They’re trying to save a show. Can they save each other too? Theater director Tyler Terlecki has always trusted his work, not people. At thirty-eight, his world is controlled, carefully contained—until a rehearsal blowup forces him into an uneasy partnership with Nicholas, a younger intimacy coordinator whose job is to center consent and rebuild trust. Otherwise, the show does not go on. Tyler is accustomed to shaping performances, not relinquishing control. But as rehearsals restart and professional boundaries blur, he finds himself confronting something more destabilizing than creative conflict: the quiet risk of being known beyond the role he plays. As their partnership deepens into something neither expected, both men must decide what they are willing to put on the line—for the production and for each other. The future of the show may not be the only thing at stake. Told with honesty and warmth, What Wakes Within Us is a character-driven novel about second chances, finding one’s footing, and the courage required to build something meaningful—onstage and off. Friendly forewarning: contains adult sexual situations, witty banter, not-so-subtle nods to a beloved musical, faithful representations of the general lousiness of our times, and gay men simply being gay men—all from (get this!) an actual gay male author