Chosen by a former Olympic swimmer to train for the 2016 Games as a pre-teen, Reed’s journey begins. Along the way, he develops feelings for two childhood friends: neighbor Cal and lifelong rival Mathias. Cal’s struggle with his sexuality brings tragedy. Mathias’s wealth makes Reed feel as if they’re from different worlds.<br><br>As Rio approaches, Mathias becomes a gay sports icon, while Reed must hide his sexuality for a lucrative endorsement deal important to his family’s future. Reed’s unresolved desires for both men remain, and so do the things that have kept them apart. Has Reed grown enough to navigate rougher waters, to find truth, pride, victory, and love?

Truth, Pride, Victory, Love

“I don’t want to hear it! Both teams are suspended.”


The short ride home in Coach Keller’s SUV was awfully quiet. Mathias and I had literally been pulled away from one another, like forbidden lovers in some sort of Victorian romance novel or two high school boys juiced up on hormones and cutthroat competition. I’d yelled, “I’m sorry,” after him, apologizing once again for an array of things, not just my knuckles grazing his perfect face.


Coach Keller was pissed. He’d insisted on bringing us home, and had also been the one who’d done the actual dragging. I tried to forge a treaty with him too.


“It wasn’t totally our fault. Those other—”


Not a word was spoken in the remaining nineteen minutes on the road. When Coach was mad, he screeched. When he was livid, he bellowed. When he was outraged, he was stone-cold quiet.


Chapter 27