Page 89 of Boss's Baby: A Fake Fiance Romance

There was an odd confidence to her voice. But I didn’t think too much about it. Then again, seeing Josh again, having him back and ready to step up, it would’ve been nice. But I knew it was likely asking for too much.

We started the day, unwrapping presents and drinking hot cocoa and playing some of Dad’s favorite Frank Sinatra Christmas tunes. I realized how lucky I was and how grateful I was to have a family like mine. Even with what had gone down, they were still there for me.

Around noon, however, the sound of a car coming to a stop outside of the house caught my attention. Mom’s eyes lit up, and if there was any doubt she knew something I didn’t, that convinced me.

“Oh, he’s here!”

Wait, that convinced me.

I got up and headed toward the window. “Mom, who’s here?”

I didn’t need to wait for her to respond, however. Outside of the house was a sleek, black luxury car. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind who the owner was. The door opened, and out stepped none other than Josh Taylor. He was dressed in jeans and a black pea coat, a knit cap over his head. And there was a smile on his face—not the cocky one I’d known, but something humbler, more hopeful.

“Oh my god,” I said. “Is he really here?”

“He’s really here,” said Mom.

I turned back toward her. “Mom, what’s going on?”

She shrugged. “Maybe you should go find out for yourself?”

“Kid’s got a lot of nerve showing up here like this,” said Dad.

Katie was chipper as ever. “He looks so happy! Go see what he wants!”

At that moment I was more anxious than I’d ever been in my life—easily. There was Josh, waiting for me. I had no idea what he wanted to say. Maybe he was going to tell me that he wanted to do what we’d planned, to cut ties. Have some money for the kid, but that’s it. I knew there was a chance he’d want to put this whole thing behind him and be done with me.

No way to know but go and find out. My heart racing, I put on my coat and took one more breath before stepping outside.

It was a white Christmas, the air puffing in front of my face with each breath. And as if on cue, flurries began to fall from the sky as soon as I opened the door. It was like the universe was setting the scene.

I made my way to Josh, and when I was right in front of him I stopped. The two of us simply regarded each other. I hoped he knew what he wanted to say, because I sure as hell didn’t.

“Merry Christmas,” he said, finally breaking the silence.

“Merry Christmas.” I bit my lip in tension.

Then more silence. I wanted him to tell me what was on his mind more than anything.

“Cass. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say something. Anything.”

“I feel terrible. I wish I knew what I could say that would make you forgive me.”

Forgiveness. That’s why he was here. But I had to see if he could earn it.

“Try.”

He nodded. “The way I acted when you told me the news—it was awful. I was scared. And I’m fine admitting it. When you told me you were pregnant, it was like all the lies we’d surrounded ourselves with faded away, and it was only me and you.

“And when it was only me and you, I saw…I saw the first truth I’d known since we came together. I haven’t only been lying to our families, Cass, I’ve been lying to myself.”

“About what?”

“About how I feel about you. I’ve told you what a wonderful woman you are, how I love your passion and ambition and the way you bite down on your lip when you don’t know what to say.”

He smiled, and I realized I was doing it at that moment.

“Like that.”

“Can’t help it.” My lip-biting formed into a small smile. The jerk knew how to charm me, I had to give him that.

“I know, and I love it. But I’m tired of all the lies, Cass. And now that everything else is out in the open, I think it’s time to take care of the last one.”

“And…what is that?” Part of me worried that he was about to share some deep, dark secret, one that would change everything. I mean, it’s not like either of us weren’t the lying type.

“That I love you.”

Oh.

“And maybe, deep down, I always have. Ever since you were that adorably geeky girl who worked at Two Scoops when me and my jackass friends would come in and abuse the hell out of the free sample policy. When you came into my life, I knew I had to speak to you again, to learn about the woman you’ve become. Maybe the first fake engagement was a lie too—some excuse so I could talk to you. But whatever it is, for whatever reasons I’ve done what I’ve done, I know now without a doubt that I love you.”

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