Wild Side

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes cursing, sexual content, and references to child welfare and the death of a loved one.

“Before, I was quiet because I’m always suspicious of people who randomly show up at my door. Now I’m quiet because my brain is short-circuiting, and my eyes are wandering. Wandering over shiny strands of dark hair, tan skin, and the feminine flare of her hips. Yeah. Tabitha, sister of my tenant is hot, looks like she thinks I might have bodies buried in my basement, and has a mean handshake.”

Rhys Dupris and Tabitha Garrison meet for the first time in the scene, inciting their enemies-to-lovers relationship. The way that Rhys responds to Tabitha foreshadows how his feelings for her will develop over time. Rather than being suspicious of Tabitha, he feels attracted to her. His attention to the “flare of her hips” conveys his sexual attraction to her, while his description of her assertive manner conveys his attraction to her as a person.

“Crying won’t see me through this job. Since we got the call last night, everyone around me has been crying. I can’t start too. If I start, I worry I won’t know how to stop. Then shit won’t get done. And that’s my job right now.”

Tabitha uses short, declarative sentences to present a steely exterior. She refuses to let herself cry over her sister’s death because she’s accustomed to being strong for others. She feels responsible for her family and assumes the role of the unemotional caretaker both for her parents’ and nephew’s sake and for her own self-preservation. The passage shows Tabitha’s particular way of Navigating Grief and Loss at the novel’s start.

“I love my sister, and having to stand here and endure you implying otherwise is, quite frankly, almost worse than the pain of her death. Especially when it’s your fault. She wouldn’t have been out on the street getting back into that shit if you hadn’t evicted her.”

Tabitha’s tone conveys her anger toward Rhys and heightens the tension between the two love interests. Despite Tabitha’s physical attraction to Rhys, her frustration with him about Erika’s death trumps her sexual desire. Blaming Rhys also allows Tabitha to avoid admitting her own role in Erika’s death and confronting her sadness and guilt.