Ashley kicked at a small rock on the ground, chuckling as she sucked on a lollipop. With a sigh, she plugged in her earphones, letting her usual playlist drown out the boredom. She was mid-song when Mia appeared, stepping out of her unit building with a soft smile.

Without warning, Mia carefully pulled one of the earphones from Ashley's ear and popped it into her own.

"Oh," Mia murmured, a smile forming as the melody played. "Isn't this Loving Arms? The Chicks version?"

Ashley blinked in surprise before chuckling. "Yeah. How'd you know?" she asked, raising a brow.

Mia shrugged. "I heard it once, liked it, and ended up listening to it on repeat for a while," she replied, softly humming along with the tune.

Ashley shook her head, a small laugh escaping her. "Aren't we in a hurry, sugarplum?" she teased, shifting the lollipop to the corner of her mouth.

Mia chuckled. "You keep calling me sugarplum," she said, shaking her head. "Do you plan to stick with that forever?"

Ashley smirked. "Maybe. Why? Don't you like it?"

Mia sighed dramatically. "I might get used to it, you know," she replied, avoiding Ashley's gaze. After a pause, she added, laughing nervously, "Besides, I'm trying to keep my defenses up around you—it's hard when you keep chipping away at them."

Ashley clicked her tongue in amusement. "You're straight. You've made that clear," she quipped, her grin widening. "And sugarplum is just a nickname; you know... for fun, nothing more."

"I know right," Mia said with an exaggerated eye roll as she returned the earphone to Ashley just as the song ended.

Ashley pulled out her earphones and gave Mia a curious look. "So, why'd you call me out here? This better be worth it, little superstar."

Mia grinned mischievously. "Come with me to buy books," she said, looking up at her. "I want something new to read in my free time."

Ashley's brow furrowed in mock disbelief. "You read books?"

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do I not look the type?" she asked with a laugh.

Ashley shook her head with a smirk. "So, what am I now? A personal assistant instead of a bodyguard? Here to carry your stuff?" she teased.

Mia's grin widened. "I wasn't thinking of it that way, but since you brought it up, feel free to take on that role," she said, laughing.

Ashley groaned, rolling her eyes as she started walking toward the parking lot. "Whatever. Let's go," she muttered, though a faint smile tugged at her lips.



Ashley leaned against the wooden book rack, flipping through a book she'd pulled out. She glanced in Mia's direction and chuckled softly—Mia was completely absorbed, scanning titles and juggling a pile of books in her arms. Shaking her head, Ashley turned her attention back to the book in her hands.

A frown tugged at Mia's lips as she stood on her tiptoes, stretching for a book just out of reach. "Why the hell do they put these so high?" she muttered, clutching her other books tightly to her chest.

Suddenly, a hand reached for the same book. Startled, Mia turned around, only to see Ashley smirking down at her.

"You're so little you can't even reach it," Ashley teased, laughing softly as she handed the book over.

"I'm not little; you're just tall," Mia shot back, rolling her eyes and huffing as she added the book to her growing stack.

Ashley glanced at the pile Mia was hugging and raised a brow. "Can you even read all that? Don't you have a 'busy-busy' schedule?"

"Oh, trust me," Mia replied with a grin. "I'll finish these in no time."

Ashley tilted her head, frowning as she scanned the titles. "Wait a second... are those Boys' Love and Girls' Love novels?" Her smirk widened. "Are you sure you're straight?"

Mia blinked, her cheeks flushing faintly. "How do you even know what these genres are?" she countered. "And why can't straight people read LGBTQ novels?"

Ashley shrugged nonchalantly. "I've read them," she admitted. "I wasn't saying you couldn't—I'm just surprised, that's all."

Mia stared at her, mimicking Ashley's earlier reaction. "You read books?"

Ashley laughed. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't seem like it, huh?"

"So, what's your favorite genre?" Mia asked, leaning in slightly, her curiosity piqued.

Ashley hesitated, momentarily caught off guard by Mia's bright smile. "I don't have a favorite," she said, chuckling. "I just read whatever grabs my attention."

"Any favorite authors?" Mia pressed, still beaming.

Ashley wrinkled her nose. "I don't stan authors. I just read their books and move on. What about you?"

Mia's grin widened. "Tonnie Collins! She's one of my favorites. I even managed to snag signed copies of her books—it's one of my proudest accomplishments."

Ashley laughed, clicking her tongue. "You went through all that trouble for signed copies?"

"What's wrong with that?" Mia asked, frowning.

"Nothing," Ashley said, smirking. "It's just funny because I get them for free. Tonnie sends me every book she writes—and I'm even one of her beta readers."

Mia's jaw dropped. "Wait—what? You're her beta reader? How?"

Ashley crossed her arms, grinning. "She's my cousin."

"Holy macaroons," Mia exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. "Tonnie's your cousin? And her wife's Anne, right? As in, the cousin of the Pierce siblings?"

Ashley nodded casually. "Yeah, that's right. Why? Is that surprising?"

"Wow," Mia mumbled, her voice filled with awe. "I didn't know you were blood relatives."

Ashley chuckled, shaking her head. "We're second cousins. We don't see each other that often, but she still sends me her books—signed and all."

"How lucky," Mia murmured, clutching the stack of books in her arms like they were treasures.

Raising a brow, Ashley clicked her tongue and reached out to pat Mia's head. "So, what book of hers are you missing? I've got all her works, and I even have extra signed copies. Want them?"

Mia froze, frowning as though Ashley had just suggested something outrageous. "Why would you give me your books? They're yours." she scoffed, nudging Ashley lightly before turning back to browse the shelves.

Ashley gently rested a hand on Mia's shoulder, stopping her from walking away. "Didn't you hear me? I said I have extra copies. Besides, I don't know anyone who loves books as obsessively as you do." She stepped in front of Mia, shrugging. "It makes sense to give them to someone who'll actually appreciate them."

Mia raised her index finger as if struck by a brilliant idea. "How about I buy them from you?"

Ashley let out an incredulous laugh, raising a brow. "I told you—I'm giving them to you."

"But—"

"Okay, okay," Ashley interrupted, holding up a hand. "How about this: just treat me to dinner. We'll swing by my firm, grab the books, and then we can eat there. You'll order delivery. Deal?"

Mia's eyes sparkled with excitement as she grinned. "Sounds like a deal, weird detective."