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

As I jetted down the lane at the Cloverton pool, no one on either side of me, I called up my mantra and favorite mental imagery to get me to the wall. Out of breath, I looked up at Coach Keller. The guy showed a lot of wrinkles when he smiled. The bigger the grin, the more lines appeared. His face was a fucking roadmap.


“You did it. Reed! You did it!” He jumped into the pool with me, fully dressed.


“You fucking did it six times now!” He sort of hugged me. It was more like a body slam into concrete. “It’s no fluke. You can beat him.”


What I had done was best the fastest times in the sport, the ones my top contender had put up at his latest official event after some time away. We’d never gone head-to-head. He’d been banned from the 2015 World Championships because of his out-of-water antics, and though I hadn’t topped his best numbers while there or at Winter Nationals before that, I’d gotten faster in the time since.


Chapter 87