UNSPOKEN BOND

CHAPTER 1NOTE TO READERS: THIS BOOK CONTAIN OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE AND BULLYING WHICH MAY SEEM OFFENSIVE TO READERS. #SayNoToBullying - IT ALSO CONTAINS S*X SCENES***CLASSROOM***"Did you see the way she flinched when Caleb got in her face?" Maddie's words dripped with wicked enjoyment as she took her normal place in the back of the English classroom.Trent snickered and slumped down alongside her. "Like a scared little rabbit." "You'd think the mute freak would be accustomed to it by now."Their laughter sliced through the dull roar of student talk, with an edge sharp enough to pierce even the toughest exteriors. Not that their intended target could answer with anything other than a pained expression.Lila kept her gaze fixed on the blank notebook before her, her hands clutched tightly in her lap to conceal a tiny trembling. She strained to block out the vicious remarks, to build the invisible walls that were her sole defense against the barrage of heartless words."Seriously, how doe

CHAPTER 3LILA POV: Lila pulled open the door to her father's workshop, where she was met by the familiar fragrance of sawdust and varnish. It was a smell she had remembered since she was a youngster, a constant companion amidst her life's ever-changing currents.Ethan Emerson stood slumped over his workstation, his broad shoulders straining against the tightness of his well-worn shirt. The rhythmic rasp of sandpaper against wood filled the air, interrupted by her father's grunts of stress. Lila lingered in the doorway for a time, her fingers twitching with the want to announce her arrival. But something was holding her back, a tension that appeared to crackle in the air between them like static electricity.Finally, Ethan looked up, his brow furrowing as he noticed her there. "Lila," he grumbled, his voice rough. "Didn't hear you come in."Her hands moved smoothly, each gesture precise and purposeful. "You were focused on your work."Ethan grumbled again and dropped the half-sanded

CHAPTER 5As they arrived home, the steady throbbing in Ethan's palm served as a continuous reminder of how quickly things may go wrong. Each throb of anguish served as a flashing neon sign, telling him not to take the delicate calm he had discovered with Lila for granted. He flexed his tightly bandaged fingers, wincing at the strain of torn tissue and muscle beneath the bandage. An accident like this could have been terrible for someone who relied on his hands to make money. As it was, the forced idleness and reliance on others irritated every fiber of his steadfast independence.But as Ethan watched Lila painstakingly prepare his antibiotic prescription, he felt a weird sense of serenity. The awkward, stiff quiet that had existed between them for so long had ended. In its place was a newfound ease, an understanding rooted in shared vulnerability.Lila looked up, her beautiful eyes searching his face as she extended the small paper cup containing capsules. _"Time for your meds,"_ sh

CHAPTER 7The final bell rang, echoing through the now-empty halls like a starting pistol. Yuria ran out the front doors, her pulse pumping with nerves and excitement. Caleb's beautiful sports car was already idling on the curb when she arrived. He cranked the engine anxiously as she got into the passenger seat, and the roar sent shivers down her spine. Without saying anything, he stepped away from the school, one hand firmly operating the gearshift.The short journey to his house was spent in tense quiet, the tension building with each sidelong glance and half-smile they shared. By the time Caleb pulled into his vacant driveway, Yuria could not breathe from her need for him.He turned off the engine but did not make any attempts to exit the car. They locked eyes and stared at one other for a passionate minute. With an animalistic grunt, Caleb surged across the desk, smashing his lips against Yuria's in a searing, desperate kiss.She gasped into his mouth, grabbing his shirt, as need

CHAPTER 9Claire Matthews entered through the front entrance, her arms full of grocery bags. "Caleb? Julia? We're back!" she said in a cheerful, sing-song voice.Robert followed closely behind, expertly shouldering the larger paper sacks from the car while flashing his wife a loving grin. "The conquering heroes return from a hard day's hunter-gathering," he said with a laugh.Robert noticed movement in the living room and raised his brow in astonishment as Caleb came into view, trailed by Julia. "Well, what is this? "Son, shouldn't you be at basketball practice?"There was no reproach in his tone, only quiet inquiry. Robert took satisfaction in being involved in his children's lives, especially because Claire's high-pressure career kept her away from home more than they preferred.Caleb shrugged, his casual lean highlighted by the broad, muscular shape that always gave Robert a quiet sense of masculine pride. "Hi, Dad. Coach canceled today's class, saying, "We've been pushing ourselve