immediate and visceral: his throat closes, his hands grip the wheel, and he refuses to offer congratulations. He argues that Ethan has only known Hannah for about three months, that he's a divorce lawyer who should know better, and that this is a mistake. Ethan counters that he loves Hannah and is helpless to do anything else. Will pushes back, invoking their childhood—their parents were serial cheaters, toxic, and blamed their problems on their kids. Will reminds Ethan that he shielded him from the worst of it, taking the brunt of their dysfunctional upbringing, cooking meals, doing laundry, and helping with homework while their parents fought, drank, and cycled through affairs.

Ethan insists he remembers fine and that his relationship with Hannah is different—they communicate, they give and take, and he finally has someone who loves him through everything. Will, unable to hear more, ends the call. He plans to text Ethan later claiming he lost service.

Alone in the dark, Will reflects on his lifelong strategy: keeping people at arm's length is what brought him happiness, and no one has ever made him want to challenge that—not Gretchen, not the woman in Italy, not Jada from Texas, not Allie from Indiana. But his thoughts snag on one name he can't lump in with the others: Annie Walker.

Key Events

Will accidentally calls his date Gretchen by the name Annie—twice in one evening.
Will reveals he's starting a security assignment for Rae Rose (Amelia) the next day.
Will cuts the date short and declines Gretchen's hotel invitation.
Gretchen asks Will if he ever wants to commit; he says never.
Will drives to Rome, Kentucky, that night instead of waiting until morning.
Ethan calls to announce his engagement to Hannah; Will reacts with anger and ends the call.
Will's thoughts land on Annie Walker as the one person who unsettles his commitment-avoidant worldview.

Character Development

Will emerges as a man defined by avoidance. His internal monologue reveals a deep fear of emotional attachment, rooted in a childhood marked by parental toxicity, serial cheating, and neglect. He took on the role of caretaker for his younger brother, and that experience convinced him that love and marriage are illusions. His professional discipline—refusing to drop Amelia's name, maintaining boundaries with clients—mirrors his personal discipline of keeping everyone at a distance. Yet the chapter shows cracks in that armor: he can't stop thinking about Annie, he notices a feeling in his chest he refuses to name, and he's bothered that Ethan seems less afraid of commitment than he is.

Gretchen serves as a mirror for Will's emotional state. Though their relationship is casual by design, she notices the look on his face when he thinks about Annie and admits she briefly wished someone would look at her that way. Her question about commitment forces Will to articulate his stance—and reveals how fragile it is.

Ethan, though only heard over the phone, represents a counterpoint to Will's worldview. He's chosen to take a chance on love despite their shared upbringing, and his willingness to be vulnerable challenges Will's certainty. His engagement forces Will to confront the possibility that his own fears may not be universal truths.

Annie appears only in Will's memories and thoughts, but her presence looms over the entire chapter. She's the catalyst for Will's distraction, his premature drive to Rome, and his inability to dismiss her the way he dismisses other women.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Fear of Commitment: Will's refusal to consider long-term relationships is the chapter's central theme. His answer to Gretchen—never—is immediate, but his internal conflict suggests the fear is less about conviction and more about self-protection.

Dysfunctional Family Legacy: Will's childhood is the root of his worldview. His parents' toxic marriage, serial cheating, and blame-shifting taught him that love is a trap. His role as Ethan's protector further cemented his belief that he must control his environment to stay safe.

Emotional Avoidance: Will keeps himself busy with work and adventures specifically to avoid sitting with his feelings. The chapter shows this strategy failing as Annie intrudes on his thoughts and Ethan's news forces an emotional reaction.

Professional Boundaries: Will's refusal to say Amelia's name aloud and his insistence on never sleeping with a client demonstrate his commitment to professional ethics—a contrast to his personal life, where he avoids intimacy.

Staying Busy as Distraction: Will explicitly notes that staying busy keeps his head from wandering. His decision to drive to Rome early is both practical and a way to avoid processing his feelings about Annie.

The Unnamed Feeling: Will describes a sensation in his chest he can't pinpoint and doesn't want to. This motif recurs throughout the chapter, symbolizing his suppressed emotional capacity.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it establishes Will's emotional landscape and the central conflict of his arc. His unresolved attraction to Annie is introduced as a genuine threat to his carefully constructed walls. The chapter also deepens his backstory, explaining why he's so resistant to love and why his brother's engagement triggers such a visceral reaction. Ethan's news forces Will to confront the possibility that his worldview isn't the only valid one—and that his fear may be costing him more than he realizes. The chapter ends with Will's thoughts snagging on Annie's name, setting up the central tension that will drive the rest of the novel: can someone who doesn't believe in love be changed by someone who makes him feel it?

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Will react so strongly to Ethan's engagement?

Will's reaction stems from his childhood. He and Ethan grew up with parents who were serial cheaters, toxic, and prone to blaming their children for their problems. Will took on the role of caretaker, shielding Ethan from the worst of it. He believes marriage is inherently doomed and that Ethan is making a mistake by rushing into it after only three months. His anger is protective—he doesn't want Ethan to experience the pain he did—but it's also rooted in his own fear that love is a lie.

2. What does Will's refusal to say Amelia's name reveal about his character?

Will's refusal to say Amelia's name aloud shows his professionalism and his respect for his client's privacy. He takes his job seriously and is frustrated by people who treat celebrities' lives as public property. It also reveals his moral code: he would never sleep with someone he's protecting, especially someone engaged and someone he considers like a little sister. This discipline contrasts with his personal life, where he avoids emotional commitment.

3. How does Annie function as a catalyst in this chapter?

Annie is the catalyst for Will's emotional disruption. Her brief conversation with him outside the restaurant is enough to make him forget his date's name, cut the date short, and drive to Rome a night early. She's the one person he can't dismiss or lump in with the other women he's dated. Her presence forces him to confront the unnamed feeling in his chest—the one he usually avoids by staying busy. By the chapter's end, she's the only name that makes him question his commitment to staying single.