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“I don’t understand those words,” I mumbled to myself “Is it like lacrosse?”

“No, it’s totally different I probably like lacrosse o talking, though We tend to puood at and e enjoy Like you with space stuff”

I frowned as I twisted in my seat “That’s not the same at all Space isn’t a sport, it’s fact It’s science”

“Is it, though? Hoe really kno many planets are in the solar system?”

My mouth fell open “We’ve seen them We have evidence”

“Do we? Could be stars that pass as planets and vice versa Just sayin’”

“Stars and planets are very different entities A star is a ball of gas that generates energy due to atoht A planet enerate fusion And it orbits a star and must be of a certain size to be classified as—” I stopped abruptly and narrowed , aren’t you?”

Of course, he was His shoulders shook with laughter

“Yes, I’et you to snap out of it Your anxiety transfer is killing our vibe I’ to be able to foronna think I’m a dopey jock And I’m not”

“I know you’re not Mypeople She’ll sense that you’re quite accomplished even before she knows that you’re a mathematician”

“Thanks” Blake smiled “So…what’s she like?”

“She’s brilliant and beautiful and probably the nicest person I know”

“Like you?”

No doubt he was teasing h I doubt he noticed as he navigated around slower- cars

“I’m brilliant, but—”

“And don’t forget modest,” he intercepted

“Hmm But I’m not beautiful, and I’ve been told I’m too honest to be considered nice”

“I think you’re pretty cool And your honesty is e’re here in the first place,” he commented “So maybe you do take after her”

“Maybe”

“What’d you say?”

“I said—” I pointed at the two-inch crack in hisletting traffic noise whoosh into the SUV “That’s why you can’t hear me”

Blake rolled up theand promptly sneezed “Do you have any tissue?”

I pulled a tissue fro and handed it over just as another sneeze attack hit him “Are you ill?”