The Heart-Shaped Flash Drive: Innocence, Secrets, and Salvation

In Lucy Score’s Things We Never Got Over, a small object holds the story’s most dangerous secret: a heart-shaped flash drive. This seemingly innocent charm becomes the catalyst for the novel’s climactic confrontation and ultimately reveals the courage of its youngest character. More than a plot device, the flash drive weaves together the novel’s exploration of trust, family, and the power of truth.

Literal Object and Where It Appears

Physically, the flash drive is a miniature USB storage device fashioned into a heart charm. Waylay Witt—the eleven-year-old tech genius—hides it away after discovering it contains incriminating data connected to the Hugo crime family. The drive first appears off-stage in Chapter 32, when a stranger calling himself “Flint” visits the library asking for tech support with a laptop that “stopped recognizing… flash drives.” Naomi feels uncomfortable and declines to help, a moment that foreshadows the danger. The drive resurfaces in Chapter 47, where Duncan Hugo threatens Naomi and Waylay to force Waylay to reveal its location. The climax in Chapter 49 reveals Waylay hid the drive—a heart charm—and uploaded its contents to the library server, ensuring the evidence is safe.

Shifting Meanings

The flash drive’s meaning changes markedly as the plot unfolds:

A Child’s Secret: Initially, the drive represents Waylay’s hidden knowledge. She understands its value and chooses to hide it rather than give it to her mother, Tina, or the criminals. It is an emblem of her intelligence and independence.
A Dangerous Bargaining Chip: In Duncan’s hands, the drive becomes a weapon. He kidnaps Waylay and Naomi, threatening to kill them if Waylay does not surrender it. The object transforms from a secret kept to a prize sought by violence.
A Symbol of Salvation: When Waylay finally confesses the truth—she hid the drive and uploaded its data—the object shifts again. It becomes a tool of rescue, allowing the town to defeat the crime ring and freeing Waylay and Naomi from danger. The drive is no longer a secret but a path to safety.
A Token of Trust: By sharing her secret with Naomi and Knox, Waylay signals her trust in her new family. The drive’s revelation coincides with the formation of a stable, protective household.

Connections to Characters and Themes

Characters

Waylay Witt: The flash drive is her domain. She hides it not out of malice but out of a childlike—and correct—instinct that the information is dangerous. Her decision to upload the data shows maturity beyond her years. The drive becomes a proof of her loyalty to Naomi.
Naomi Witt: Naomi does not know the drive exists until the crisis, yet she instinctively protects Waylay from the stranger who asks about flash drives. Her intuition highlights her growth as a guardian.
Knox Morgan: Knox is initially unaware of the drive, but his rescue of Naomi and Waylay depends on the information it holds. The drive indirectly pushes him to overcome his fear of commitment.
Tina Witt: Tina covets the drive for profit, allying with Duncan. Her greed contrasts with Naomi’s selflessness and underscores the twins’ divergent paths.
Duncan Hugo: For Duncan, the drive is leverage against his own father’s criminal empire. His obsession with it reveals his desperation and volatility.

Themes

Trust vs. Fear: Waylay hides the drive because she does not trust her mother or the criminals. Her eventual confession to Naomi demonstrates a shift from fear to trust. This theme is explored in depth on the trust vs. fear page.
Found Family: The drive could have torn the fragile family apart, but instead it solidifies the bond between Naomi, Waylay, and Knox. The community rallies to protect them, as detailed on the found family page.
Identity and Self-Worth: Waylay’s actions show that she defines her worth not by her mother’s failures but by her own choices. Naomi, too, finds her identity as a capable guardian through the crisis. See identity and self-worth.
Small-Town Community: The library serves as a sanctuary—Sloane’s community programs and the trusting environment allow Waylay to safely upload the data. The town’s involvement is a testament to the small-town community that protects its own.

Study Questions

1. Why does Waylay choose the library as the place to hide and upload the flash drive’s data?
The library is the only place Waylay feels competent and safe. She has a regular volunteer role there, is trusted by librarian Sloane, and understands its computer systems. By uploading the data to the library server, she ensures the evidence is preserved while hiding the physical drive inside a personal charm. Her choice reflects her intelligence and her faith in the community that has accepted her.

2. How does the flash drive serve as a catalyst for Naomi and Waylay’s relationship?
Before the kidnapping, Naomi is still learning to be a guardian. The crisis forces her to act instinctively to protect Waylay. Waylay’s confession about the drive shows she trusts Naomi with her deepest secret. Shared danger and mutual rescue create a genuine mother-daughter bond that was previously missing.

3. In what way does the flash drive connect to the novel’s broader theme of secrets?
Secrets run throughout the story—Naomi’s escape from her wedding, Knox’s hidden trauma, Tina’s double life. The flash drive is the most concrete secret: a physical object that contains dangerous truths. Its eventual revelation mirrors the characters’ need to expose their own hidden fears and pasts to move forward.

4. What does the heart shape of the flash drive symbolize in contrast to its dangerous content?
The heart shape visually represents affection and vulnerability, while the drive holds data that can destroy lives. This contradiction underscores the novel’s message that love and danger coexist. Waylay’s heart-shaped charm becomes a tool of protection rather than harm, reframing the meaning of the object as one of courage.