He looked at her as if he didn’t believe her, but obliged her nevertheless.
“I wasn’t faithful to my ex-wife when we were dating. I didn’t want to be tied down to one girl. I was just a kid myself. I was faithful to her during our entire marriage, though. Once we said our vows, I stopped messing around. I took things seriously.”
“And other women you were with?”
“Other women after her that I’ve been in a committed relationship with I was faithful to, as well.” She felt a sense of relief. Jack didn’t seem like the type to play the field, but one could never be one hundred percent certain of these things. “I’ve dated multiple women at the same time before, but once I committed to someone, it was just me and that person. As a grown man, I’m not a cheater. It doesn’t appeal to me. If I’m with you, and only you, I mean that. I stick to it.”
“Are you curious about me and my exes, and why I’ve never been married? I always found it a little strange that you never asked, even after I started opening up more to you.”
He stretched, grabbed a bottle of water from the nightstand and downed a small amount, then set it back down.
“Nope. Don’t care about you and your ex-boyfriends.”
“What? Why not?”
“If I were to ask you about your past, ex-boyfriends, hookups, things like that, the answer would only be from your perspective. There are always two sides to the story. On top of that, the way you acted with them could be different from how you act with me, so I’d rather just observe you for myself and come to my own conclusions.” He ran his knuckle along his nostril, curing an itch, before continuing. “You said you’d never been married, but in today’s age that’s not as uncommon as it used to be. I thought about it, sure, but figured if you wanted me to know something about those experiences, you’d tell me.”
“You’re consistent, that’s for sure. I have no idea why I always think you’re going to respond or behave differently than you’ve shown me. All of this time I’ve known you, you’ve stayed the same.”
“You think I’m boring?” He chuckled.
“No, not at all, baby. I love it. You don’t switch it up or play mind games. It’s refreshing, actually.” She sighed and lay back on the pillow. “I was engaged once, but it didn’t last long. I’ve been through a long string of relationships that went absolutely nowhere. An endless merry-go-round of B.S., as well as too many one-night stands, followed by long bouts of celibacy—by choice. I couldn’t get it right, though. I’ve never been good with relationships. I’m used to being lied to and cheated on. I’ve been unfaithful once, too, though I’m not proud of it.”
“Since we’re on the subject now, what happened?”
“It was a revenge cheat because he cheated on me first, but that was me being immature when I should have just ended the relationship.” She shrugged, tasting bitterness along her tongue as she recalled the sordid ordeal. “I’ve been told what I want to hear, instead of the truth by most men I’ve been in love with. Lies on top of lies. I’m used to men disappearing, too, so I learned to disappear before they do. I should be called ‘ghost.’”
She drank her water, feeling vulnerable after speaking so much truth, while he reached for his tin of cigars. Her words might make him view her in an unkind way, but she didn’t want to lie to the man. Besides, she had a feeling that even if she tried to be deceitful, he’d see right through it.
He lit a cigar and took a toke, smolder rising from his mouth.
“Jack, being here with no distractions gives us time together. True time together. We’ve turned off our phones. We’ve talked. We’ve argued a little.” She laughed shakily. “We’ve laughed a lot, too. It’s been great. You seem to always know what I need. Thank you.”
Resting his cigar in an ashtray, he grabbed her hand, leaned in for a peck, and looked deeply into her eyes.
“You know I’m crazy about you, Kim. I’m sorry about our argument earlier, too. I meant what I said, but I could have been nicer in how I worded it. I love you so much, baby.” He sealed his words with another kiss.
Her heart jumped. This was the second time he’d said this to her, and she knew this man meant it. Those words were sacred to him, not to be shared with just anyone.
“I love you, too.”
“Well, we’ve played cards. It’s my turn. Do you want to play a different game?” His brow lifted, and a mischievous look came over his face.
“Like what?” She grinned.
“Turn your phone on.”