Ian is Bear’s friend, but he is not fully on Bear’s side. He knows Nikki matters to Bear and initially seems to encourage Bear’s patience, but he also becomes one of the only people willing to question what Bear is doing once Nikki’s behavior changes.
Ian is imperfect and caught up in the same messy social circle, especially because he and Nikki had been hooking up for two years. But he functions as a pressure point for Bear. He exposes truths Bear does not want to face: Nikki is not choosing him clearly, and Bear is not the helpless victim he pretends to be.
Ian, excited about the money he wished for, barges into Bear’s house while Nikki is threatening to kill herself with a gun. Ian interrupts and Nikki, without a thought, shoots him with a gun in the forehead.