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!331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlLusSo9Qe
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzh7tucqTji
“How many books are here?” I ask.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YnalOd8MA
“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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eWMJoF7yv
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8NtBiG2cZ
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleYIpjwCrj
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtyaghzVp7
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLfefRxVUJ
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfXTYmcuZE
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOd7mnnEWj3
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KPjZ4bwZ5
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUldNjA0OA
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDNMZaaE7t
I blink. “Here.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbexvdBGKA
“I know that, but why?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZv8dirNjg
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYTbLTmWxu
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfFENbRoRB
“Treble.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEBuMPMeC6
“Please work with me here.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu14ocQhzMP
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3c5JQSUIhM
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgrVKdKxsn
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXpIlBzDbl
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfyzYosT7J
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?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrZ6nKk8hM
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVJUE5wdII
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycX6LWvdPC
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWu4WBrGVzY
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5TrZywwLf
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekrcqc8WqX
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznsDk341ZD
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHIT9IrGfd
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuxnGYAOU0
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtoe7IibJh
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJZxC8g4Ov
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKZP8GNIvI
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJic8wjQPuA
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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jj6RWe713
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjND8VkVEP
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEo7QwE9muE
“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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBXgHPcVWd
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAxMdFIxBm
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfKv5h9eDD
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAfQQWF3SC
“I can! Just…not…well.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRdODrtmZ5
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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmkuSpL2Ep
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwZVnQR3UJ
“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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbAT0ekuBj
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkGTPyiAAW
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgtZbRQ3UK
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAWnuWCOqd
“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--”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80yOTnncYX
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XeDXquNtp
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxg0tEuqgiQ
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurR2fKqDWo
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6mPJjge7J
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDE0D8E8yVq
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppSgr71SLY
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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgm4CcOWs23
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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGIckQRspM
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPbL5DT7vE
“‘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?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M0aocYlE0
“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!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRH641XVtm
“Adopt…as in kids?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHncT8hw2o2
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuOHEdTCyy
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWpk3um1pQ
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