Page 45 of False Confidence

“Speaking of disgustingly cute,” Maggie muttered with a soft laugh, and Jazz shot her a glare, turning back to the door just in time for Liam to knock and peek his head into the room. It wasn’t like that. They weren’t like that.

“Hey.”

He stepped into the room, he and Maggie discussing the tiles, but Jazz barely heard them as Liam immediately crossed to her side of the room and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

Her stomach fluttered. Cramps or Liam? Cramps. Definitely cramps.

“How are you feeling, darling?”

“Better,” she replied, and he beamed, his dimples popping out. Fuck. Tears pricked Jazz’s eyes for no fucking reason. Oh no. She blinked furiously, looking away from him.

“Are you going to cry again?” he asked, running a hand through her hair.

“No.” She hiccupped, the word falling through a sob as the tears started streaming down her face. “Fuck, I hate having a fucking uterus.”

Despite Maggie’s presence, Liam didn’t hesitate to drop on the bed behind her and wrap his arms around her, holding her close to his chest and peppering her face with kisses. “It’s okay. Let it out and then we’ll have ice cream.”

He held her as she cried, while Maggie alternated between sympathetic and bemused smiles. She’d spent years cuddling her and bringing her chocolate when she had her period, so it must be nice to get a break while Liam took a turn.

Jazz was suddenly struck by how, in this moment, she was luckier than she’d ever been. She’d always had Maggie in her corner, and she’d had more casual friends and her siblings who, at a push, would be there for her. But now, she had Maggie and Liam. And she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Cal wouldn’t hesitate to take care of her. Eliza and Danisha too. She owed Maggie big time for pulling her into this mis-matched little family, even if she wasn’t entirely convinced how exactly she fit into it.

She grabbed the scrunched up, tear-stained, tissues she’d left on the bed and dabbed furiously at her face. Liam took them from her and wiped her cheeks with much gentler hands.

“You guys good if I head out?” Maggie asked, stretching and standing up. “I have to go to work and organize all of our invoices so I can get them to the accountant next week.

“Sounds like a perfect day for you,” Jazz said with a watery laugh. No one loved organization like Maggie did. “Did you warn Cal that you’re going to be all riled up by the time he gets home?”

Her eyes lit up. “I did. He’s leaving work early.”

Liam winced. “Gross.”

Maggie raised a brow at him. “I was just lying on your bed beneath your creepy sex mirrors.”

“Okay, fine. We’re even.”

“Not even close.”

“Thank you for coming over,” Jazz said while Maggie shouldered her bag.

“Anytime.”

They waved Maggie off and Liam held Jazz tighter, hooking his leg over hers as if he needed to touch every inch of her. “Lunch?” His voice was muffled against her neck, his breath tickling the spot behind her ear.

“I’m not super hungry. Maybe a bath first?”

“I can do that.” Liam pressed a kiss to her cheek before standing up and heading into the bathroom. Jazz watched him go, playing close attention to the way his pants hugged his ass. She wanted to take a bite out of him.

“I can feel you staring at my ass, darling,” he called as he disappeared from view. She heard the rush of water as he started running the bath, then the crinkle of a package as he sprinkled what she assumed were Epsom salts in.

Jazz groaned and swung her legs off the bed. She was still achey, even if she was feeling a shit ton better. At least she had a few more months before this happened again.

She followed Liam into the bathroom and discarded her t-shirt—well, technically it was his t-shirt, but there was no world in which she was giving it back. It was warm and soft and it smelled like him.

“Will you get in with me?”

Liam gave her a soft smile, the kind she tucked away in the depths of her memories for days she needed a little boost. “Of course I will.”

The warm water felt like heaven as she climbed in. It splashed over her as she settled against Liam’s chest and he enclosed her in his arms, humming contentedly.

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