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!1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YakOy1SkA
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp7QNTkrCV
“How many books are here?” I ask.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxL8yHfwo4
“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.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTVKFLZ0hC
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLkiWA3A6u
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmk9TS2kcm
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX06uxp0qxp
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdYRaRpBcu
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8O8tgmCgd
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC0XkxvmUS
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkNnyOpcRZ
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.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cGqsSlx8C
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWHGxmrWO7
I blink. “Here.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKGEcS9EsS
“I know that, but why?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE2TQP89FQ
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WSA951VDo
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCbTwbLE6A
“Treble.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcXGIqFYa3
“Please work with me here.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmDOYTYAen
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBdBYbGK9T
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0D782Hvc0
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS04s0RtRPV
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEbHKGg1sR
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?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznVwVn6GTV
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLqjd3klwN
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6wzw6X7qq
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6BGlisdQE
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcWF25vGaL
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLzO9tFMPi
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RfHFfHj4k
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeZ13QECFH
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdr7fGKaL0
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQEkYBscN6
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ250UfmRmvY
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjNl0lqEMb
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jxT0xNbEw
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.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqGDzLKKuy
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwtIpu9RFe
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.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmoNTMgLEM
“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.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv70aPbUrXv
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffqN0hUx6y
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl12zN6OIKE
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf7nYX2tX3
“I can! Just…not…well.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6DD29mXbH
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.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuwwbZWbAu
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMP6aNMpwU
“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.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmGQCpRRvO
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQtbdka3Ai
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDFUTu1HFt
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6pGOb5d0a
“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--”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc08zmHFSJY
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlO6YMkLEr
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.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYkXaYPdZ3
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1HuwwnShs
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55yGVxfPFl
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtIy7VMF6L
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.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQYVEgDq9p
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.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrqo7UCLFj
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.”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzcmKdQLaa
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqMsWbrW7M
“‘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?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpujNlKR5r
“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!”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNPgvNcJdn
“Adopt…as in kids?”1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Clle20znD
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.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6reIhoTiI
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.1042Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvPqjwXllk
Penana
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