Page 30 of Faking with the Bad Boy Billionaire

"I am devastated! I would have been here with popcorn!" Steven watched Stacey stand up quickly and raise an arm up in the air, "I would have been here with a flag saying 'Go Steven!' on it!" She dropped back to the couch and started laughing so hard she cried.

"I am so sorry I did not wait for you then." Steven looked over at the television, hoping for another glimpse of Lucas.

"You should be! I have so many insults that I did not get to use!" Stacey fake pouted and started listing all the things she disliked about Macy. "I feel like it was such a missed opportunity!"

"I took such an opportunity from you?" Steven feigned sadness and regret, "How dare I?"

"Well, at least I don't have to warn everyone about her showing up at the dry run. That is one thing off the never-ending list." Stacey leaned back on the black leather chair and looked over at Steven. "You keep staring at the television like someone is going to jump out of it."

"I wish. I caught a commercial, and Lucas was in it." Steven glanced away and back every few seconds.

"Your kid was in a commercial?" Stacey was staring just as hard, trying to find him. She did not even know what he looked like, but she still tried.

"Apparently, he has been in a bunch of things." Steven pulled up some shots of Lucas and Josie together in an ad campaign. He looked up the commercial to show her and found some solo shots of Lucas.

"He is the most adorable child I have ever seen." Stacey kept scrolling and looking for a bit before she opened a picture of Josie and Lucas together. "Is that her?"

Steven stared at Josie's posed form in the photo, "That is definitely her." He handed the phone back to her and tried to pretend he was doing work-related things.

"She is gorgeous." Stacey smirked at him, "So, is there a reason you haven't gone over there yet? I know it is killing you to sit here in the office."

"What do you mean? Is there a reason? You," Steven pointed a finger at her, "told me not to!" Steven's mouth dropped wide open, and his eyes were practically bugging out of his head.

"I remember saying no such thing." Stacey's eyes gleamed with mischief and humor. She walked out of the office carrying her laughter with her.

Steven grabbed his keys out of the top center desk drawer and locked it up. He stood and grabbed his phone. He opened it up to Josie's name and almost called her first. There was no way she was going to answer for him after the last argument. He locked up the office, and his head of security walked him down to the back door. He would show up and hope for the best at that point. He hoped the flowers would soften whatever blow she would be prepared to throw at him.

The car seemed so silent on the way to her house. He remembered how much he enjoyed the silence as long as she was with him. Sometimes, they were just there. That was the beauty of their friendship. They always found the best of life in their quiet moments.

The summer they had turned sixteen was the most vivid moment he could remember with her. It was his favorite place to go when things started spiraling out of control around him.

The sun was setting over the tops of the trees, and the sky was red and orange. It was a deep red, not a bright red, and it lights everything in the world up a little differently. Steven looked to his right at Josie lying on the hammock beside him. She squinted one eye to see him and smiled. She adjusted herself into his side, and he put an arm over her shoulder.

A few hours earlier, his mom was screaming at his dad. He tried to avoid being involved in any of it, but his father always asked his opinion. When Steven gave it, his father did not take it kindly.

The waves crashed in the background somewhere. The beach had always been their favorite place to hide out. His family house was the perfect getaway until his father showed up and inevitably ruined it. Steven looked down and realized that Josie had fallen asleep tucked against him.

All of the bad had melted away.

She always did that for him. She gave him the calm and quiet he craved and the small moments he did not know he wanted.

Steven slowly shifted so that Josie could put her leg over his thighs. She snuggled in closer to him.

That was the first moment he realized that he could love her.

Steven pulled himself out of the memory. He knew the truth. Macy was never going to be it for him. No one was. He was so madly in love with Josie back then, and until he went to help her out, he thought she would never look at him that way.

Putting the car in drive, Steven made his way to her house. He was willing to take whatever she would dole out at him as long as she heard how he remembered their sixteenth summer. He wanted her to know there was no reason to worry about him taking off. He was there for her no matter what happened.

He thought about telling her about the incident with Macy, and then he remembered he needed to ask her what Macy meant by what she said about some warning in high school. He knew there was some hostility between the two; he just never knew a warning was given. The ride seemed to only ramp up his anxiety.

He got back out in front of her place and waited for a little while. He did not want her to think he was out there since he had left early that morning.

When he finally got out of the car and made it to the door, he knocked swiftly twice. The door opened wide. He felt immediate anxiety as he stared at the pair.

Josie was obviously ready to leave the house for an adventure, and Steven decided that was the moment to make a horrible joke, "Trying to run away and keep him all to yourself?"

Josie's mouth dropped open, and she snapped it shut, trying not to take the bait. "Actually, I am just taking Lucas for a zoo day. Is there something I can help you with?"

---