Page 143 of Masked Sins
Jean’s eyes flicker with a mix of confusion and curiosity, as if she’s trying to decipher my intentions. I give her a small smile, genuinely hoping to convey what I’m trying to say.
“I ended up finding my own path. And it led me to places I never would have imagined. So, in a way, I’m grateful for what happened.”
She blinks at me, her guard slipping slightly. “Grateful?”
“Yes. I don’t know what you’re going through right now, but I hope you find your own peace too. We all deserve that, don’t we?”
Jean stares at me, her expression unreadable. For a moment, I think she might snap back with another sharp retort, but instead, she just nods slowly, almost imperceptibly.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, barely above a whisper, as if the words are foreign to her.
I stand, offering her one last smile. “Take care of yourself, Jean. I wish you well.”
As I walk away, I can feel her eyes on me, her silence heavy with unspoken thoughts. Maybe she’ll never fully understand my words, or perhaps she’ll dismiss them entirely. But as I move away from the bench, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders.
I’m not that young girl anymore. I’m stronger, and I’ve moved on. And maybe, just maybe, Jean needed to hear that she can too.
I nearly walk into Orion. When I place my hands on his arms, I realize he’s not looking at me.
He’s looking at Jean.
“What did she say to you?” he asks, jaw feathering.
I huff a laugh. “Nothing. I wished her well. She seems to be having a bad day.”
Orion sags with relief. “Good.”
I arch a brow. “You can’t avenge every person who hurts me, you know.”
His darkened eyes look down at me, and for a second, it looks like he wants to say something else. Instead, he swallows.
“I heard she lost her job working for the Paris School of Ballet.”
I cock my head as I narrow my eyes. “What a coincidence.”
Before either of us can say anything else, Bradleigh comes running out of the salon, nearly colliding into us.
“Look! Banana nails.” She shows off the cute little banana decals laid over her nails.
“Amazing. Who doesn’t love bananas?” I ask, winking.
“Now maybe the girls won’t make fun of me,” she says under her breath.
I look at Orion, and his brows are furrowed in concern.
“Let’s go take a walk,” I tell her, my hand on her shoulder as I usher her out of the salon. I’d prepaid for our nails, so I wave goodbye to the technicians and head in the direction of the ice cream shop.
“I know things have been tough lately. I remember what it was like at your age, and it’s not easy when people are mean. But I want you to know something really important: fitting in isn’t everything.”
Bradleigh crosses her arms, listening, so I continue.
“Sometimes, when others bully, it’s because they’re dealing with their own issues. That doesn’t make it right, but it does mean that it’s not about you—it’s about them. You’re unique, and that’s a good thing. It might not feel like it now, but the qualities that make you different are the same ones that make you special.”
“Sometimes I feelsodifferent,” she says, looking up at me with a crease between her brows.
“I know. And you know what? I realized that the people who matter the most are the ones who like you for who you are, not who they want you to be. It’s okay if you don’t fit into a certaingroup or if you feel like you stand out. Standing out is brave and strong. And I promise you, one day, you’ll find people who love you just as you are. And when that happens, you’ll be so glad you didn’t try to change for anyone else. If you ever feel down or alone, remember that there’s a whole world out there full of people who haven’t even met you yet but will care about you so much. It gets better, and you’ll find your people. For now, just keep being kind to yourself, because you deserve that.”
“Thank you,” she says. “Have you ever had someone be mean to you?”
