ude Carter, a handsome and effortlessly charming 13-year-old with brown hair, brown eyes, and a physique that makes him a standout on the soccer field and swim team, has everyone swooning-girls and guys alike. With a passion for baking, he has no shortage of admirers, but Jude harbors a secret: he's gay, though no one knows it yet. The only person who knows and supports him without question is his older brother, Eli, who's always had his back, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
Everything changes when a new student, Louis Mercier, joins their class. Louis, with his striking golden blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and soft-spoken nature, quickly catches Jude's eye. As a half-French student who's intelligent and kind but tends to keep to himself, Louis is the perfect puzzle piece to Jude's world. What starts as an innocent crush turns into something deeper as Jude falls hard for the boy who seems to be the only one who doesn't notice the perfect life Jude seems to have on the outside.
But as their relationship deepens, so does the tension, as Jude grapples with his feelings for Louis while navigating the complexities of his own identity. When unexpected obstacles-especially from Jude's family-threaten to tear them apart, Jude must fight for the love he knows is worth it. This is a story of discovery, longing, and the pursuit of true love, no matter the distance, no matter the odds.
"I always thought I was the ocean, you know?
Always reaching for things I can't have.
Always crashing into people who don't want me back.
The moon pulls.
The ocean follows.
Even when it hurts."
"You don't have to, Noah. Why can't you stay?
Why can't the ocean stay with the shore?"
***
Noah Reed has spent years trying to outrun the boy he used to be-
the one who froze under his father's fists,
the one who kissed a stranger under the stars
and watched him disappear.
When Noah and his mother escape their violent home and move to Novacrest, he's prepared to rebuild quietly: new school, new friends, a job at a café, and maybe-finally-something like peace. Milo, the sweet, steady football player who keeps showing up for him, feels like exactly that.
Until Noah sees him.
Eli Blake.
Quarterback. Golden boy. Untouchable.
And the first boy Noah ever kissed.
Eli acts like he doesn't remember him at all.
But his eyes say something else-fear, anger, longing, something sharp enough to cut.
Thrown together for a biology project, their old summer-camp secret forces its way back, tearing open every wound Noah has tried to bury. And just when Noah's heart begins leaning toward Milo, Eli breaks through his defenses... and kisses him again.
Now the past is unraveling, the truth is clawing its way out, and Noah has to choose between the boy who makes him feel safe and the boy who makes him feel seen.
Because oceans don't choose what pulls them.
But Noah has to-
before he breaks apart for good.
Book One in the Ocean & Moon series.