Orphic - Until Dawn (Josh Washington)

☆ Chapter Four - At Dawn ☆

"You cheated!" I accuse whilst standing and pointing at the culprit.

"I did not!" Josh protests with a look of offence.

"You did too! I saw you; caught you red handed." I fold my arms and narrow my eyes at him accusingly whilst he takes to chuckling at me with a shake of his head, amusement dancing in his ocean blue eyes. "What's so funny Joshua?" I ask with an arched brow, using his full name just for effect.

He smirks and leans forward as Beth smiles wide from her seat beside him, the odd giggle escaping her as she watches in shared amusement. "Oh, nothing Coraline. Just that someone is a sore loser and for once it isn't me or Hannah."

"Excuse me?" I scoff, "I am not a sore loser. You cheated so by default I win. The end." I shrug whilst reaching forward to clear the cards away. In response to my words Josh simply chuckles again and beside him Beth laughs before covering it with a weak cough once she meets my narrowed gaze. What happened to girl power, huh?

The lights flicker on as Hannah - in her sleep state and still wearing her fluffy pyjamas - enters whilst rubbing her tired eyes. "What's going on? What did Josh do now?" she asks with a yawn causing Josh to roll his eyes and lift his hands in defeat.

I on the other hand laugh and smirk in his direction before addressing the sleepy twin. "Your big brother is a cheater, that's what's going on." I inform her causing Beth to speak up for the first time since my outburst.

"We were playing snap." She explains to her sister with a knowing smile, almost as though she knew what question was to follow next.

Hannah giggles and shakes her head in disbelief, joining her siblings in their amusement of the situation - something I was finding hard to understand. What was so funny about him cheating in a card game? Cheating is never funny, especially when playing snap.

"How do you cheat in a game of snap?" Hannah asks with creased brows, clearly curious.

I shrug as my mind blanks and my cheeks tint a light shade of pink, realising that I had been caught out. "The details are not important, what is important is that I'm the winner and so Josh has to give me a piggy back ride to my room as promised." I smirk.

Hannah frowns and scratches her head whilst looking to her siblings for answers though they each just chuckle and wave it off, clearly giving in and deciding to go along with me rather than challenging my logic on the matter.

Josh stands with a smile that could melt the iciest heart, and with a simple gentlemanly bow he then bends over for me to jump on his back as promised. I smile and gently jump onto him, being sure not to be too forceful in fear of knocking my favourite Washington over. He stumbles at the impact though not nearly as much as he would have done if I hadn't of been considerate.

"Wow, how much do you weigh cause I don't know if my back can handle the journey." He jokes which earns him a light slap to the arm.

"I'm still carrying some Christmas weight,"

"Its July..." he points out with a grin.

"Only on this planet." I shrug before wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning close to his ear as my stomach and breasts press against his back, our clothes being all that remains between us. "Take us to the moon and stars," I whisper.