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“I know.”

“You look gorgeous.” She squeezed my upper arm. “A little Pilates would give you definition here. You’ve already done the difficult part.”

The difficult part.

Getting smaller. Losing enough.

I had finally done it and somehow discovered another version of wrong waiting underneath.

Gabriella reached for the navy gown. “Try this one. The neckline is softer.”

I disappeared behind the curtain again.

The moment it closed, I looked at myself.

My shoulders looked skeletal now. My arms looked soft. My waist looked thicker beneath the ivory fabric.

I pressed one hand against my stomach.

“Stop,” I whispered.

My phone buzzed from the chair.

Ryan.

Ryan: You disappear into a dressing room and die?

I swallowed.

Charm: Considering it.

His answer came almost immediately.

Ryan: Need extraction?

A smile pulled at my mouth.

Charm: My mother would hunt you.

Ryan: I skate faster.

Charm: She has lawyers.

Ryan: Aura is basically one already.

I laughed quietly.

“Charmagne?” Crystal called through the curtain. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.”

I changed into the navy.

The fabric felt better before I ever looked into the mirror.

When I stepped outside, Crystal smiled.

“That’s much better.”