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!1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4k48ctL1LB
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGIQ2k7uSk
“How many books are here?” I ask.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVYE6RyG4t
“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.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOisRvNc0pT
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYZtA9xYll
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu52KsW41IO
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMnFAkCOUJ
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULqOvYkQpj
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJbW8n5Jcz
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIW7cu2UA2
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZNJAf6sjx
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.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXJXTZXtJG
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwt5U7ldsk
I blink. “Here.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimSePWoVQ8
“I know that, but why?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdFb89H4cs
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX7PHJ5UFh
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNu7zD7n10
“Treble.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQ6DdwNAXa
“Please work with me here.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2R8GRpu8z
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTvml5ctV6
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIDcEKuJk0
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcBLGXXiuG
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK7RmGEU3d
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?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqOAmcS6zq
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTiWmRXDJJ
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpJcAJMkGc
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCk3uqcMlA
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtryCDpBok
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARHLPZa9do
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpPf0DEwNo
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GYugaWosl
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0BR7mWVUs
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBVY3A7MU0
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCu6FwnDW3L
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdANQuo99S
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUgR845AVi
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.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbG7TO4knNO
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmpgaDiJqW
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.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcORj6tl7L
“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.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXd76jcFJhc
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bCQtQ4AOk
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoYA0ejWPw
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ66mbM3vhe
“I can! Just…not…well.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIT2MHuI46C
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.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKIsixh4Bm
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49FsCs1y4a
“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.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNGeYg8mX7
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkJXnj01ti
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrN6dHwe4NC
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7L3UQTQdix
“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--”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3eT7SUKss
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmKappUGnQ
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.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQgS7A2icu
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrEOO0u0ko
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQVQuqtT39
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkTHHOxjMj
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.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7lI2gOArt
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.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCrGgonkoY
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.”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lTQVRepGd
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zrg4M0Jz3
“‘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?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IIBy1x53c
“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!”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtZhXpS7gG
“Adopt…as in kids?”1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOFAP9j61L
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.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwXCdNZHmy
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.1008Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbZiEOwV7w
Penana
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