Page 37 of Made Over by Meredith

“Thanks.” I was out of breath and nervous, but… “I’m assuming he’ll be there?”

“We didn’t tell him you were coming,” Jimmy said, pulling out onto the street. “Thought it’d be more dramatic.”

Claire shot him a look. “I feel like our life could use a little less of the dramatics.”

He blew a raspberry at her, then met my gaze in the rearview mirror. “If it makes you feel any better, he’s been like a kicked puppy.”

“No, that’s doesn’t make me feel better.” I’d told him to leave because I wanted him to be happy. I only wanted him to have what he wanted, so it didn’t make me feel better at all to know I made both of us miserable.

Claire cued up Taylor Swift’s Reputation album, and it was fitting for what I was about to do.

Once we parked, I stood from the backseat, forcing my shoulders back and a deep breath into my lungs.

“You got this.” Jimmy patted my back, and Claire smiled as they found each other’s hands, taking the lead to walk ahead into the restaurant.

I could do this.

I could be brave.

I followed them inside, to a table in the back, but my courage wilted when I spotted the mop of strawberry blonde hair. He lifted his head when Jimmy shouted to him, and my stepsmomentarily stuttered. I grabbed onto the back of the chair next to me when his eyes coasted over me.

He greeted Jimmy with a clumsy handshake, his attention still on me. So much so that he tripped. And I laughed.

God, he was such a nerd.

I think I loved him.

Jimmy and Claire sat at the booth, both of them doing a terrible impression of two people not eavesdropping on our conversation as Aiden approached me with a reluctant, “Hi.”

“Hi,” I said, not sure what to do with my hands, so I wrung them together by my waist.

“I didn’t know you were coming tonight. If I knew, I wouldn’t?—”

“I’m sorry,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m sorry I kicked you out of my house, and I’m sorry for telling you to go out with Celeste.”

He nodded, his throat working on a swallow, fixing his glasses on his face by holding onto the wire around the eyepiece on the left side. I don’t know why I found that so adorable, but I did. Made my heart crack in two each time he did it.

But then my heart broke into a million pieces when he said, “I went out with her that night.”

“You did?” I croaked, my chest caving in.

He stepped closer to me, the toes of his shoes butting up against mine. “I told her I couldn’t see her anymore.”

I exhaled roughly. “You did?”

He lifted his hands as if he was going to curl them around my waist, but he didn’t, only kept the midair. I wrapped my hands around them instead, needing to hold onto him. Onto reality.

“I told you before, you are who I want,” he said, and I felt my chin quivering.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, unable to get anything else out.

“I’m not. You needed time.”

“But I don’t want you to think I don’t want you either. I do, it’s just…”

He brought our hands up between us, kissing my knuckles. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not.” I shook my head, blinking away more tears. Now that I’d given in, it felt like I wouldn’t be able to stop. But Aiden was there, kissing my cheek, my ear, my temple. He was so wonderful, so perfect, so understanding, and I truly didn’t believe I deserved it.

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