As I drifted into my own land of dreams, I was slightly pulled back by a sound coming from the door. I didn't pay close attention and was unsure so I allowed myself let loose and get lost in the comforting state. A rough tug on my right breast brought me back to earth. I opened my eyes only to see step dad hovering over me. I screamed partly, because next thing I know he stuffs a handkerchief in my mouth and pins both my arms above my head. My voice was muffled by the thick piece of cloth in my mouth and....

Gravity is a suggestion. Trust is the real challenge. Sixteen-year-old Kai has spent his entire life bracing for impact. Growing up in a bleak, underfunded orphanage, his only escape was throwing himself into the air—twisting, flipping, and defying gravity on a rusted courtyard mattress. But nothing could prepare him for the sudden, dizzying transition to the sun-drenched, hyper-wealthy shores of Orange County. Adopted by the affluent Miller family, Kai is an immediate outsider. With his striking Hawaiian-white heritage and effortless dancer's grace, he turns heads the second he steps onto campus—but fitting in is a different story. His new life is a minefield. His adoptive brother Evan, the brooding varsity football captain, treats him like a hostile intruder. Meanwhile, Kai is quietly drowning in a hopeless crush on Stan—Evan’s older brother, whose grounded warmth makes Kai feel safe for the first time in his life. Desperate for an outlet, Kai is scouted by The Thunder, an elite, high-stakes tumbling and cheer gym. There he meets Pius, a powerhouse base desperately searching for a flier brave enough to survive the air. On the mat, their physical chemistry is explosive. To soar, Kai must do the one thing he has never dared to do: surrender control and trust another person to catch him. But as psychological mind games, bitter rivalries, and a devastating family revelation threaten to shatter Kai’s fragile new reality, one misstep could send him crashing to the ground. In a world where everyone is watching, Kai will have to decide if he’s ready to let go of his past—and finally learn how to land.