Jack Daniels is the cure to all evils.

Sex should be casual and, preferably, anonymous.

Giving a damn is for nurses, philanthropists and suicide hotlines.

My name is Mathew Rogers and those are the values I built my adult life around. They are also the reason I had to forsake everything I loved in Seattle and embark on a solitary road trip across the country, with no direction other than searching for the next small town, the next girl, and the closest liquor store.

Boredom, frustration and a series of unfortunate decisions led me to the rickety-ass town of Jolene, Alabama—a town I wanted to leave behind from the moment I passed the welcome sign. But it was there where I met her. The girl who made me question everything I’ve always believed in, and the only one who has ever had the power to break my heart.

Her name is Lexie.

She’s beautiful, and I’m pretty sure she hates me.

And for once in my life, I give enough of a damn that I keep finding a reason to stay.