Page 75 of Power Play

“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.”