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!1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnV9nxoLVx
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHITcUwejoq
“How many books are here?” I ask.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X0ev4WvU7
“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.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6YP6s14tN
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡom9VX7hgI4
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4p8bn8xoOd
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfQisQ8niZ
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhRY55ZAb7
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyQOXtw9z5
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOultCdyB5
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWRoWY7xND
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.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhCZ9z6I0H
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsj5ttcpmRG
I blink. “Here.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8YKOPZTmP
“I know that, but why?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60NRHkyPiW
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsqtcLR7j3
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpESZvCf6g
“Treble.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMiHrwhssG
“Please work with me here.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceuDMHo9jE
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrJohrsE7l
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGHd2MNfQN
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0mVhiey9v
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gckEv4VmO
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?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NT1EDhyqU
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVAq3Wy05P
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡir2MGWUwXw
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvt7vcr6Bu
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqV9WuavPj
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoz0yvV4zKL
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQ8cweyPUs
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0GvNFk3uw
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUl6HC5a3ol
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXWokGrjd3
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvOulWLMPO
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdL3mriujh
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjNeehmeqq
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.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlfQ9AsLqF
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwIVcaC1vM
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.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZ5r5uaa05
“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.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdT3ZKKQxiv
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglMPSunAmp
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCYNtzj8VS
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEcnWlACla
“I can! Just…not…well.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv8NFc5N4d
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.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVceUIafZ5
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjIGrU2Deu
“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.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJicgB2gmV
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBCexOIw4O
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtQMcHRUqI
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5u4KM8dcq
“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--”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6gS1UFkzJ
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUaJivHa4Y
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.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE3esMsGHR
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaOZ0U7lAf
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9ZGiX4vKU
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdY4DPaHiec
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.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8yXOf6v4t
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.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTdi8cq2BK
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.”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOnZ2FHuo1
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuytQpTchaf
“‘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?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdxhdcI1yI
“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!”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFmt9GJW8A
“Adopt…as in kids?”1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2w0ZQuKvpj
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.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLseSmmTg3P
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.1033Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2tq1JX8hu
Penana
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