Stars Collide (Written in the Stars #1) - Mia Monroe Page 0,1
bro.”
“Big bro?” Julien questions. “You guys are twins.”
“He’s older by fourteen minutes.” Samuel smirks. “Which equals fourteen years in Jeremiah time.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I resent that.”
“Then eat the cupcake.”
I gaze down at the red-velvet beauty. It is my favorite, but a sugar bomb like this at nine in the morning is sure to cause some stomach distress. I’ve never been one to be peer-pressured either. I got to this point in life by making plans and practicing discipline. I smile. I suppose one little taste of cream cheese frosting won’t kill me. I bend my head and lick the edge of the cupcake to cheers from my friends.
Samuel gently squeezes my shoulder. “Good job.”
Chuckling, I nod. “Thank you, all. It means a lot to me that you care so much.”
“Now back to work,” Julien says, mimicking my voice. “You know that’s the next thing he’s gonna say.”
Everyone laughs as I shake my head, walking away with Samuel and Aiden in tow behind me.
“How’d they get you up so early?” I ask Aiden, my perennially running late friend.
“Wouldn’t miss a surprise for you.” He stretches, his mop of sandy-blond curls bouncing as his shirt rides up. His graphic design work keeps him up pretty late most nights.
“I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, but I’m leaving and going back to bed. Call me later?”
“Of course.”
Aiden shuffles his way out while Samuel and I stand in the main corridor of the planetarium.
“I sent numbers over to Richard. He’s very happy.”
Samuel nods. “Awesome. Did he say anything about my pitch for the February event?”
“Not to me.” I pat my brother’s arm. “It’s a good idea. I’m sure he’ll be into it.”
“Hope so.” He shrugs, grazing his bottom lip with his teeth.
We may be identical twins, but we’re very easy to tell apart. Samuel lets his brown hair grow wild, and it’s so long now, it touches his shoulders. He dresses like we’re going to a rock concert, with skinny jeans and band T-shirts, and he has tattoos. Me? My hair is cut short and nicely styled. My attire typically consists of khakis and a plain button-down shirt. On the weekend, I might go crazy and choose a white T-shirt. The word conservative has been used to describe me more than once. Samuel is the creative one. I’m the practical one. He also has more dates than he can handle, while I haven’t been out in four months, and, when I do date, it usually ends in pure boredom, or worse, a disaster.
It’s fine though. I’m fine. Everything is fine.
My heart clenches in my chest at the untruth I constantly tell myself. My life is exactly as I designed it, complete with my dream job, a happy family life, and great friends. In another month or two, I’ll get the director position I’ve been aiming for. So what if I can’t figure out this whole love business. I’m just not cut out for it. Maybe it’s just not in the stars for this guy.
“J?”
My eyes cut to my brother.
“You okay?”
I nod. “Yes. Sorry. I was just mentally calculating the statistical odds of finding my soulmate given the current trajectory of my career and the disproportionate amount of time I spend working.”
“Yeah, like I’ve said a million times, unless he walks through the front door, you probably won’t find him here.” Samuel squeezes my shoulder. “That said, I’m out there dating and haven’t found mine yet either. Aren’t you the one who tells me the order and timing of the universe is beyond our influence?”
I smile at my brother, realizing he was listening to me during one of my many space rants. “Right. Sometimes I need to remind myself too.”
“It’ll happen, for both of us, when the timing is right.”
“Thanks.” I nod in the direction of the stairs. “I better get back to work.”
“Me too. I’ll see you for lunch?”
“You bet.”
A week later, I’m standing in the back of the planetarium showroom, watching the simulation of a storm on Jupiter. I’ll never get tired of the swirling chaos and imagining what it would feel like to stand in the middle of it. If you even could. You’d have to be tethered to something above the surface to prevent the gravitational pull from dragging you to the core. But just being able to witness it would be astounding.
As the auditorium empties, I follow the group out, checking behind me for stragglers.