Page 9 of Made Over by Meredith

She nodded. “My dad was a scientist.”

“Was?” I asked, standing in the Oxfords she had picked out, explaining they could be dressed up or down, and that I needed to burn my sneakers. When I’d tried to argue, she had stuck her finger in my face, repeating, “Burn them, Aiden.”

Now, she gestured for me to walk back and forth, something I’d gotten used to, as she told her story. “Yeah,was. He inventedone of the blue dyes you see on paper products…napkins, paper towels, toilet paper.”

I stood in front of her for inspection. “Really?”

“Yeah. He sold the patent for millions. Now he mostly golfs.” She tipped her chin to my shoes. “I like those. Get them in black, too.”

I sat down next to her, putting the Oxfords in their box and slipping my needed-to-be-burned sneakers back on. “What about your mom?”

“My mom could give a shit about my dad. She’s in it for the money and Botox.”

I winced. “Your brother?”

“Total douchebag.”

“And how do you fit in?” I found a pair of the Oxfords in black and stuck them under my arm along with the brown before heading to the cash wrap.

Her long strides kept up with mine. “I don’t. My mom wanted me to be like her, find someone with money and marry young. She never understood why I wanted to get a job. My dad keeps telling me I’m too pretty for school. Thinks I don’t need a PhD.”

I nearly choked on my breath. “What? That’s ridiculous.”

She exhaled audibly through her nose. “It’s why I like to spend the trust fund money on other people. Because what else am I going to do with it? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can drop a couple hundred on new Korean skincare, no problem, but I don’t want to be like my family. I don’t want to drown in bad tans and fake boobs.”

I tapped my credit card on the machine at the check-out, not thinking. “You already have the tan and the boobs.”

She sputtered a laugh. “Smooth, Aiden. Real smooth.”

I think I blushed from my scalp to my toes. “I meant you don’t need it. You’re beautiful, but you’re smart, too. Don’t let them get to you.”

“I don’t.”

I didn’t believe her, but let it drop and accepted the receipt to shove it in the bag, adding it to my ever-growing pile. “So, where to next, teach?”

“One last stop at The Gap. See if we can’t put it all together.”

Chapter 4

Meredith

It had been a good day. I adored a good shopping spree, and Aiden was a perfect model, patient and quiet, save for the occasional questions about my personal life or witty quips. He was a good time.

I sifted through denim button-downs while he changed in a room next to me. I loved him in cool tones, and while he didn’tseem to have a preference, he had told me on multiple occasions, “Whatever you think is best.”

Which was exactly the correct answer.

“How ya doing in there?” I asked, knocking on the door.

“Good. I like these.”

Even though I knew every member of the Hart family and had spent time with each of them at one point or another, I didn’t know much about Aiden. Until today.

I learned he often whistled absently, cracked his knuckles when bored, and could have a full-on discussion about Taylor Swift’s discography. Claire and I had first bonded over Taylor when we met in college, but I never expected the soft-spoken accountant to become so animated over friendship bracelets and possible allusions to famous ex-boyfriends.

It was delightful.

Hewas delightful.

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