Page 12 of False Confidence

“Thank—” She looked up at her savior, the words dying in her mouth as she found herself face to face with the bride and groom. She swallowed down the anger that fought to rise in her throat. “Thank you.”

“No problem. They just seem to appear out of nowhere, don’t they?” India said with a practiced smile.

On principle alone, Jazz hated her, but she couldn’t help but admit that Liam had good taste. India was gorgeous. Her long blonde hair fell to her waist in perfect finger waves, though Jazz was sure most of it was extensions. Her makeup was natural but flawless, and her ballgown fit her like a glove. Even her soft, high-pitched voice gave princess vibes. She’d never seen a picture of Liam and India together, but she could imagine how perfect they must have looked.

And Bart was… there.

She cleared her throat. “Congratulations. It was a beautiful ceremony, and you look incredible.”

India’s smile widened. “Thank you. You’re Jazz, right? Liam’s… girlfriend?” Her facade slipped, her lips curling slightly around the word. And just like that, any insecurities Jazz had around this gorgeous woman were gone. India had hurt Liam, they both had. How dare they invite him here to rub it in his face?

“I’m Liam’s partner, yeah,” she said, forcing a cheery smile onto her face. Partner felt more serious than girlfriend.

“We’ve been hearing a lot about you tonight,” Bart said, his face more stoney than his bride’s.

“I’ve heard a lot about you guys, too.” Satisfaction coiled in her belly at the minor flare of panic in Bart’s eyes. Did they think she was going to bring up how they’d broken his heart? Hell, wasn’t that why they’d invited him in the first place? There was no reason for them to have done so, other than to tell themselves he was miserable, lonely, and missing them. It was an ego trip, pure and simple, and Jazz hated them.

“Liam talks about you both all the time,” she continued. “It sounds like the three of you had a blast growing up!” Let them think Liam only talked about the good times. Let them think they hadn’t crushed him. “Actually, he was just telling me the other day about that summer resort trip you all took when you were seventeen? The one where you all played spin the bottle and crashed your dad’s boat? The pictures were hilarious.”

Liam hadn’t told her a single thing about that trip, but Jazz was nosy and had found the pictures when looking through old photo albums at Eliza and Danisha’s place, trying to find pictures of young-Cal for his and Maggie’s wedding. Danisha had told her all about that summer—how Liam had begged to go with Bart’s family, and how he’d been glowing when he’d come home, because he’d had a crush on India forever and finally gotten to kiss her during spin the bottle.

India and Bart, it seemed, remembered too. Their cheeks flamed, and they shifted awkwardly.

A warm hand settled on Jazz’s lower back. “I was wondering where you’d disappeared to. I thought I was going to have to send out a search party.”

Oh God. She’d hoped to get Liam out of here without him having to talk to India and Bart. Well, if she couldn’t do that, she would at least play the part of the doting girlfriend perfectly. She looped her arm around his waist and snuggled into him, looking up at him with a mock-affronted expression.

“My sense of direction isn’t that bad.”

Liam’s answering, slightly exasperated smile was a work of art. Where had he picked up these acting skills? And why was it such a turn on?

“Of course not, darling,” he said, layering so much affection on the word that even Jazz almost believed it. He turned his attention to India and Bart, not a trace of anxiety or heartbreak on his face. “Congratulations, you two. What a beautiful wedding.”

“Thank you,” Bart replied, somewhat stiffly.

“We were just talking about that summer trip you told me about, baby. In the Maldives?”

Liam’s eyes flared when she called him baby, emerald green disappearing as his pupils swallowed it. Interesting.

“Oh yeah, when we crashed your dad’s boat, Bart. That was a fun trip.”

If Jazz hadn’t been watching for India’s reaction, she would have missed her minute flinch, as if she couldn’t quite bear that Liam’s first thought was of the boat, and not their kiss. Or what had happened after the kiss. She missed him. After everything she’d done to him, she missed him. Jazz couldn’t say she was surprised; she might not know the ins and outs of India’s relationship with her new husband, but she knew there was no chance Bart loved her better than Liam had.

“It feels like a million years ago now,” India said, her voice less steady than before. “So how have you been? How are your parents?”

“We’re great,” Liam said, twirling the ends of Jazz’s hair. “My moms have taken up fencing, which is going about as well as you can imagine, and my dad got married.” Jazz wondered if India and Bart noticed how he neglected to mention what he was doing, but they didn’t seem to.

“I heard your dad got married. His assistant, right? What a cliché. God, you must be pissed about your inheritance, huh?” Bart said with a chuckle that made Jazz’s blood boil. Maggie had learned to laugh and let the gold digger comments roll off her back. Jazz… not so much. She was banned from two bars because she’d gotten into arguments about it.

Liam’s grip on her hip tightened, the only sign that he, too, was pissed at Bart. “Maggie’s amazing, actually. I can’t imagine anyone better for my dad.”

Bart snorted, but India nudged him. “That’s great. We’re happy for him,” she said, attempting to smooth over her husband’s misstep. “We really should head back before my mom thinks we’ve run away before the exit pictures. But we should catch up when we’re back from our honeymoon.”

“Absolutely. It was good to see you both.” This time, Jazz knew they all knew he was lying.

He didn’t let go of her as India and Bart walked away, didn’t watch them go. But Jazz did, catching every one of India’s split second glances back.

“She’s watching,” she murmured, turning back to Liam. She brushed his chin with her thumb. “You should kiss me.”

---