The Ones We Love : A Novel

Can they survive what’s behind the padlocked door?

Since the weekend of the party—the one twenty-two-year-old Liv can’t remember, the one that left her covered in bruises—she’s been locked out of her bedroom by a padlock. Her parents are behaving oddly and her best friend won’t respond to her texts. Maybe she really was out of control that night?

Meanwhile Liv’s father, Janus, is not sure he can do what is necessary to keep this secret hidden. He brought his family from Australia to Los Angeles to chase his dream of seeing his novel on the big screen, and he can’t let them down. Not again.

Kay gave up everything when she had Liv and Casper. So now she’ll do whatever she has to do to take care of them. Her marriage, though, is a different story. And the neighbors—well, she’ll just have to be more careful.

Casper, the youngest, was away that weekend, but he knows something isn’t right. His parents don’t look each other in the eye anymore. His father’s hands tremble for no reason. And where does Liv keep disappearing to in the middle of the night? Casper decides to find out what no one will tell him about that weekend. What lies behind the padlocked door?

Meet the Jansen family: Since the weekend of the party - the one Liv can''t remember, the one that left her covered in bruises - there''s been a padlock on the door of her bedroom. Her parents said they found mould, and it needs to be decontaminated, but they''re behaving oddly. Her friend Leilani isn''t answering her texts, so maybe Liv did get a little out of control that night. Sharing a room with her younger brother Casper for a while isn''t the end of the world, as long as he doesn''t tell their parents that she''s started sleepwalking. They''re already acting strangely enough. The guilt over that weekend is getting to her father Janus. He''s forever looking over his shoulder. Janus, a horror author, is on a deadline to adapt his book into a screenplay. Now he''s now finding it hard to stomach the violence of his own stories. But Janus brought his whole family from Australia to LA to chase his dream, and he can''t let them down. Not again. Kay wasn''t sure she wanted to be a mother when she got pregnant with Liv, but she gave up everything for her daughter and then her son, Casper. She''ll do whatever she has to do to take care of her kids. Her marriage, though, is a different story. And the neighbours - well, she''ll just have to be more careful. Casper was away that weekend, but he knows something isn''t right. His parents don''t look each other in the eye anymore. His father''s hands tremble for no reason. And where does Liv keep disappearing to in the middle of the night? Casper decides to find out what no one will tell him about that weekend and what lies behind the padlocked door.