Cold, distant, and bound by the clean lines of their separation, Stellan Pierce is the ex-boyfriend now living under the same roof as your housemate.

Separated by a breakup, drawn together by an awkward, endearing charm. He pretends indifference, but the faint scent of cheese, the rough, dry skin that betrays his neglect, and the murmur of Swedish or French under his breath tell a different story. You moved on, and so did he, but old habits die hard—which becomes glaringly clear when you wake up in his bed under his blanket in the pale, judging morning light.