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!1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5tsKrOpw0
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhlRJkYFgy
“How many books are here?” I ask.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SsgswaCPu
“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.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae3TjljxLc
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNf0OJAKZZ
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCY7bNBrAV
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcJakvxgce
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxr6miAJaL
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJku45I6Gl
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqT9Tx6ziF
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpuhjiEcc4
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.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFjhNScYnO
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTAWTaYYKG
I blink. “Here.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2gGkI8yeB
“I know that, but why?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6x5CJrT5w
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IGGsmLMav
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkRNOpOIAt
“Treble.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwEUuRsf30
“Please work with me here.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOvKGvfEKx
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzPqRl2h77
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulcZ4qFj0b
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPDOvWPaPk
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47EvI8M7lu
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?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMfyZP7h4W
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0VxkHD44G
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfhq7enhQN
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQjacfF7PS
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrarUJ7O3F
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmoSNSPnaU
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3vuYT8qhs
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbu3vxlDU5R
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpq3d3rGG5Z
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UmBq5wkfC
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUku10808h
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvZA5pcsfV
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnLnca8nxo
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.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6whItKsjQP
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFzg4N2ev3
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.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxCHdF2wpy
“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.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJWgHNwbUM
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs13Ij5i7om
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93LrZjRon9
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjhwPGCq7v
“I can! Just…not…well.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVFOeE8FEN
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.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfPOF5Fo2a
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGitu4b0bOE
“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.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGr7UeS5jP
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcl5s2uVIcQ
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumxE5Mh1Hl
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxSRNchwgZ
“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--”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny92iXJ1ZB
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gqV59DgHW
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.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkor01ma25
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDMRMch4SJ
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gDDHhHKGu
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzh9TEFzMp
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.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCADl1232rl
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.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsSrJ68uIO
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.”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ535NmWW9Jb
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIsqAPjyKj
“‘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?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5CCyBCuIu
“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!”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5V8LhbGUaS
“Adopt…as in kids?”1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyXKXv9xWS
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.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRfebb0Kjb
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.1099Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPoyU0qMss
8964 copyright protection1095ＰＥＮＡＮＡLANnK8lLW3 維尼

216.73.216.222