Page 192 of Wicked Refusal

“He did.” It’s Yulian who answers. “No one gets to push myson around.”

“Hey, what happened to ‘ours’?”

“He’s in my car.” He shrugs. “Get in, and you can get your fifty percent back. But I’m demanding interest.”

“Oh?” I lean in. Yulian’s stubble grazes my cheek, lighting up that stray spark of desire again. “And what would that be?”

“More little ones.” He tilts my chin up. His grip is strong, yet gentle. “Until I’m satisfied.”

My knees turn to jelly. How can it still be like this? After all that’s happened, all we’ve done?—

How can it feel like the first time all over again?

Luckily, Eli yells out, “Ew! Gross! Don’t kiss!”

He covers Kira’s (already closed) eyes. I laugh. Yulian benevolently stops seducing me—for the time being.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

I don’t have to think about the answer. “Yes.” I smile. “Let’s do this.”

Let’s go say “yes” one last time.

“Whydid you put your wedding dress on in the car?!” Kallie gasps, horrified by the state of me.

“It’s not that bad,” I mutter. Sure, there’s a few creases here and there, and a suspiciously orange Cheez-It-smelling stain on a corner of my organza skirt. But all in all, I look pretty put together.

Compared to my scrubs, at least.

Nikita walks up to me. She’s wearing an uncharacteristically smug look, like she definitely knows something I don’t. “Alright, fine,” she sighs. “We were saving the surprise for the dance floor, but I guess an emergency’s an emergency. Bibbidi… bobbidi… boo!”

I can barely follow her movements. She starts working deftly at the small of my back, and then?—

My puffy skirt falls to the ground.

Or rather, the outer layer.

“One more tweak…” Nik pulls the corners close together, crosses them behind me. The now-smooth skirt, all pearly crepe, tightens around my hips, hugging them like a second skin.

She latches something—two secret buttons, by the looks of it—and then… “Voilà!”

I’m speechless. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. “How…?”

“Special gift from your bridesmaids,” Kallie winks. “Call us psychic, but between baby Kira and Eli’s passion for stain-prone snacks, we knew a wardrobe malfunction was more than likely.”

“We also have, like, three replacement dresses in there.” Nik points with her thumb to an enormous antique closet behind us. “Just in case.”

“The tailor was really nice,” Kallie adds. “Didn’t even ask for extra. Said she had too much fun with it to charge us.”

I can’t look away. Like,physically. “Remind me to send her a gift basket,” I mumble, too dazed to really think. “Guys, this is… incredible.” I can feel my eyes growing teary. “Thank you so?—”

“Oh, nope, nope, nope!” Kallie rushes to get tissues.

“No tears!” Nik orders in a panic. “Absolutely no tears! You just had your makeup done!”

“Who’s crying away her makeup?” Ginny asks from the doorway, coming back in with a freshly changed Kira in her arms. Then she sees me. “Oh,hellno. Now’s not the time to get emotional, Sis.”

“I’m getting married!” I yell. “I’m allowed to cry!”