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!976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKSYNsXMpq
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lZUfV09ps
“How many books are here?” I ask.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCVtF5LefS
“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.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbsbHKUvP8
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ETxW7iqgw
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtZ5WboOo1
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmYKNCmIWf
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXZZIV1D3Q
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1d0ohDeXg
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4LV77lPGr
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rUjW44ARq
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.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDB9f4dgf4
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROVuOYb5I4
I blink. “Here.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOZ9S5mDBQ
“I know that, but why?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjimyulvBE
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7kF88CQEJ
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwG5OhfxQF
“Treble.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoFxWgzcI5
“Please work with me here.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uoPj5CdsT
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAPhpin2Vr
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkevrxuN3e
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RmvtpRCdH
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobdbVR4Fck
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?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgCL2o5QSj
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjqGMY6Eqz
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFd7KYtQrEI
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8H0Oy6gepF
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2Pfzic6Cv
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQXbM36rfB
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxUSiqPsQi
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj1Frh2VmX
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezK9K44FuJ
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IISIwKlQ5
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oJpjd8225
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV0YActYM1
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLcEFnRIFi
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.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJWCs2ac15
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5UbKyOVpF
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.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4IFOrLNfq
“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.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNnBLgYn4E
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgofP6ZzI4
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCor8vZvTD
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSFUeaaikl
“I can! Just…not…well.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTQZrnAIh2
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.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YC45NoqEa
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmCcUfejPQ
“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.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqgEZUr4dK
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPSTdY4YFT
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ujMvpw1K4
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83epxPAAAJ
“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--”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY8iWWcjsH
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XW7o3BC3g
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.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW48PIzoAAu
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeduvTgbJOS
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFuMfK0bV7
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0NKrrjEX5
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.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKM12WOwXu
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.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi11A0naYV1
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.”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNYKCTqxUk
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ23YFa260
“‘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?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAqwi2CPbH
“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!”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZDlBvYgMk
“Adopt…as in kids?”976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2rB7ycq1r
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.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGSnXPwXvR
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.976Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL2H9GVVg3
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