Concern flickered through me.I reached over, placing myhand on her arm.“Is everything okay?”
Jillian nodded in response to the loaded question.The girlhad never been very forthcoming with information, only dropping bits and pieceshere and there.I knew she wasn’t close to many people, except…except a guynamed Brock.He was some kind of fighter with her father’s organization.Fromwhat I had gathered, he’d been around her family for a long time.
And whenever she did talk about him, which wasn’t often, herface would always get this look of absolute adoration on it.
“Jillian—”
“I just don’t want to end up doing what my entire familydoes.Everything is about the Academy, and that’s not what I want to do.Theonly way I’m going to escape that is by leaving now.Anyway,” she said, pursingher lips as a thoughtful look crossed her face.“One of the things you neverreally see in a romance book is a woman who has self-esteem issues.I mean, I’msure they’re out there, but they’re few and far between.Like they can haveeating disorders, post-traumatic stress from sexual assault or mental abuse.They can be sold into sex trafficking and they can carry epic amounts of grief.We have female characters who have suffered every loss imaginable and ones whoare scarred physically and mentality, but where in the hell are the averagewomen?Ones who look in the mirror and cringe a little?Like, why are all thoseothers acceptable to women, but reading or knowing another woman who has a lowself-esteem is, like, worse than all that drama llama?Dude, I get reading forwish fulfillment, but you’ve got to have a little reality in the story.”
Brushing her bangs out of her eyes, Jillian exhaled loudlyand then continued.“Whatever.It doesn’t matter.You’re normal.I’m normal.We’re not perfect and not having the greatest confidence doesn’t make you anyless of a person.”
What Jillian said was so true.
Holy crap, the raw truth of it all floored me.
Women wanted other women to have high self-esteem andconfidence.No one wanted to ever admit that their confidence was lacking, thatthey had a hard time looking at themselves in the mirror.
It was wrong that we weren’t able to have our weak moments.That we had to hide the fact that we were uncomfortable with our imperfections.That the journey to loving yourself doesn’t exclude recognizing there were dayswhen you just didn’t want to see yourself naked.
And that there were worse things than having some confidenceissues.
I glanced over at Jillian.This was one of those momentswhen I forgot that she was so young, because damn, she really could be a hellof a lot wiser than me.“You’re right.”
Her face transformed prettily when she smiled.“I know.”
I laughed.“And modest.”
“Whatever.”Leaning forward, she smacked her hands off herknees.“Do you want to go out?”
“Go where?”
“I don’t know.You live pretty close to the bar nearOutback.”
“Mona’s?”I started to grin.“Jillian, I don’t think you’reallowed to go there.”
“I’ve been there before.As long as they don’t serve me, Jaxis cool with it.”
My brows rose.“Jax?”
“He’s the owner.He’s good friends with Brock.”She stood.
I eyed her.“So…is Brock going to be there?”
“I doubt it,” she said.“He’s usually training now.”
For some reason I didn’t quite believe her.
“Come on.It’ll be good to get out.”She paused.“Plus, youknow who’s the bartender there, right?”
It took a second to click.“Wait.That’s where Roxy worksand she’s dating…”
“Colton’s brother,” she finished.
The tumbling in my stomach this time was somethingaltogether different.“How do you know that?”
She rolled her eyes again.“Brock is really good friendswith all of them and I’m a really good…listener.So, you want to go?I’ll begood and order a Coke.”
I shot her a look.“Wild child.”
