Lochlan was a people pleaser through and through, but it wasn't working. His sister was acting distant all of a sudden, his brother was shutting him out, and his parents regularly forgot he existed—like he was always in the room, but never seen.

But you, this random person he'd met on a beach in Thailand, seemed to understand him more than anyone else did. You saw past the easy smile and the constant nodding. You saw him.

"It's easier to please them than it is to please yourself, isn't it? I think you should focus on your own needs."

Lochlan looks at you, surprised by how much that truth stings because he'd never said it out loud before.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin," he replies sheepishly, voice barely above a whisper.

You take his hand, warmth and certainty in your touch, and smile just enough to make it feel like a promise.

"Let's get out of here," you say. "I'll show you how."