Arthur Ruthven's thirty-fifth birthday is fast approaching, but he's worried that his life has started to stagnate. Arthur was once a history teacher in Edinburgh, but an incident with a former pupil causes Arthur to retire early. Newly uneasy about teaching, and unsure if he can pursue the career he once loved, Arthur returns to live with his mother in their old family bookshop. He would prefer to forget his days as a teacher, and the anxieties that came with them... But Arthur can only keep his past at bay for so long, and his life takes an unexpected turn when his mother hires a new helper at the bookshop over the summer holidays: one Mason Tierney, one of Arthur's former students. Mason has done some growing up in the five years since Arthur last saw him, and now, he's twenty-one. Mason tries to be friendly with Arthur, but Arthur wonders. Is Mason being too friendly - and will Mason's interest in Arthur stir up uncomfortable memories Arthur would far rather see buried for good?