Beneath the Hood (Sugarlake, #3)

by Emily McIntire

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. THICH NHAT HANH, THE ART OF POWER

Shock spins through me at her tone and my chest grows heavy. Has nobody ever shown her it isn’t her physical appearance that makes her beautiful? She’s so much more than what they see.

I scoff, my vision blurring. “All I do is buckle.” His head shakes. “Falling down doesn’t mean you break, Blake.” My throat swells at his words, tears escaping the corner of my eyes. “Your strength is when you rise back up,” he continues.

It’s surprising how fast it hits considering the seriousness of the moment, but there’s a power in his touch that makes me feel more desired—more beautiful—than I ever have in my life.

“Your worth has nothing to do with how you look, Blake. It has to do with who you are. That’s what makes you beautiful.”

But there’s no guarantee we even have tomorrow, so I might as well live for today.

I wish I could have her dive inside of my brain so she could see herself the way I do.

“Here’s to goodbyes, so we appreciate the hellos.”

“And just for the record, I would have given up everything for her.”