Chapter 0284

His brow furrows as he tries to remember. “There was one, um…about the six friends? Who all lived

in apartments across a hall from each other? Three guys and three girls?”

“Besties,” I say, immediately supplying the name of the old sitcom we’ve all watched a thousand

times, smiling softly because I absolutely love that he loved this show.

“Yeah, that one was the best one,” he says, nodding like it’s a fact. “The girls were…really nice to

each other, and so supportive, and so funny. And I learned about…boyfriends and girlfriends and

dating. And what mates were. And with movies, I liked…um, what do you call them? Romedies…?”

“Romantic comedies?” I offer. “Romcoms?”

“Yes,” he says, giving me a decided nod that makes me grin. “I loved romcoms, and what the guys

called ‘chick flicks’ – any movies and shows about women’s lives, I wanted to watch. And then when

I found out that the library existed? And that you could borrow movies and whole seasons of

shows?”

He puffs out his cheeks again, like it completely blew up his world, and I laugh with him.

“I put that library card to work,” he murmurs, staring off into the distance, “never had a late fee and

watched…probably every movie in their collection that had a woman on the cover. And I got books,

which answered…so many questions.”

“What like, romance novels?” I ask, curious.

“What’s a romance novel?” he asks, snapping his attention to me, immediately intrigued.

I grin at him and shake my head. “I’ll tell you about those later,” I say with a little laugh, knowing that

it will open a whole new world for him. “But tell me what you mean – what books did you get?”

“Books on science, on the world,” he says, staring down into my eyes. “I…well, that’s how I figured

out that I’d been told a lot of lies at the Community. I read everything I could on history, and biology,

and nature. I…I mean, I didn’t even know the earth was round,” he murmurs, closing his eyes on a

deep sigh, like he’s embarrassed. “Or that there were…other planets.”

“That is so insane, Jacks,” I whisper, wondering what else he still doesn’t know he doesn’t know

about.

“Yeah,” he murmurs, sighing. “Some of the science fiction shows I watched made absolutely no

sense until I got my hands on a children’s picture book about the solar system. That was…that was

a big day for me.”

I sigh, and reach up, and stroke his cheek. There must be so many gaps in his knowledge, so many

things about the world which he just doesn’t know. And, I mean, it’s not like I know everything…

But I have had the benefit of a world-class education. And Jacks is so clever, and so hungry for

knowledge that it breaks my heart. Suddenly, if I could give it to him – everything I have had, even if

it means I had to give it up - I’d do it. In a heartbeat.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jacks murmurs, gentle, looking down at me with a little sadness in his

eyes.

“Like what?” I whisper, confused.

“Like you pity me,” he murmurs, shaking his head.

I sigh, realizing that he’s right – that I am pitying him, and it’s written all over my face. I reach up,

running my fingers through his hair, tucking it back behind his ear. “You’re just so lovely, Jacks,” I

whisper, meaning every word of it. “I want you to have had…more than what you were given. I know

that the people who raised you…that you didn’t know any different, and that some of the must have

done their best. But I wish they’d done better by you – given you more. I want you to have

everything, Jackson. You deserve it. You deserve the world.”

“Well, I’ve got that now, don’t I?” he whispers, tightening his arms around me and giving me a shy

smile, clearly meaning what he says and believing it – like now that he has me, he can’t possibly be

lacking, at all, ever. He leans forward, nudging my nose with his, opening his feelings to me, letting

me understand just how happy and content and whole he feels when we’re like this, curled up with

each other, our own little world. Complete.

And I can’t help it. I’m just completely overwhelmed, absolutely consumed by how much he loves

me already, and how much my feelings match his, inch for inch. I lift my chin, closing the short

distance between us and wrapping my arms around my mate’s neck as I kiss him, desperate for him

to know that he’s mine – mine forever – and that I’m going to do everything in my power to give him

the life he deserves.