I look at Bobbi, then the door, cracking it open slightly. Inside is the biggest library I’ve ever seen. Granted, I haven’t seen a lot of libraries, but it’s huge!1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJRkfrNiYE
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkDEKtFrYg
“How many books are here?” I ask.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUgxUywm6T
“I’m not sure,” Bobbi says. “You’re welcome to count them, if you want. But your Dad says you like William Blake, and we have him somewhere around here.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrY1sCRoiPq
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5emmvX51Pl
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61Ck1qYBdy
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImgxgiGy8Y
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjX2wcQlbP
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqPSOZO3PO
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBMPbEDOSO
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8Qf7EaUiv
I turn to look at the number of books they have, which is quite a lot for just poetry. I look for “BLA” while Ama and Bobbi speak to each other in hushed tones. I snatch a book off the shelf when I see “Blake” on the spine and start flipping through it. “Ride!” a certain someone calls in that familiar voice.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡau4cv2XZet
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf3OsFlcRM
I blink. “Here.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckEjVoAG7K
“I know that, but why?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6HkOEWPAB
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bS3DUXWbb
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7gZYmTZMY
“Treble.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4iT4I37Dx
“Please work with me here.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAo1ZZxCnn
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DIR1kcCZx
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSr5IVYeLN
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpNIpJ1CTG
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR61LGshsQ2
I grab his hands and squeeze them. 5 years ago I would have been weirded out by his intense gaze right now, but these days I can’t help but find it adorable. “Don’t worry. My heart’s always with you, isn’t it? You still have the box I put it in?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9GrdVpOsQ
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPlpcRXiND
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPQMGgWeYP
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzX3xOjEeD
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWASLS87inI
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp71Dz1ExLe
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTtBIoiTq6
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeDqpCfBjg
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsLXt2gfjk
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWJqFPIC2J
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOkZAfJjAI
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoTHrTP4aQ
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSRBV4Mvnd
Klef is just indulging me at this point, but I choose to gloat a while longer. He whacks me on my arm and I whack the back of his head. “Oh, an escalation?” he asks with a devilish grin. “I can do that too, you know.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgOlknVy1z
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWC2n2PazcM
He gets on his toes and presses his lips against mine lightly and we both smile. Bobbi laughs. “Still in the honeymoon period?” they ask.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpCkT5pvTC
“Ah, no. But she was in an abusive relationship so I make sure that I’m not crossing any boundaries. Some days she’s okay with kissing some not. I don’t make assumptions.” Klef shrugs. “So I give her plenty of time to say no. Doesn’t really matter to me whether or not I can kiss her. I just love being around her.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdiDIBmrSv
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lgJt9hm8M
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXoZrTdFoP
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsg5EhkEkvB
“I can! Just…not…well.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHsPt6m2A9
I smirk. “Looks like Treble has trouble with something after all!” He groans, and I ease up on the gloating. But not too much. “Reading, like anything, requires practice. Come on, we can find you a picture book.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVFnOeHoux
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWiyYU6PqG
“Do you want to read adult poetry with tons of big words?” I ask him, holding up the book in my hands to emphasize my point.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3Bc0gMMSq
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS93BDeMDS
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHotSFzXfu
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbOKQILLnC
“You better keep quiet about this,” Klef threatens. “Otherwise other people might think that they’re more qualified for my position here. And I love my position, I don’t ever want to give it up. It’s important to me. I’d daresay it’s so important to me that not even Rides could--”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbx37gPv1lu
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndmJAkkHXQ
I know all too well Klef is talking about his “position” being not only my partner in crime, but my boyfriend. I grin at the thought of teaching my boyfriend how to read, though, and proceed to drag Klef through the books. Klef picks out one that’s colorful, and I laugh. “What’s so funny?!” he asks.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7D6BD4y8k
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mpOgpdKIa
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Tn7ppKARb
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGS3BukRmn
Klef sighs in that way he has that makes it seem like he’s questioning all of his life choices. He picks out another book and struggles to read the title this time. “Oh, this one’s about food!” he exclaims when he figures it out.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4i7b7wgsiK
I roll my eyes. Out of all of the books he could have chosen…“Typical,” I sigh. “Come on, I’ll help you read it.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbacEm8Qyv
Klef whoops, and drops to the ground with the book in his lap. He frowns. “Now I remember why I don’t read. This is hard on the eyes and the brain.”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQFxVkaqzH
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wnbuiEubO
“‘Jo’,” Klef responds, rolling his eyes. “Look, I’d rather have complex equations than words any day. And I don’t even like complex equations. Why can’t you just leave me to be illiterate in peace?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZYbDosNTx
“Because what if we adopt one day? I can’t be the only one to read to our prospective kids!” I say. “Besides, reading is good for you, and your eyesight is practically perfect! You can see it just fine, you may as well make use of the fact that you have the opportunity to read!”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEUrHjZhAz
“Adopt…as in kids?”1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwviiDjMSc0
Oh. I’ve never said anything about kids before now, so it comes off as totally out of the blue. “Yeah, you can’t exactly adopt an adult, can you?” I joke.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW16DBPMJE
Klef smiles and I can tell that he’ll let the matter rest, for now. “S’pose not,” he says easily, and leans back, sighing at the pages of his book.1186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa55cxVCiTu
Penana
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