River at the Crossroads

At sixteen years old, River owns little more than the backpack on his shoulders. Inside are a spare set of clothes, a worn blanket, a battered stuffed bear named Buba, and the hope that one more day on the run won't be his last. After escaping an abusive home, River has learned that trusting people only gets you hurt. When a flyer leads him to The Crossroads Youth Group at Grace River Church, he expects nothing more than a free meal and a place to stay out of the weather. Instead, he meets Eli Bennett-the privileged son of the church's wealthy pastor. As an unlikely friendship grows into first love, River begins to wonder if he's finally found a place where he belongs. But behind Grace River Church's polished image lies a world of power, money, and secrets, and the closer River gets to the Bennett family, the more dangerous the truth becomes. To protect the life they've begun to build together, River and Eli must decide what they're willing to risk-and whether love can survive when faith, family, and corruption collide.