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!977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcQYcZIi02
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlHPLqny7o
“How many books are here?” I ask.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LM7JuIeJv
“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.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvfOzbODKx
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcudXuUhV5
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkOupUCPbr
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTE9nk5D2Cq
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡne7ST7AD6F
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcd4pAuX8p
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yT0oOeq7k
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDN8bteoQ3
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.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTchPOFLVB
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwWJPgPbto
I blink. “Here.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5ke3lvgDW
“I know that, but why?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cR0gZ3pp8
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ydGTsa6xk
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2sZDI8W5r
“Treble.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSdwzg2zSG
“Please work with me here.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMJTgrBxQn
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtaP6Mp8gi
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX3FMRC29T
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5mkYiCGjT
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48neVMClV2
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?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2OcVDF2iB
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObbd8Lgkxr
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ112SvNoc5l
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVXcefZvXS
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNA1GxU7vV
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4joSCgTMxB
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbCZ9o87vG
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeG5MV2lH1
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ob3xso9hi
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ76Jp35dT9
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQywt9cDRye
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJfnw8hyLQ
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0LIP0dYOO
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.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmbqoupE1f
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLeB0pbx6f
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.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbJY0oaFvm
“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.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRvoHNU3ZE
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJsHXGQjKa
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCK7WcsfN6
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQXhabEiVm
“I can! Just…not…well.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOKaEpRWxC
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.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8L3HD7IxE
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXR1zaZPHu
“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.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2WtVC3OFI
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13X2Ou37VX
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlcQb6MFb2
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TRAJPz8Yw
“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--”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnihRjTlk5
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbJrTcrWf4
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.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhi4pN0iWVx
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRZZN9LWtH
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEN8iqqCMW
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgf4psqgeiK
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.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvA9LEjPhd8
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.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LBzs6bRK6
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.”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02qpFAbVK3
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjs9bTlW63c
“‘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?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPnyvEGV5O
“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!”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZzNvDJIQ2
“Adopt…as in kids?”977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5DT45ZHcQ
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.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkeJJlYie3
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.977Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3ZeduHpzZ
Penana
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