Page 33 of Ctrl+Alt Submit

ERROL

A few mornings later, I wake up first —a rare occurrence. I’m about to grab my phone when a thought strikes me. I prop myself up on one elbow so I can just look at Ran.

His features take on a vulnerability in sleep. His expressive mouth is relaxed and his lips are slightly parted. A faint dusting of stubble softens the angles of his jawline and cheekbones. He’s got such pretty cheekbones, but they really only stand out when he’s not wearing his glasses, like now.

Maybe I’m the only person who knows how handsome Ran’s cheekbones are. Also, maybe staring at him like this is just a little creepy. Oh, well. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Until his eyes flicker open. Busted . “Whassup?” he mumbles.

“Nothing. I was just looking.” After a pause, I add, probably unnecessarily, “At you.”

Ran sort of smirks and frowns at the same time. “Why?”

I shrug one shoulder, embarrassed at being caught. “I don’t know. I usually don’t see you asleep because you wake up before me. I swear, sometimes I think your blood type is caffeine.”

That gets a snicker out of him. He rubs his eyes and yawns before he rolls over to grab his glasses.

“Wait —” I put my hand on his shoulder. “Could you wait a sec before putting them on? I like seeing you like this.”

“Like what?”

“Without your glasses.” A line appears between his brows, and I add quickly, “Not because I don’t like the way you look in them!

I think you look sexy as hell in glasses.

It’s just —” I’m suddenly struggling to put my feelings into words.

“When we’re out doing stuff or during the day, you’ve always got them on. ”

His lips quirk up. “I’m even less useful around the house without them,” he says dryly.

I give him a little poke in the ribs. “You’re plenty useful. I just meant that I see you when you’re not wearing them, when we first wake up or when we’re fooling around or whatever. You sometimes take them off in the playroom,” I remind him.

“Well, yeah, if they’re going to get in the way or be distracting.” He still looks a little puzzled.

“So, I’m pretty much the only person who sees you without your glasses, you know?” He nods and I continue, feeling like I’ve finally hit on what I’m trying to say.

“It’s a version of you everybody else doesn’t get. Maybe it’s silly, but I like to think that part of you —getting to see you like this —is something that’s for me and just for me. It makes me feel special.”

Those bright hazel eyes grow soft. “C’mere, Babydoll.” Ran pulls me into an embrace. “You are special. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” I bask in the glow of his words, resting my head on his chest and looking up at his shining eyes in his uncharacteristically naked face. All mine .

The smile I’m wearing stays on my lips even when I go downstairs to make coffee. On my way back into the bedroom, carrying a mug for each of us, I remember AJ told me to take the day off today. Maybe I’ll ask Ran if he wants me to make pancakes.

But when I come into the bedroom, I stop so suddenly I nearly slosh the coffee onto the floor. Ran is staring at his phone. The look on his face has me fearing the worst.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s my dad.” His voice is tight with distress. “My mom’s at the hospital. She texted but I guess it’s in a dead zone there because my calls to her are going straight to voicemail.”

“What happened?”

“He was doing yard work and he got chest pains.”

“Oh, fuck,” I breathe.

When Ran’s phone vibrates, he nearly drops it in his rush to answer.

He puts Allyson Knight on speaker while he searches for flights.

A minute later, he shows me one that leaves this afternoon —probably early enough that he can go visit his dad today.

He gives me a thumbs-up, a question in his eyes. When I shrug, he hits the mute button.

“Would you be able to come with me? Would you mind?” I tell him yes without thinking about it. I’ll sort out talking to AJ about my missing shifts later. I can’t say no to the look in Ran’s eyes.

He taps the phone again. “Alright, Mom, I’ve got you on speaker so I can book flights. I’ll be down there tonight.”

She starts saying oh you don’t have to and what about the money and all that, but Ran interrupts her again. “Mom, Mom — it’s OK. Of course I’m coming down. It won’t be a big deal. But — uh, listen. It’s not going to be just me.”

“What? Oh, no honey, I’m not sure —” Allyson abruptly cuts herself off. “Are you bringing Eliza?” Even over the speaker, I can hear the derision in her voice. Interesting .

“What? No! But Mom, come on —I told you you’re on speaker. What if I was?”

“Oh, sorry. I guess I forgot,” Allyson says, not sounding sorry in the least. “So, this is somebody new? Who is she?” After half a beat, she picks back up.

“But honey, I don’t really know if this is the best time — I know your father wouldn’t want to meet your new girlfriend while he’s in a hospital bed.

You know, he’s got all these electrodes and IV tubes and the rest of it. ”

Ran’s eyes meet mine. He takes a deep breath. “Mom, it’s not —give me one sec and I can explain. It’s not somebody new the way you’re thinking —like, a stranger. It’s Errol.”

There’s a sound on the other end like Allyson is going to say something and then stops herself. Unease snakes through my belly with each passing second of silence on the other end of the line.

“Errol as in Errol ?” she finally sputters. “As in the boy with the white streak in his hair who never said anything to me except, ‘Thanks, Mrs. Knight’ one time? That Errol?”

Ran puts a hand over his eyes and groans. I grin. “Yes, Mom. That Errol. And, um, I’m trying to book flights here, so you’re still on speaker.”

“Well!” Her cheerful tone sounds forced, although I can’t tell if that’s from the bombshell Ran just dropped or her husband’s health emergency.

“I guess you and I have some catching up to do while you’re down here.

I’m sure your father will appreciate seeing you.

Should I get Stephanie to pick you up from the airport? ”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll rent a car,” Ran says. “Let me let you go so I can throw some stuff in a bag and make this flight.”

“OK, honey. Safe flight. Bye, Errol!”

“Bye, Mrs. Knight. See you soon.” Ran picks up the phone and turns off the speaker, but her voice is loud enough that I can still hear her.

“Are you sure that’s the same Errol? Because he never said that many words to me the entire time he was living in our house.”

I snicker as Ran rolls his eyes.