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!1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡly1cNSjgD6
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3w5mDdxxJ
“How many books are here?” I ask.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oJozY8Vft
“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.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a8Op2TwtI
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2moKeZNoOU
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuPUGT211R
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWVxQaI0jc
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFUD17Y8P7
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BE1NptNFp
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKn1cWvdDs9
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXd4PVspKZ
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.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvYge5K6IP
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lmvOkLrNw
I blink. “Here.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBR8Fe3jAM
“I know that, but why?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9ibNPptHa
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsS3nWESkgS
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyP1Hl3SDtc
“Treble.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkyE4QiwNx
“Please work with me here.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAfmXedtEt
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIs8vfUKQso
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NgNI6MFah
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitn3mCg99i
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5voL6yKms
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?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPQ2aFilcu
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3MWHZ68NE
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoOHXjgFK3
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvRhiqarSw
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8un7WX8cT
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOltMjSJwZN
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsfxU6fhrY
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCf0dDzv3SK
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIaZaNC0Z4
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl2NvB9y5z
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVbIK0BFZR
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUl0gzE6ane
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJWzSxXJTo
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.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1ARG6dc4V
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWSIk6tZw1
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.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebabFhdUUF
“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.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1UuNLOrXC
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjvfgbtakB
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjKiBjI64Y
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NAgMyxrDR
“I can! Just…not…well.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweU6uqwqh4
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.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgapxJKnZPJ
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkJmOtwoQz
“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.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGiP25o85W
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcO7ToF8TZs
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFgU3V3xis
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Fk67NeiaO
“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--”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16AjWchUA0
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NIuXlMQWK
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.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJavIpC9Xo
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFEO3iTdDy
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpKWekxJOP
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVNFLPhP57
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.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaSi0dOwRK
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.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5Ajlrt1wU
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.”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqGp2uenlJ
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVVvrTi2Gu
“‘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?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcFODXFAyN
“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!”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQ7rhUROgw
“Adopt…as in kids?”1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZSrY8hhKE
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.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryNDZncedX
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.1073Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06lvp6UhRU
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