She Asked the Star Athlete to Make Her Beautiful — But He Taught Her Something Better
Chapter 14
Several weeks later, Lily and Ethan sat together on the front steps of their houses.
The summer evening was quiet.
Lily looked at him.
“You know what the funniest part is?”
“What?”
“I asked you to make me beautiful.”
Ethan laughed.
“You were already beautiful.”
“I didn’t believe you.”
“I know.”
She smiled.
“I thought the makeover changed me.”
“It didn’t.”
“What did?”
Ethan looked at her.
“You finally stopped asking everyone else who you were.”
Lily thought about that.
Then she leaned against his shoulder.
“I think I’m still learning.”
“We all are.”
She smiled.
“Do you still like me?”
Ethan looked offended.
“Unfortunately.”
She laughed.
He laughed too.
Then Lily looked toward the sunset.
For the first time in years, she didn’t wonder how she looked.
She didn’t wonder whether someone was prettier.
She didn’t wonder whether people were watching.
She simply felt comfortable being herself.
And that was the greatest transformation of all.
Because she had started this journey believing she needed to become beautiful enough to be seen.
Instead, she discovered something much more important:
She had never needed to become someone worth noticing.
She only needed to stop hiding the person she already was.
