Across the Courtyard

When Totem returns to his hometown of Neverberry for the summer, he expects the familiar. Quiet streets. Long afternoons. Time with his family. What he doesn't expect is to feel stuck between who he's always been and who he's afraid to admit he is.

At twenty-three, Totem keeps most things to himself. He's observant, careful, and deeply devoted to his thirteen-year-old brother, Treasure, whose dream of becoming a basketball player feels louder and braver than anything Totem has ever chased for himself. When Treasure begins training at the town's outdoor court, Totem is there every day, watching from the sidelines.

That's where Bruce comes in.

Bruce McBroom is nearly thirty, a fitness coach with a commanding presence and a calm confidence that draws attention without trying. When he offers to train Treasure, Totem agrees for his brother's sake, never expecting the quiet pull that starts growing between them. A look held too long. Conversations that linger. Feelings Totem has never put words to.

As rumors swirl and assumptions are made, Totem is forced to confront the truth he's been avoiding, not just about Bruce, but about himself. And Bruce, steady and intentional, must decide whether timing and responsibility can coexist with desire.

Across the Courtyard is a slow-burn romance about masculinity, family, and the courage it takes to be seen. It's about love that waits, distance that speaks, and two men standing on opposite sides of a space that slowly disappears.