Page 28 of Karter

“How’d you learn to, Jak? How does one learn to enjoy or be satisfied with less?”

He looked around the apartment as if satisfied, “Over time, I suppose. I’ve lived like this for my entire adult life.”

I mentally rolled my eyes. Trying to force Jak to talk about something he wasn’t willing or ready to discuss would be impossible. Hell, from what I had read on the internet, he was trained to withhold information even if he was tortured by terrorists. My simple questions weren’t going to trick him into offering something he guarded as a secret. I decided a simpler more direct route may work to my benefit.

“What do you think could pull us apart?” I asked.

“Pull us apart? End our relationship?” he asked.

I nodded my head and turned toward the couch. As I walked away from him, he followed close behind.

“I don’t know. Why would you ask such a thing?” he asked as he sat down on the end of the couch.

“Just wondering,” I responded as I sat down beside him.

“Infidelity I suppose. To be completely honest, I don’t know if I could make it through you cheating on me. I’d say that’s it. Same question to you?” he said as he leaned against the arm of the couch.

“If you cheated on me I might leave you. I’m not giving you a free pass, but I’d probably eventually get over it if you fucked someone else. I can’t say for sure if I’d leave you or not. Truthfully Jak, I really can’t imagine ever being without you. The more I’m with you, the more I realize being without you isn’t really an option. Well, that and I like fucking you,” I smiled.

He rolled his eyes and grinned, revealing his dimples.

“So if I told you some crazy deep dark secret or revealed something about me you didn’t know, you don’t think it’s possible you’d freak out and say damn, I never would have guessed that, and decide it’s just too much? You know? And leave?” I shrugged.

The more I talked, the more I wanted to be totally honest and reveal my age. I didn’t want to take the risk if I wasn’t comfortable, and I preferred Jak say something to make me comfortable. I was ready to rid myself of all the secrets between us and continue a life together without wonder. Well, almost all the secrets, anyway.

He shook his head, “Not a chance.”

“None whatsoever?” I asked.

“Nope,” he smiled.

I stared into my lap, “I’m twenty-one years old, Jak.”

“I know,” he responded.

You know?

You cocksucker. What did you do? Investigate me? Pull some SEAL background investigation on me? And you don’t care? You love me anyway? Get undressed Jak, let’s celebrate with sex.

I turned to face him, “You knew?”

He nodded his head and smiled a soft smile, “Right after we met, we were eating in the place on Rock. Adrian’s. It was the day the guy about hit you on your bike. You said your age.”

I crossed my arms and exhaled loudly, “I most certainly did not.”

Jak looked down at the floor for a moment, shifted his gaze to meet mine, and smiled his shitty little smirk, “I can’t make it dry. Not around you. Nope. Just less wet. So Jak, now I’m twenty-one years old and I’ve had my first wet pussy. You want to secure a place in my heart? Alrighty then. You can check that box. You did that a long time ago.”

Holy shit, he’s right. And he’s obviously going to remember every word I ever say. Note to self - be careful what you tell Jak.

“I guess I did,” I sighed.

I raised my eyebrows and half-smiled, “You don’t care?”

He bit his lip and shook his head from side-to-side, “Not in the least.”

Well, if he knows I’m twenty-one, and he doesn’t care, we’re going to be just fine. I know his age and I don’t give a fuck. He knows his age and he doesn’t give a fuck. All that’s left is him becoming comfortable with me knowing his age.

“How old are you, Jak?”