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!1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8p4e0A1O9
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q9WFs7CsR
“How many books are here?” I ask.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIVJ6Stn8f
“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.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzpCYjpYwx
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBU6Eu8wtJ
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9qIcuuMvv
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfy65ukBDF
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OEuqZpKT6
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXxtQeXC1e
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEz1tKnLDp
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2S7YFSVnX6
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.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNl1QAqyZ86
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LOS9ychFG
I blink. “Here.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnGTV4yNYD
“I know that, but why?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasPU7snLJO
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQPhCFajEo
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZnPUPGSbN
“Treble.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73vcDILGoR
“Please work with me here.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PFG2NfPKO
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M3xQwTmbM
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIRP1OGWVF
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkgLRrsZV9
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi21Qo0EF2U
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?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1BKuHcFAh
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh3IF5QCU2
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnAxeCBND0
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP9QUS8JCI
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHGhlDKlvO
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUc12nxXOyl
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡES1UXFrV0G
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjIbizBFhd
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYZAwxbRHz
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveX0yAY5KH
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh6PTSfea7
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfYenCXjEN
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFVFpClqgP
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.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvELtDJAUQJ
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mldwkQWTT
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.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkxsuLBY6Z
“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.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtdrvzrYYA
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPl9iZQb2q
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLojO5nlpm
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgKxVN9wsW
“I can! Just…not…well.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBUGHW1CFI
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.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqni6NpLTxM
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X4sJv1yRU
“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.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRqBvMW0e9
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmzwiYyzYl
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNcxPUnhFI
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeJHKD7afP
“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--”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AgVTzIL7E
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Dg34VAcLl
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.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGJQUndBQ5
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZ91b8KgsS
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexgdVr8jYa
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PQr2e4XDF
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.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4MU68MgZo
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.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeCBo9oxDx
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.”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PcbECMeQv
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wMblsDmXv
“‘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?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmtH27hgHZ
“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!”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1j62GNL1yT
“Adopt…as in kids?”1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTu6uebd9j5
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.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpXIMtoYDL
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.1038Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWTwi4ketY
Penana
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