Page 91 of False Confidence

Cal had a slight deer in headlights expression as he nodded. “Mmm. So just to clarify, you don’t not want to be together, but you also want to break up with him?”

“Right.”

He pinched the spot between his brow and closed his eyes for a moment. “Okay. I can do this. So you want—Um no. It’s not that—Fuck. Right, scratch that. Why do you want to break up with him?”

“What?”

“You want to break up with him, so I assume you have a reason for that. What is it?”

Jazz leaned back. “Well, he’s… you know.”

“I think it’s safe to assume that I don’t.”

She sighed, staring down at her shoes. “Maggie would know,” she grumbled.

“Of course she would. She’s Maggie. Maybe you could talk to her about this? Not that I’m not happy to girl talk. But I also don’t have a fucking clue what you’re saying.”

Her heart sank into her stomach. “I want to talk to Maggie. I miss her. I just… I don’t know.” She’d wanted to call Maggie the second Liam had sprung the relationship they were apparently in on her. Though, knowing Maggie, she’d probably figured it out long before Liam had had to spell it out for Jazz. Her brain was confused; her heart was fucking thrilled. She had no idea what to make of any of it.

“She cried for three hours last night,” Cal said gently. “She misses you like crazy. You’re both just so stubborn, and if you keep waiting around for the other one to reach out, it could be weeks, for Christ’s sake.” He wasn’t wrong.

“I’ll think about it.”

“And when it comes to you and Liam, I don’t really know what’s going on, but I know I love you both and want you to be happy. Maggie and I wasted months refusing to let ourselves be in love. We’ll never get that time back. Don’t make the same mistake that we made.”

Jazz had become entirely too comfortable wasting time in the name of fear, she knew that. But knowing that didn’t make it easier.

“Thank you. I’ll try my best not to mentally discount everything you said,” she added begrudgingly, and Cal laughed.

“That’s all I can ask for. C’mere.” He stood and held his arms out, folding Jazz into a warm hug. “You’re going to figure it all out, Jazz. And you have lots of people on your side. We’re not all like your parents.” Cal patted her on the back.

“Thank God.”

The elevator dinged and Sierra shouted, “Knock knock,” as she stepped out. “Ooh, I’m so getting in on this hug.” She barreled into them both, closing her arms around Jazz and squeezing. “Is this just a fuck Mondays hug, or is there a special occasion?”

“It’s an I’m doing a great job ruining my life and also Cal is probably going to be my father-in-law someday kind of hug,” Jazz offered, disentangling herself from her boss and her assistant. She would never survive in a totally professional setting. “Daddy-in-law?” she suggested, and Cal winced and shook his head. “No, you’re right. That would be weird. Anyway, what’s up, Sierra?”

“Your sister’s here to see you. She’s downstairs.”

And there went the tiny shred of comfort she’d taken from the hug. “Wonderful. Lead on,” she said, mouthing thank you to Cal as she followed Sierra to the elevator. “Did Rose say what she was here for?”

Sierra shook her head. “Nope. You know, she’s pretty hot.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Jazz shot her a warning glare as the elevator doors slid open, spitting them out into the din of the first floor.

“That is my baby sister. Don’t even think about it.”

“This place is nice.”

Jazz watched her sister glance around Ethel’s diner with zero interest, her hazel eyes dull.

“It’s pretty good. We come here a lot,” Jazz replied, cupping her mug of tea. She’d always been a coffee person through and through, but, these days, something about tea was oddly comforting. Fucking Liam.

She’d taken one look at her sister, waiting for her in the lobby, and her heart had sunk. Whatever Rose had to talk to her about, it wasn’t good. Her face was drawn, nails bitten to the quick.

“So what’s going on, Rosie?”

Rose wrapped her arms around herself, chewing her lip. “I know we don’t really talk often, so I definitely have no right to do this, but I need to ask a favor.”

Jazz had never heard her sister so dejected. She reached across the table and took her hand. “You’re my sister. Even if we don’t talk, I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

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