Page 58 of For You, Sir

Einar squirmed out from behind me so we could face each other. He knotted his fingers together and stared at me with wide hopeful, eyes. “Did you like it?”

“It’s one of my favorites,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too fannish. “It really made me think.”

Einar’s expression brightened, and his knee bobbed rapidly, like he was brimming with nervous energy. “Really? What’d it make you think about?”

I just told you, didn’t I?My face went hot. It was embarrassing to spill my heart so bluntly. “About, y’know, putting love first. Even if my family disapproves.”

Einar’s needy-artist expression changed to one of reverence. He clasped my hands. “Wow. That makes me really happy to hear.”

“Your movies are important, Einar.” I held his gaze so he could see how serious I was. “The world would be poorer without them.That’swhy I wish you’d keep writing.”

He glanced down at the floor a moment, thinking this over. “Thanks, Jun.” He nodded to himself, then raised his head. “That means a lot. Especially from you.”

On TV, a lioness stalked a young wildebeest. But before she pounced, an adult wildebeest charged forward, caught the lioness in its horns, and pitched her in the air. The lioness went flying, and the young calf jogged beneath the safety of the adult’s shaggy belly. The narrator attributed the calf’s survival to safety in numbers.

“Hey, it’s your day off tomorrow,” Einar said. “You want to come over?”

“Actually, I’ve got plans to meet up with my brother,” I said. “I’ve kind of been avoiding him.” I was growing tired of my cowardice—letting Ho-Sung’s calls go to voicemail, avoiding the hospital entirely. I wanted to be brave like Sir. To rise to life’s challenges like the intrepid protagonists in his movies.

“You mentioned that you guys had a tense relationship…”

“Yeah. Sort of,” I said.

“Want me to come with you? Like, as emotional support?”

I blinked at him.

“You said he was a fan, right?” Einar said. “If I come along to meet him, maybe it would change the vibe.”

It was a good idea. “Would you? I mean, so soon after…?”

Einar gave a bittersweet smile. “After mytriumphearlier?”

I shook my head, embarrassed.

He laughed it off. “I survived today. Pretty sure I can survive tomorrow, too.”

“You don’t have to go,” I mumbled. I didn’t want to be responsible for a second disastrous outing.

“I know I don’thave to,” he said. “I asked if you wanted me to.”

I wrung my fingers absently, thinking how outnumbered I felt the last time I visited Mom and Ho-Sung in the hospital. How nice it was having Einar at my back when Investigator Marshall was tearing into me.

“Thank you, Sir,” I said. “I’d really like that.”

Chapter 21 (Jun)

My stomach did flips as I strode up the walkway to Einar’s door the next morning. Bringing Sir to meet my brother had seemed like agreatidea yesterday. Now I could only think of a hundred ways it could go wrong.

I’d been so careful to only show Einar the curated version of myself that I wanted him to see: poised, polished, and professional. But my brother was the livingoppositeof those qualities. It was easy to picture Ho-Sung making a drunken fool of himself, and tanking my reputation in the process.

I chewed the inside of my cheek, trying to think up ways to control the situation.Damn it. I should have kept Ho-Sung and Einar in their separate worlds, where they belonged.

I stood on Sir’s doorstep, fidgeting and thinking how badly I wanted a cigarette, when Einar threw open the door.

“Morning, Jun,” he said brightly. His golden hair was loosely tied back, and he wore snug-fitting jeans and a black T-shirt of a Scandinavian metal band that made his pecs look exquisite. Completing the ensemble were black leather boots—ruggedly masculine in a way that made me want to get on my knees and polish them. Or maybe get stepped on a little.

“Hey, looking sharp.” He eyed me up and down approvingly.

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