Page 41 of The Third Baseman

“Really? Mine, too, though I don’t listen to them too much. I prefer Eminem or Jay-Z, you know, something to psych me up in the gym, or before a game.”

“You need to do that?”

Jupiter’s wide grin warmed me to my toes. “Hell yeah. Gotta get in the zone to win.”

I nodded, understanding. I never needed to psych myself up, but I also wouldn’t ever listen to Coldplay if I was heading out for a run. Stifling a yawn, I watched as his big hands moved across the steering wheel and we eased back into driving to school.

“Want some coffee?” Without taking his eyes off the road, he pulled out a to-go cup from the center console I hadn’t noticed before and handed it to me.

I tried not to freak out. In fact, it was quite easy not to freak out because I still wasn’t fully convinced I’d woken up from a dream yet, so I sipped it.

“Why are you so tired?” he asked.

I placed the coffee back into his outstretched hand but couldn’t stop my stare at his lips as they touched the exact spot mine had just touched.

“Um, I was up late.”

“Obviously, but why?” he shot back. “Texting a boy?”

I scoffed so hard I nearly caused myself to have a coughing fit. “Uh, no.”

I was now fully turned in my seat and facing him, which meant I saw a little smile curl his lip. “Tell me then.”

Had he been this nosy last week? I didn’t remember him being this nosy. I never really talked about my stargazing outside of my group, mostly because when I had, people responded with blank stares. But I also had nothing to lose; he knew I tutored in the NCAA office, and he knew I was a nerd.

“I was looking at the stars.”

His bright blue eyes flicked over to me. “Stars? Like stars in the sky?”

“Um… where else would they be?” I replied with genuine confusion which made him laugh.

He waited for a car to pass before pulling out of the main entrance to our neighborhood, and onto the busy road which led to the freeway. I jerked back slightly as he stepped on the gas and we zoomed forward.

After we’d settled into our lane his gaze flicked to mine, before going back to the road.

“Okay, wiseass. You’re going to have to explain a little better though. Can’t you just stick your head out the window and see them? I don’t understand why you were up so late.”

I turned in my seat and faced forward, smoothing my hands down my jeans. It would be easier to explain this if I wasn’t looking at him… then I wouldn’t notice the expression of boredom which would no doubt hit once I got going.

Because I could talk about stars all day long.

“Do you know what the Milky Way is?

His right hand moved off the wheel and began snapping his fingers together. “Um, those little candy bars? Yeah, I love ’em.”

“No,” I replied with a head shake. “The one in the sky.”

I caught his eye as he turned to me and winked, giving me the distinct feeling he was playing dumb on purpose, but I didn’t know him well enough to tell. And that wink was making my belly feel like I was on a rollercoaster. I continued.

“The Milky Way is a galaxy. It’s made up of billions and billions of stars and gas, and when you see it in the sky, it looks like a big hazy rainbow of light.”

His thick brows knitted slightly, creating a line on his smooth tanned forehead. “And you were looking at it all night?”

“Yep,” I nodded again. “I got a new telescope for Christmas and wanted to try it out properly. Last night was a new moon so the sky was dark, and Milky Way season is just starting.”

“Milky Ways have a season?”

“Way. Just one. Milky Way, and yes, kind of. It’s always there, but because of how the earth moves, we can’t always see clearly it in the Northern Hemisphere.”

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