Penguinz097
Emery Hayes used to be impossible to silence.
She was a cheerleader, surrounded by friends, always laughing and never afraid to say exactly what was on her mind.
Then she fell in love with Carter Reed.
Slowly, the girl everyone knew disappeared. The cheer uniform was put away. Her friendships faded. Her confidence vanished. And after months of living with Carter's control and abuse, Emery stopped speaking altogether.
Then Levi Bennett transfers to her school.
He doesn't know the girl Emery used to be. He doesn't know why she flinches when someone moves too quickly or why her boyfriend answers questions for her. He only knows the quiet girl sitting beside him in English communicates through a notebook-and for some reason, he wants to know everything she is willing to tell him.
Levi never asks her to speak.
He never demands answers.
He simply stays.
And somewhere between handwritten notes, stolen glances, and the faint smell of peppermint gum that always seems to follow him, Emery begins to remember what it feels like to be safe.
But Carter isn't ready to lose control of her.
As Emery and Levi grow closer, secrets become harder to hide, Carter becomes more dangerous, and Emery will have to decide whether she's ready to reclaim everything she thought she'd lost.
Including her voice.
Because sometimes the person who changes your life isn't the one who speaks for you.
It's the one who stays long enough for you to realize you can speak for yourself