Page 72 of False Confidence

“You know, with everything going on with Liam. He mentioned you were a little worried about me and his moms finding out.”

Liam might as well have taken an ad out on the front page of the paper. She wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up at work on Monday and Sierra somehow knew that she’d been worried about that.

“It’s just complicated,” she replied with a sigh. “And it changes things—it changes our whole dynamic.”

“It doesn’t have to change anything.” Cal offered a reassuring smile. “I’m happy for the two of you, and I know Eliza and Danisha will be too. Whatever this turns into, we’re all on both of your sides.”

“Thank you.” Jazz knew Cal really believed what he was saying, but if something went sideways between her and Liam, she knew it would be her fault, and they’d all be on his side—as they should be. “I guess I just don’t want to mess up something good, you know?”

“I get it, I promise. Do you remember what a mess Maggie and I were at the beginning? We would never have figured everything out without you.”

“Yeah, but Liam and I aren’t you and Maggie. I’m not Maggie.”

“I know,” Cal said, gently. “You and I are a lot more alike than you and Maggie. But that’s how I know you’re going to figure it out and be okay.”

Jazz let Cal’s words sink into her. She’d always thought that she and Maggie were two peas in a pod, in so many ways—shitty parents, stubbornness, protectiveness. But when things went wrong, Maggie scrambled to fix them. She pushed through them and believed, without a doubt, that there was nothing she couldn’t do if she just worked hard enough. Jazz gave up, and, though she might put on a decent show, she wasn’t entirely sure she could see anything through completely. Not to a high enough standard, anyway. She just wasn’t good enough, and she’d made her peace with that. She was okay with not being enough.

But she wanted to be enough for Liam. She wanted to be enough to earn her place in this family they’d built.

“I guess Maggie has a type,” she said after a weighted silence. Cal had been convinced he wasn’t enough for Maggie for months before they’d officially gotten together.

“That she does,” he said with a wry smile. “Listen, I’m saying this as your friend, not Liam’s dad: you are good enough for him. And he could be good for you, if you let him.”

“Yeah.” He already was good for her. She’d already grown so much in the time they’d spent together, but could she ever grow enough? Could she ever actually settle down and be the sense of peace and calm for him that he was for her? She didn’t want to be someone he had to take care of, always waiting for her to get scared and fuck things up enough to make everything come crashing down, like some twisted game of dominoes.

But she had no idea how to be anything else.

“Christ. How much did you two have to drink?” Maggie asked, as Cal grabbed for her and pulled her into his lap. Liam pointedly looked away as Maggie smacked Cal’s hand away from her ass.

“Enough that we’re going to regret it tomorrow, but I feel amazing right now.” Jazz giggled, standing up on wobbly feet and reaching for Liam. “Hi, baby.”

“Hi.” Liam’s mustache twitched, his dimples popping out, and he fought a laugh. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. “Wow, you really do taste like a liquor store.”

“Drink up,” she murmured against his lips, momentarily forgetting that his dad was sitting a few feet away from them.

“They’re so cute. Aren’t they so cute, love?” Cal whispered loudly.

“They’re adorable,” Maggie replied. “But let’s get you up to bed, yeah?”

“How about I get you up to bed?” Cal said, and Maggie turned to Liam with an apologetic expression.

“I am so sorry. He’s going to pass straight out once he gets into bed, don’t worry.”

“We’re not going to pass straight out,” Jazz piped up, running her finger along the buttons on Liam’s button-down.

“Yes, we are. Well, after you drink a lot of water.”

“Boo,” Jazz shouted as he tugged her into the kitchen. She’d left her water tumbler sitting on the table—who needed water when you had vodka?—and Liam filled it before threading his fingers through hers and walking her slowly up the stairs. Which was just as well, because her head was spinning.

“Goodnight,” he called down the stairs, and she copied him, before they paused in front of the doors to Maggie and Cal’s guest rooms.

It wasn’t unusual for both Liam and Jazz to crash at their place, and two of the four guest bedrooms had been assigned to them. The two of them glanced between the doors.

“This must be what it’s like when step-siblings start dating and go home to their parents’ house for Christmas, not sure where to sleep.”

Liam peered down at her, sorting through her slurred words, before replying, “It’s not like that.”

He pushed open the door to the room on the left—her room—and pulled her inside, depositing her on the bed.

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