Page 86 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

ALEX: Well, my staff is ready to go. Wanna meet me in the parking lot?

EMILIA: Yes. But no. Go find a book to read. Look how cute Ryder is over there.

ALEX: Are you going to let him read to Atticus?

EMILIA: Well there are a few kids ahead of him, and he doesn’t have any issues with reading out loud, but if you want to wait around longer, then sure.

ALEX: He doesn’t need to read to a dog. I’ll be looking at photography books.

EMILIA: I am happy to see you. In case I didn’t mention it.

ALEX: I really missed you.

EMILIA: I missed you too. Now turn around and walk away slowly so I can stare at your butt in those jeans.

ALEX: Am I walking slow enough?

EMILIA:

CHAPTER 33

EMILIA

“Oh my God.Oh my God.This is the best gelato I’ve ever had.”

“I know, right?! Can Atticus have some of mine?” Ryder holds his cone up over my dog’s head.

“Dogs can’t eat chocolate, buddy,” Alex answers for me in his sexy Dad Voice.

I mean.Ifind his dad voice sexy. He wasn’t putting on a sexy dad voice for his son.

“How’s your toasted almond fig?” he asks me. In his sexy regular voice.

“Robust yet subtle and layered and delicious. How’s your sweet butter cream?”

“Smooth and creamy,” he says, swirling his tongue as he savors the smooth creaminess and looking over at me.

I shudder.

Ryder shudders too, because he’s grossed-out. “You guys both pick the worst flavors.”

Winter is probably my second favorite season in Los Angeles. Strolling around Silver Lake with Alex and Ryder and my dog is so pleasant that it didn’t occur to me until just now that someone from school might see us.

“Can we take Atticus to the dog park?!” Ryder asks.

“Um. He’s probably had enough excitement for today, actually.”

“Why don’t we go back to our place? We can watch a movie. You can hang out with Atticus there.”

We go back to Alex’s car. Atticus and I had walked to the library, as it’s only about five blocks from my house. We had all stopped by my house, before getting gelato, so I could grab some dog food and a chew toy. I would have dropped Atticus off, but I could tell that Ryder wanted to spend more time with him. They’re very cute together.

“Do you think Atticus likes going to the library?” Ryder asks from the back seat. He has chocolate gelato all around his mouth, and hopefully my dog won’t drop dead because he’s licking his entire face.

“I think he loves kids. And he likes quiet spaces. So do I. I used to go to the library whenever I could when I was younger.”

I look back and see Ryder wrinkling his nose. “Why?”

“Because everyone’s welcome at a library. As long as they’re quiet. And everything’s always organized in the same way, at almost every library in the world. For now, anyway. It’s starting to change a bit. And because there are so many books. Being around books and people who like to read books is really comforting, I find.”