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!1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjYq6r2Xxh
“Not many people gossip here, if any,” Bobbi assures. “Quiet and safe.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexTJGn1CNE
“How many books are here?” I ask.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACI6JbnfAi
“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.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSHRf6MlxA
“I would like to read through his works again,” I admit. “It’s been…a long while. Where is the poetry section?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRW2qIOtHI
Bobbi points in the general direction of the back and the three of us walk over. “So, Ama says you’re trustworthy…” I start.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwl3fUk1Rxm
“Well, I don’t know much about that!” Bobbi laughs. “You say that, Mandy?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqUtJNFJtP
“Don’t call me Mandy, but yes,” Ama growls. “I trust you…mostly.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOsn1e5ZVF
“Goodness, woman, why?!” Bobbi cackles. “Have you met me?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVK02d1mEqw
“Yes,” Ama smiles. “I know your full name, Bob. Don’t tell me that I don’t know you well.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JPd9YHHPH
Bobbi blushes furiously. “Poetry, here we are.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2mYbq6Joe
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.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdVBWt1s1t
My head snaps up and Klef runs up to me. “There you are! Where did you run off to?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5em3KoffNx
I blink. “Here.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp1NPJTbmD
“I know that, but why?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fdQYi9I3P
“Well, typically it’s not a good idea to stay near an attacked area when someone wants to kill you.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHyMwVbBNN
Klef rolls his eyes. “Ride…”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fCYXxHPJJ
“Treble.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzdirskslP
“Please work with me here.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAstJUGNvf
“Why? This is more fun!” I exclaim.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpORu2lICXx
Klef rolls his eyes and pulls me down for a kiss. “I was worried,” he murmurs.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdYRKVsc2z
“I’m in good hands,” I assure. “Ama and Bobbi here are trustworthy. And I’m clearly fine.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AbWwchIfZ
“But you weren’t in my hands, Ride. I want you with me.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnKmI3xmkQ
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?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjre9lVoZs
Klef breaks into laughter. “Ride! C’mon, I thought we were having a moment!”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWqy00v77n
Ama “aww”s behind us. I turn to her and Bobbi. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I request.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyDVau7Xmk
“Our lips are sealed,” Bobbi assures me.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIqTDQNpcp
“Speak for yourself!” Ama exclaims.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xfAPonsrf
“Ama. For all your faults you can keep a secret,” Bobbi chastises.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsM5fVnhZI
“But they’re so cute together! And they shouldn’t have to sneak around to be romantic if they can help it!”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaHstHJivz
“We choose to sneak around, miss,” Klef explains. “We don’t want to be office gossip.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2PIDC99b2
“‘Office gossip’,” I scoff. “You make this sound like a reputable business.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHKxQBhsrd
“It is, nowadays,” Klef points out.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQ56WaesdU
“Oh yeah? To whom, outside our business?” I challenge.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIVOyb8LEo
“Well--” Klef starts. “There’s…” he tries. “Okay. Um. You win.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoJxS6kjiT
I give Klef a smug smile. “So ha!” I exclaim.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUY4L8mKq6
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.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnX28pZEYGn
“Do I?” I tease. We both know that he can.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp4buFpogG
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.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREE9sKUnER
“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.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C8077QRzG
I blush. “Shut up. I was going to read. Care to join me?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjEFOjETd8
Klef turns nervous. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m more of a numbers guy.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oGXfNr7Eg
“What, can’t you read?” I tease. “And not just memorizing symbols like I’ve seen you do, actually reading.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHvDXb7Ktq
“I can! Just…not…well.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJYjeal0v9
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.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE8cCFjDFb
“Why some kiddie book, though?” Klef whines.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RuZ3WKEcN
“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.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGp3eZkBMr
“Fine. Get me a kid’s book and see if I care,” Klef says, sulking.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmhMYYUq1y
“Ama? Bobbi? Where’s the kid’s section?” I ask with a sickening smile.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLCcHwzmaK
“That way,” Bobbi says with a smirk. “I can show you where specifically, just follow me.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDkmWMeEa1
“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--”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOPmp0ejqG
“Here we are,” Bobbi interrupts. They must be as bored with this discussion as I am.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS1zNvXNNW
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.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4ES14FdHu
“Stealing and Why It’s Wrong is so funny!” I exclaim. “You chose the one book on why you shouldn’t steal!”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMt1Jez68h
“Oh. Not interested,” Klef says, putting the book back, which just succeeds in making me laugh harder.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47PkJmTyps
“You should read it, Treble! You might learn a thing or two!”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVHwkZnCAQ
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.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHD4FbxwLD
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.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBf1fIi6lZ
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.”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCZhlyhCte
“It’s not too bad,” I persuade. I point to the first word. “Don’t you know what this one says?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzWYtiKPE6
“‘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?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FCymVNDC0
“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!”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObjCQTXNPj
“Adopt…as in kids?”1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGd2DUSHsT
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.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzMaZYtE56
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.1188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWqPzJR1o5
Penana
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