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

He laughed. “Is that a happy sound?”


“It was a lot of emotions all in one.”


“Contentment, happy, for sure, nervous, excited, anxious, eager, determined…”


I kissed him. “A lot of stuff…years and years of it…is kind of all—Boom!” I clapped my hands together over our heads. “Coming all together. Since fourth grade, you were in the back of my head, and the Olympics was too. I just didn’t know how yet. It feels like ten minutes ago and sometimes a hundred years.”


Chapter 135