2005 fall issue of interlude magazine from interlude-magazine.com
full scan from mcrhollywood.blogspot.com
It’s just intentional at this point
What is the third sem arc if not just 3 of the most mentally ill people you've ever met teaming up to beat up their therapist
ੈ✩‧₊ chapter 1: sam likes josh
view it on ao3 next chapter
image credit: @bratjosh one of my FAV accounts for screencaps!! <3
pairing: josh washington x sam giddings
synopsis: The first time Sam has a proper interaction with the twins' older brother, she's on the ground. When Sam is in the tenth grade, he's the reason she gets called to the principal's office. She's got her phone beside her pillow at full volume at all times and he's why. She realises that she'll be making excuses for him all her life. Josh and Sam in the years leading up to the prank. Or, all the boys people Samantha Giddings has ever had a crush on.
a/n: hi.... this is my first post on here officially - i am LONG retired from writing, but i have loved these two since FOREVER and wanted to give it a shot. expect many chapters!
word count: 4.6k
The first time Sam has a proper interaction with the twins’ older brother, she’s on the ground. It’s the scrape of wet gravel dragging across her back and stinging pain that makes her eyes water that embeds the event into her memory forever. She recalls looking up from the schoolyard floor and seeing a flannel with a white t-shirt under it, the fabric flapping wildly in the cool wind like a superhero’s cape. Even now, when she thinks back to that moment, it isn’t the fight that she remembers first - it’s the bright red on his white shirt from the other boy’s nose. He’s got the boy’s arm pinned behind his back.
She knew that middle schoolers got into fights, but it had never happened so close to her. And over her childish badge, too? Embarrassment bubbled in her stomach.
Sam is in the fifth grade, but she still wears a pink glittery badge with gold stars on her pencil case. It says Save the Manatees in big white bubble letters and she’s ashamed to admit that her dad bought it for her when they went to the conservation centre in Florida. That was last summer, before she was old enough to realise that the trip was the last time she would see her parents within the same vicinity of each other. Now she will spend her second Christmas alone with her mother, making do with Christmas movies on the TV and dinner alone because her mother’s on the night shift.
It was the last day before winter break and Hannah and Beth wanted to spend time at Sam’s before they went back to their lodge for Christmas.
“It’s nothing special, just so you know,” Sam said quickly.
The twins didn’t care, but Sam’s ears reddened at the thought of the twins stepping into her mom’s little 80s style apartment. Despite going to school in the Hills, the twins were rich - a whole different plane of existence than the other students. Their dad was the Bob Washington, but if you met them you wouldn’t even be able to tell, by the way that Hannah has kept the same pencil case since the third grade (she’s emotionally attached to it) or the way that despite receiving designer earrings from her father every Christmas and birthday, Beth still wears spiky rubber earrings from Claire’s (“but they’re cute!” she protests, whenever someone points it out).
So she had let them start to walk her home, before she had felt for her little pink pencil case and noticed that it didn’t occupy its usual spot linked around her bag strap.
“Just because your daddy’s famous doesn’t make you the boss of me.” The other boy chucks the badge to the floor. Sam couldn’t tell the boys apart through her blurred vision - through her dusty eyelashes their arms were linked like two bulls at the horns. The older boy chuckles like this isn’t even his maximum capacity, and twists the other’s arm further with effortless ease.
When Sam finally is able to blink away her tears, only mortification ensues. It was Hannah and Beth’s brother who had come to her rescue; the infamous Josh Washington, who had won the affection of all the girls in the fifth grade.
Before she was friends with the twins, she had heard all sorts of stories about Josh Washington. Sam had never spoken to Josh, only seen him around school with his cocky half-smile and bag on one shoulder decorated with patches of obscure rock bands.
“He’s really cute,” a girl in her class once told her. “But he’s scary."
“My brother’s in his class and he said a special anger management teacher takes him out of class for one period every day,” another girl mused. “It’s because he’s insane, I bet.”
Sometimes she had tried to sneak a peek at him when she was over at the Washingtons’ - she wanted to know how the oldest Washington actually lived - if he really lived up to his infamy. He occupied her imagination sometimes - she would always imagine what he did beyond that great oak door he hid behind. He danced, maybe - she imagined big, scary Josh Washington whose knuckles were always bruised - he would sway along in his room with his headphones on like she would sometimes with his hands clasped over the sides. Sam already decided in her head -yes, Josh Washington wasn’t scary one bit.
Hannah and Beth always spoke highly of their older brother, despite the whispers from kids at school. Nothing anybody said about him was true - well, only half true - Josh had a wild temper, but the baseball incident only occurred because the offending party called Hannah a baby; and he actually didn’t attend anger management classes - it was a visiting therapist prescribed by his (private, and very expensive) psychologist.
The twins had mentioned he had struggled with mental health issues, but assured her it rarely affected his day-to-day life and if he hadn’t had to go to the therapist every day, you wouldn’t even be able to tell. This didn’t bother Sam - she had realised that there was something deeply wrong with her parents since she was maybe eight, and was well-equipped with dealing with people of questionable levels of emotional stability.
The younger boy tries to spit on him, but Josh kicks in his calf so that he drops to one knee. “Pick it up and say you’re sorry.”
The boy mutters a sort of apology in the direction of Sam and kicks the pin towards her. He’s trying to break out of Josh’s reach like a wild dog, but her hero is stronger and he presses harder onto the boy’s arm. A tornado of dust is getting kicked up around her by the boy’s legs, flailing ferociously and she has to use a hand to shield her eyes. Through the smut she can see Josh like he’s suburban Jesus, light from the classrooms peeking out from behind his silhouette.
“Nicely." Josh says it like it’s a threat.
A choke escapes his mouth as Josh lets him sink to the ground like water.
“I’m sorry,” he coughs out. The boy and Sam are on even footing now - she reddens as he extends an arm to return the pin. He doesn’t want to look at her, eyes trained to the floor behind him but Josh nudges his head with his knee so they are face to face. It seems stupid now, and she raises a shaky arm to take it back. The badge is mangled, a great crack extending through the diameter of the plastic right through the stars.
“You’re a fucking psycho,” the boy spits, and he makes himself scarce, red rubies of blood trailing him.
Sam looks to his savior and his expression softens. She must’ve looked visibly shaken, because when he pulls her to her feet he’s taking care to act with gentle motions.
“Are you alright?” He dusts off the gravel from her back with a touch so light she can hardly believe that his fists were the cause of the blood dripping down his shirt. Josh double taps the middle of her back to signal Sam to lift her shirt. Her bare back is grazed with blood and dirt - she hadn’t realised how hard she had been pushed to the ground until now.
Years of having two younger sisters have taught him well, because he uses his drink bottle to clear out the dirt from her graze with a careful hand, then wipes it clean with his shirt. When the cool water makes contact with her skin she tries not to shiver - LA is rarely cold but it’s the middle of winter and the breeze makes it bite. With a careful finger he brushes the dirt out of the plastic badge and fixes it back to her pencil case.
“My badge,” she says dumbly. It’s all she can muster at the moment.
Ten minutes later, Josh is walking her back to her sisters, a gentle hand on the small of her back, so soft that she’d almost forgotten she had grazed her back on the gravel. When they walk together, the heat of his touch warms her so the winter breeze doesn’t hurt her as much as it should. He’s not at all like what the kids in her class say - he’s actually quite normal, because they’re talking about their favourite music and what movies they like to watch, and Josh promises her that he’ll show her some real horror movies next time she’s over at the Washingtons’. He has his schoolbag around one shoulder, and Sam’s on the other, her pencil case looped around the strap of her bag. Josh has a steady arm around her throughout the whole walk back and it doesn’t relent, even when she thinks kids are making fun of him because he’s hanging out with an elementary school kid.
“Oh my god, Josh, what happened to you?!” Hannah gasped at the red swelling skin around his eye.
“Oh, Sam, your poor badge,” Beth touches her hand to the fissure on the pin and then the gravel lines lining Sam’s back. “Was it that asshole from Ms Johnston’s class? I’ll show him next time I see him.”
“No need,” Josh says, proudly brandishing his bruise. “He won’t touch Sam ever again.”
From then he’s been her knight in shining armour - Josh makes it his duty to be her personal bodyguard, assuring her that he’ll walk her home from school every day, even when it rains. He holds her bag too, and proudly, even though it’s pink, which makes her flush out of embarrassment, but also secretly pride. She imagines they will get married when they’re older and get a house with two kids and a dog. When they’re back from Christmas break, Josh dons a Save the Manatees badge on his bag as well, to which Sam responds by ironing a The Cure patch onto her own. He gets them matching star pins for their bags, just like the stars on her badge, and Sam keeps it on the left strap of her bag, next to her heart.
This only makes them subject to the twins’ relentless teasing, and they sing “Josh loves Sam!” as the three of them walk home from school.
Hannah mostly likes middle school - when she has classes with Sam and Beth. She's jealous of the way that most of the other girls wanted to be friends with them, and wondered why it was that she ended up so weird. She has fourth period art class alone, which usually she would like if she actually knew anybody in her class. Everyone else has already packed up their kits, but she's sitting in her stained white t-shirt with her glasses folded in her lap. Sam rushes to her side and wraps her into her arms, dabbing her face with her sweater sleeve. Something that she's sure of is that middle school girls are evil - she's certain, by the way the girls in her class call her 'Hannibal,' because her dad makes horror movies, and the way they splatter blotches of paint on the back of her shirt.
"Oh, Han," she sighs, rubbing her shoulder. "Don't listen to them."
"Be honest," Hannah hiccups through tear-strained eyes. "Do you think my brother is insane?"
Sam brushes her fingers through Hannah's hair and smooths it back, tucking it behind her ears. She finds it endearing, that out of all the things that the girls have teased her about, Hannah's the most worried about her brother. That's the quality that she loved the most about the youngest Washington daughter - she loved her family as hard as she could, with every fiber of her being and with her whole heart.
"Everyone's insane. They were all over him like, a month ago," she rolls her eyes. "They're being ridiculous."
Hannah sobs softly into her hands, hot tears burning through Sam's sleeves.
"Hey, hey, don't cry." Sam picks up the fattest paintbrush on the table and draws a thick line running through her stomach, the red dripping down her shirt like blood. She pulls a face and makes a spluttering noise, like she's a horror movie victim, and the blood splatters on the table and onto Hannah's arm. "Look. I'm insane too."
She smiles, but Hannah's voice still cracks when she speaks. "You're going to ruin your hoodie."
"So? We'll be matching, at least." Sam dips her finger in the thick paint and traces out H + B = BFF :) on her chest, and then onto Hannah's back. "Don't be sad, Han. Who cares about those girls? It's me and you forever."
When they enter the ninth grade, Josh is happy to make them a part of his world, a world where he possesses the ability to spin everyone around his little finger. He always calls out to her in the cafeteria, surrounded by a throng of admirers, his smile always the widest and brightest. Sam rolls her eyes but there’s a part of her that thinks it’s endearing that so many people are enamoured with him.
Beth doesn’t need his help at all, because on the first day of high school all the girls in their homeroom are asking her opinion on their clothes and inviting her to the movies over the weekend.
“They don’t like me," Beth huffs. “They only wanna be friends to get close to Josh.”
She didn’t know when she started paying attention to the way Josh’s shirt stuck to his body, or when she first realised her heart quickened whenever he had texted her first. In a way, she understood why so many girls at school liked him - he was naturally charming; he had a way of leaning close and listening with his whole body whenever someone spoke to him, making them feel like they’re the most important thing in the world.
While having an objectively hot brother definitely added to the appeal, Sam understood why everyone wanted to be friends with Beth, too. She could find a way to make anybody laugh - she and Josh shared the quality of being able to mess around through life like it was all one big game - a trait that Sam never quite got the hang of.
Sam’s first high school party is a pool party at the held by Josh at the Washington estate. The oldest Washington had been entrusted the house by Bob and Melinda for the weekend, freshly out of the hospital, who responded by promptly buying a keg. It's September but it's still hot outside, and she hasn't spoken to Josh properly all summer break. Sam doesn’t think she’ll ever be one for partying, but she can’t help but to admit that she loves the rush of epicureanism that comes with holding a red cup in her hand for the first time. It’s 100 degrees, and Sam matches navy low-cut swimsuits with the twins. They’re racy - not something she’s ever worn in her life before, but she’s excited to get a taste of the high school life. Hannah refuses at first, but Sam and Beth convince her, and they sparkle in their silver beach cover-up skirts.
Sam helps Josh and the twins set up, unfolding the ping pong table for beer pong in the garage while Beth blows balloons. When she’s done, she gets up to look for Hannah, who said she was setting up snacks. Despite coming over every other week, she loves the intrigue of the Washington house - its tall ceilings and dark oak floors. Every time she’s here, she stops to take in the sheer size of it, and admire the gorgeous antique furniture Melinda’s decorated the estate with. She stops at the doorway of the living room to see Josh, dancing alone to the newly set up speaker system.
It’s an old 80s funk song, and he’s shaking his shoulders, singing along to the catchy chorus, until he catches her eye and sways his arms along to her, snapping in time to the beat. Something about the fact that he isn’t even embarrassed - and instead starts whipping out more elaborate dance moves - makes her feel proud to know him. The worst part is, he’s actually good at it.
“You know how to dance, Sammy?” he asks.
She breaks into a silly shoulder roll. “Baby, I know how to dance.”
He pulls her into a salsa and she can’t help but giggle. His hands are gentle and strong, clasping her hands firmly and it makes her blush. Josh claps in time to the beat, pulling her hands towards, then away from him and raising his hand to twirl her. The Washington living room is huge, and the newly set-up speakers make the music feel like it’s radiating below their feet. He drops a hand lightly to her hips and shimmies her along to the song. She has to admit, it’s fun - and she rolls her hips and claps as their laughter rings out through the room.
She accidentally locks eyes with him, but he only smiles and gives her a squeeze on the hip. Sam turns her body to him and he stops for a second, looking down at her lips and then back up at her eyes again.
“Hey, uh, Sam.” He pauses like he’s hesitating. “Thanks for, y'know ... looking out for my sisters while I’ve been gone.”
“They hardly need looking out for.” She puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes gently. “We’re all here for you, Josh.”
Josh reaches for her and her heart starts to quicken. She wants to know what it feels like to close the gap between them, to experience what she’s only seen in movies. They’re standing so close - all she would need to do is take a step. Her mind starts racing at the idea and she quickly waves it away - no - it can’t be Josh.
A beat of silence.
He brushes her shoulder with his fingertips.
“Sorry. Dust on you.”
Her gaze is abruptly interrupted by mock gagging noises at the door. They break apart from each other immediately, Sam sheepishly smiling and making herself busy with her hair.
“Um, gross.”
Hannah is at the door, crossing her arms. She’s peering at the two with an intense look of amusement and surprise.
“Get a room, lovebirds.”
“You’re no fun, Han,” Josh smirks, but another song starts playing and Sam takes Hannah’s hand and leads her into a rumba box step. Dancing with Hannah is easier, she thinks - she doesn’t feel the pressure of being perceived, unlike when she’s dancing with Josh.
When it gets dark later that night, Sam has to put a t-shirt on to keep the goosebumps from pimpling her skin. The alcohol seems to make everyone around her immune to the breeze though, because everyone’s still in their swimwear. She’s on the karaoke machine between Beth, Emily and Jess, who’s definitely had too much to drink, because the latter is holding on to her with a death grip and yelling expletives at any man who comes close to her. They’re singing a girly pop song, complete with some silly choreography from Beth and Sam memorised from years of playing Just Dance together.
She doesn’t notice, but Josh surveys her from beside the pool, smiling at her childish moves. When the song is about to end, she sees him watching and winks, pointing a disco finger at him.
“Sammy!” Josh calls out, and she excuses herself to make his way towards him. He’s following her with his eyes, until she reaches his side, which makes him look away as if he’s been caught. He's lighter now, maybe the effect of a few beers, because his shoulders are back and relaxed and he's moving in slow motion.
“Yes, Josh?”
“I just wanted to let you know that…” he leans down to get closer to her. There’s a split second where he pauses, and she can’t tell if she imagined it, or if he gazes down at her lips. They’re locking eyes now, for a beat too long, and Sam holds her breath waiting for the impact of his words.
“You got something on your shirt.”
He reaches down as if to brush something off her. Her heart jolts when instead, he loops an arm around her waist and tries swinging her into the pool.
But her reflexes are faster. She latches onto his wrist and pulls him in with her, giggling as they plunge into the cool water. They’re panting a combination of laughs and shivers now and Josh bobs to break the surface of the water, flicking his wet hair out of his eyes.
“You’re gonna have to do a whole lot better than that to get me, sweetheart.” He lunges for her waist and she feels him circle it with his hands, hoisting her above his head. His movements are strong and steady, and despite being in the water, it feels safe.
“Don’t you dare drop me Josh-” she starts, but she’s too late, and he chucks her in the water with a deafening splash. Sam tries to get him in a headlock, but he wrestles her off, hands clasping around her wrists, sending shivers down her spine. Josh moves both of her wrists to one hand and pokes her side with the other and it makes her squirm into him.
They’re wrestling now, hands intertwined as she tries to splash him in the face. She’s surprised at how strong he is - she realises he’s never seen him shirtless before, only hoodies and pyjamas - and he’s much more muscular than he expected, chiseled like a statue.
“Wait, wait, wait, shhh.” Josh pulls her close into him and pivots her body so their bodies are pressed together. His hands are closed over hers so that they’re steady, stopping her from splashing any further. He leans down to her ear, and she can feel the electricity flickering from his wet chest pressed against her back. Sam suddenly feels hot, and she inhales to get her bearings again.
“Do you see that?” he whispers. His alcohol breath tickles her ear and she tries her best not to flinch. He nods towards Chris and Ashley sitting by the side of the pool, almost social distancing from how far apart they’re trying to hold a conversation. Their bodies are turned in towards each other, and it’s endearing how obviously in love they are - despite neither of them knowing. Ashley giggles at a joke Chris says and shifts closer to him, to which he turns away and runs a hand through his hair.
“Aww, so cute,” she muses. Her back is still pressed against him and she’s aware of how warm his skin feels against her’s.
“I know you think I’m cute, Sammy, you don’t need to remind me.” A cocky smirk lights his face, and she splashes his face with water. He breaks away from her, shielding his face from the chlorine with his hands.
“You’re so annoying. I meant them.”
“Don’t you think that all they need to finally hook up-” he bumps her with his hip, “is a little push?”
That’s how by the end of the night, Josh has convinced Chris and Ashley to have a chicken fight with them, and Sam feels like her face should not be flushing this much thinking about her legs wrapped around her best friend’s brother’s shoulders.
Ashley lunges for her and Sam steadies herself, tensing her legs around Josh’s arms. He responds by tightening his grip around her shins.
“Watch out, cochise. My girl can fight.” Josh taunts. My girl. The phrase shouldn’t make her cheeks flush as much as it does - Josh would flirt with anything that walked. She swerves from Ashley’s grip, reaching for the other girl’s arms. Ashley swipes at her but she dodges, reaching down to splash her with water. The two interlock fingers, trying to twist the other into the water, but Sam’s stronger and she almost topples Ashley forward into the water.
Ashley steadies herself, obviously flushing from accidentally brushing Chris with her chest. If he’s also embarrassed, Chris is doing a really good job at hiding it, because he jerks forward, giving her the momentum to push into Sam. Josh is able to weave out of the way, positioning Sam at Ashley’s side. The girls hold onto each other’s arms, and finally, with a quick but heavy push, Sam is able to get the other girl into the water with a splash.
Ashley grabs onto Chris’ hand as she falls and the both are submerged, laughing and clinging to each other. They’re gazing into each other’s eyes as they both break the surface of the water, still smiling to each other. Sam places her arms on Josh’s head and drops her chin so she’s resting on them. “Aww. We won, but they really won.”
Josh laughs. “Mission accomplished, huh, Sammy?”
She reaches down and splashes him with water. “When’s it your turn to get a girlfriend?”
“When you get some better dance moves.”
Sam rolls her eyes.
She’s in the upstairs bathroom drying herself off, when she overhears Josh’s voice through the open window. It’s early in the morning - maybe 8am - and the party has well cleared out, so that now the only occupants of the house are Sam, Josh and the twins. The girls are heavy sleepers, especially after the excitement of last night, but Sam’s always been a morning person and she wakes at 6:30 to go for a run.
“So you’re not able to make it.” He says it like it’s a statement. His voice is gravelly - she doubts she’d ever heard it without its jovial tone before.
A pause.
“It’s important to me.”
“I know, Dad.” A sigh. “Forget about it. I’ll see you next weekend, okay?”
A click to signal the end of the phone call, and a loud crash. Sam tries her best to make haste before she catches Josh. The door of the bathroom bursts open and Sam’s hand darts to her shirt, legs still bare.
“Fuck!” Josh covers his eyes with his hands. His eyes are red rimmed, like he didn’t get enough sleep, and he smells lightly of beer. Josh clears his throat and his voice is almost back to normal. “Sorry, Sammy.”
She tries to pull on her leggings and t-shirt as fast as she can, cheeks reddening. “No, no, I’m sorry.”
He peeks through his fingers and smiles weakly. “You decent?”
Sam bats at him with her t-shirt. “Josh!”
“Hey, I just need the medicine cabinet and I’ll be on my way,” he smirks. “Unless you need some help here.”
“You’re incorrigible.” She steps out of the way so that he can reach the bathroom mirror, and she’s suddenly aware of his presence right behind him. He pops open a couple of bottles and swallows the pills dry, not even stopping to read the labels.
After Sam has been with the Washingtons for more than half of her life, she realises that being friends with Josh is like having an alarm clock and not remembering what time you set it for. Sometimes he would be genial and warm, and other times he would freeze over. Sometimes he would pass her notes in the hallway. Sometimes, he wouldn't look at her at all. When she makes the swim team, he draws her three little manatees on a sticky note with speech bubbles above them saying, "You did it!" and "You're amazing!". She keeps them on the inside of her binder. Despite knowing him for so long, she still can't figure him out.
When the fall turns to winter, Hannah calls her in tears from the hospital. Josh won't be home for three months.
next chapter
Booker, are you afraid of God? No, but I’m afraid of you.
samjess sorority bffs <3
it's a late thursday night in 2024 and i find myself reading "full bleed" again. i've read the first chapter so many times that i've almost commit it to memory. i first read it when you first posted it around 2016(?) iirc and oh my god it blows me away every time. you perfectly characterise nathan and victoria's relationship as not quite friends, not quite lovers, some suspended state in between. it's so shocking to me how a piece of writing can impact me so wholly. forgive me for sounding obsessive but you write in such a beautiful way that your prose has weaved its way into my own works (i do not write fics, unfortunately - i am a college student who has a minor in literature) and every time i read my own content back it feels like a reflection of your writing. a reflection of a life is strange fanfiction from years ago. it sounds so simple and silly when its phrased that way, but your writing has inspired me so much. it's evoked such a visceral emotional response in me that i have only ever felt a handful of other times when reading (it's also the only fanfiction i have in my list of all time favourite books!) i wish i could express how much gratitude i have for you for writing something so meaningful and with so much passion and heart that it's impacted me until now, something more than five years later. thank you so SO much 🤍
This is from two months ago, and I'm so sorry I didn't see it before then! This is so kind of you, anon 😭🥹 Thank you so much. It's a fic that I'm really proud of, and although it's for such a niche pairing, just knowing that there's just a tiny handful of people out there who feel an attachment to it makes the time I spent on it totally worth it 🖤 I think I put myself into a lot of my writing, but I put more of myself than usual into that one. It was a story that was really cathartic to tell.
You have no idea how appreciative I am of these sentiments you have shared with me. I'm so happy that it's touched you in a way that is so meaningful 😭😭 Thank you, and I hope you are thriving as a writer 🖤
Thinking about this trio 🙃
AWWWWW this is sooo cuteee
Summary - Hannah and Beth have their suspicions about Josh and Sam
Genre - Romance, fluff
Characters - Josh Washington, Sam Giddings, Hannah Washington, Beth Washington, Bob Washington, Melinda Washington
Ships - Sam × Josh
⚠️ Warnings - Suggestive themes ⚠️
Character speech is colour coded:
Blue = Josh
Red = Sam
Purple = Hannah
Pink = Beth
Orange = Melinda
Green = Bob
The room was still, steeped in that hazy golden-blue light that only came just after dawn. Outside the frost-lined windows, the mountains were silent. Peaceful. Inside, tangled beneath a mess of blankets, Sam stirred gently.
Josh was asleep beside her.
His arm was slung loosely over her waist, fingers curled in the hem of the hoodie she was wearing—his hoodie, oversized and warm. Sam blinked slowly, mind taking a moment to catch up with her body. Her legs were tangled with his. Her hair smelled faintly of his cologne. The soft rise and fall of his chest was against her back.
And last night…
She smiled. Just a little.
It hadn’t been part of the plan. She was supposed to be in Hannah’s room with the girls, watching movies, doing face masks, gossiping and stealing snacks from the kitchen. But things had shifted—Hannah and Beth fell asleep early, and Sam had wandered into the kitchen for a drink.
That’s when she’d found Josh. Half-asleep, yawning, asking if she wanted to help him finish the pizza in the kitchen.
One thing led to another.
And now here they were.
Sam turned her head slowly, careful not to wake him. Josh’s hair was messy, some strands falling over his closed eyes. His mouth was slightly parted, his breathing slow and deep. Peaceful, in a way Sam rarely got to see.
She brushed his hair back from his forehead, soft and careful. His brows twitched faintly at the touch, but he didn’t stir.
For a while, she just laid there, the weight of the morning pressing down around her like a secret. She didn’t know what today would bring. Didn’t know what Hannah or Beth would say when they realized Sam never came back to their room. Didn’t know if this was a one-time thing, or if—
Josh made a quiet noise in his throat. A breath, maybe a half-word, before his eyes cracked open.
“Hey,” he murmured, voice rough and sleep-heavy.
“Hey,” Sam whispered back.
Josh blinked at her, confused for a second, then smiled slowly. “You’re still here.”
“You sound surprised.”
He reached up, fingers brushing her cheek. “I dunno. I half-thought you’d sneak out to avoid an awkward breakfast.”
“I considered it,” Sam said, lips curving.
“And?”
She shrugged beneath the blankets. “Didn’t want to leave.”
Josh was quiet for a moment. His hand slid down, settling at her waist again. “Good,” he said. “'Cause I didn’t want to wake up alone.”
Sam rolled onto her back slightly, shifting so she could look at him better. “So…what now?”
Josh looked at the ceiling, then at her. “I mean, traditionally, I think we kiss again and pretend we’re not worried about what my sisters are gonna say.”
Sam smirked. “Hannah’s gonna kill me.”
“Nah,” he said, grinning. “She’s probably still asleep. And Beth sleeps like a corpse.”
“She’s still going to know.”
“Then maybe we just don’t tell them. Not yet.”
Sam nodded, but her fingers curled in the blanket. “Josh?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t regret it.”
He looked at her, eyes soft now. “I'm glad. Me neither.”
They stayed there for a few moments, wrapped in warmth and silence, pretending the rest of the world didn’t exist outside the room. The quiet hum of the lodge. The smell of the mountain air. The feel of his hand brushing against hers under the covers.
Eventually, Sam exhaled. “Okay. We have to get up before someone walks in.”
“I locked the door.”
“You did not.”
“I thought about it.”
Sam groaned and sat up, running her fingers through her hair. “You’re the worst.”
Josh grinned, watching her. “You didn’t think so last night.”
She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him—he caught it with a laugh, muffled as he buried his face in it.
From down the hall, faint footsteps creaked against the wood.
Sam froze. “Is that—?”
“Beth,” Josh whispered. “Definitely Beth. She pees first thing every morning.”
“We are so dead.”
Josh reached for her hand under the blankets. “Wanna die together?”
Sam squeezed his fingers. “Only if you make the pancakes.”
Josh smiled.
...
The kitchen was quiet, bathed in soft morning light. The smell of old coffee lingered in the air, and the hardwood floors felt cool beneath Sam’s bare feet as she padded inside, Josh trailing close behind.
Sam yawned, opening a cabinet. “You seriously have twenty mugs and not one clean one?”
Josh smirked, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “That’s how you know we’re high-functioning.”
“Right.” She finally picked the least dusty mug and started the coffee machine. “You better pray your mom doesn’t come down and see this disaster zone.”
Josh leaned on the counter beside her. “Pretty sure she’s seen worse.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “I feel like last night added to the 'worse.’”
He gave her a crooked grin, and she blushed lightly, nudging him with her shoulder.
Just then, the creak of footsteps echoed down the hallway, followed by the soft thuds of slippered feet.
Beth appeared first, hair tousled and eyes squinting at the kitchen light. Hannah followed a moment later, hoodie too big, clearly just rolled out of bed.
“Mornin’,” Beth mumbled, heading straight for the fridge.
“Hey,” Josh said casually, trying not to sound too casual.
Sam waved with one hand, her other gripping her coffee cup like a lifeline.
Hannah’s eyes flicked between the two of them. Once. Twice. Then narrowed.
She elbowed Beth lightly, whispering, “Come with me.”
Beth blinked, half-biting a string cheese. “Huh?”
“Come on,” Hannah said under her breath, dragging her by the sleeve toward the hallway.
Beth stumbled after her, still chewing. “Hannah, what the hell—?”
Once they were out of earshot, Hannah whirled around and leaned in close.
“I think Sam and Josh…” She lowered her voice dramatically, eyes wide. “You know.”
Beth blinked. “Know…what?”
“You know.” Hannah gave her a look. “Did the deed. The devil’s tango. The horizontal tango. The special cuddle.”
Beth choked. “What?! No way.”
“I’m serious,” Hannah hissed. “She didn’t come back to our room last night.”
“She probably fell asleep somewhere.”
“In Josh’s room?” Hannah raised an eyebrow. “Wearing his hoodie?”
Beth looked uncertain. “Okay, that’s not—maybe it’s cold?”
“She’s glowing,” Hannah said, eyes wide. “And Josh is walking like he’s in a Calvin Klein advert. Come on, Beth.”
Beth paused.
She turned her head slowly, peeking around the hallway wall to glance back into the kitchen.
Sam stood at the counter, sipping coffee and smiling to herself. Josh leaned a little too close when he passed behind her to grab a plate, their arms brushing like magnets.
Beth blinked.
“Oh my god,” she whispered. “They did.”
Hannah just nodded with a smug little smile.
Beth looked half-shocked, half-impressed. “I thought she was staying with us!”
“I did too.” Hannah smirked. “Guess she made other plans.”
They both turned to glance into the kitchen again, watching Josh and Sam share a private laugh about something neither of them could hear.
Beth nudged Hannah. “We’re so teasing them.”
“Oh absolutely,” Hannah whispered. “But after breakfast. We don’t want to scare her off too fast.”
Beth giggled. “Deal.”
They turned away and headed back toward the kitchen, putting on their best innocent faces.
The smell of cinnamon and maple drifting in from the kitchen where Melinda had been working all morning. The windows let in soft, golden light, bathing the large dining table in the kind of glow you’d see in a painting.
Josh and Sam were already seated when the rest of the family started to gather. Josh had made sure Sam had everything she could possibly want before he even thought about serving himself. Her plate was arranged with perfect care: syrup-drenched pancakes, strawberries with the stems cut off, exactly how she liked them, and a splash of orange juice—not too much, not too little.
“More butter?” Josh asked, butter knife already poised.
Sam gave him a playful side-eye. “I think my arteries are good, thanks.”
Josh grinned, cutting into his own pancakes. “Let me know if they change their mind.”
Across the table, Hannah had just sat down with a bowl of cereal and immediately froze, spoon halfway to her mouth.
She squinted at her brother. Then at Sam. Then at the very not-subtle way Josh reached to tuck Sam’s napkin onto her lap like he’d done it a hundred times.
“Okay,” she muttered.
Beth sat down beside her, yawning. “What?”
Hannah elbowed her. “Look at them.”
Beth blinked the sleep out of her eyes and followed Hannah’s stare.
Josh was leaning in toward Sam, whispering something that made her bite her lip to keep from laughing. He nudged her juice toward her hand like it was second nature.
Beth’s brows furrowed. “Huh.”
“You see it too, right?” Hannah whispered.
Beth shrugged. “They’re just being friendly.”
“They're being friendly.”
Beth blinked. “Oh my god.”
In the middle of their whispered detective work, Melinda placed another plate of pancakes on the table and smiled at her son and Sam.
“Did you two sleep okay?” she asked, setting down a bowl of fruit with practiced hands.
Josh opened his mouth to respond, but Sam beat him to it.
“Really well. Your guest beds are the comfiest, Mel.”
Josh choked on his juice. “Guest bed?”
Melinda tilted her head. “Didn’t you say you were staying in Hannah’s room, Sam?”
“I—” Sam hesitated.
Josh jumped in. “She crashed in mine. Long movie night. Fell asleep.”
Hannah made a noise. Beth kicked her under the table.
Melinda, none the wiser, smiled pleasantly. “Oh! Well, I’m glad you were comfortable, sweetheart.”
“Very,” Sam muttered into her coffee.
Josh leaned back, arm casually draped behind Sam’s chair now. He hadn’t even noticed he was doing it.
Beth leaned toward Hannah. “Oh no. They’re full on domesticated.”
Hannah stared at the way Josh looked at Sam while she buttered her toast like she’d hung the moon. “You think they’re dating?”
“They’re either dating or ten minutes away from it,” Beth said. “Did you see how he cut her pancakes for her earlier?”
“I thought I hallucinated that.”
“I wish you had.”
Josh poured more syrup onto Sam’s plate when he noticed she was running low. She didn’t ask—he just knew.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
“Don’t mention it.”
Melinda sat down with her own plate, humming cheerfully. “I just love family breakfasts.”
Bob wandered in last, coffee mug in one hand and a half-read newspaper in the other. “What’d I miss?”
“Nothing,” the twins said too quickly.
“Everything,” Beth whispered to Hannah.
Sam sipped her coffee, and Josh absently reached up to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear before returning to his pancakes. She blinked at him in surprised amusement, but didn’t comment.
Beth leaned her chin on her hand. “So, Sam...you staying long?”
Sam looked up, surprised. “Uh, just the weekend. Why?”
“No reason,” Beth said sweetly. “Just wondering if you and Josh have plans.”
Josh narrowed his eyes. “We’re watching a movie later. Is that a crime now?”
“Not unless you forget to keep it PG,” Hannah muttered into her coffee.
“What was that?” Melinda asked.
“Pancakes are great!” Hannah covered.
“Right,” Melinda chuckled, sipping her tea.
Bob didn’t look up. “You kids always whispering.”
Josh passed Sam the last of the strawberries without a word. She bumped her shoulder against his in thanks, and his smile looked like it was carved out of sunlight.
Hannah mimed gagging while Melinda buttered her toast, still blissfully unaware of the subtext at the table.
Sam looked across at the twins, noticed the exchanged glances, and shot Hannah a sharp, knowing look.
It said everything: Yes. Yes, I slept in his bed. Yes, something happened. And no, I’m not sorry.
Hannah’s eyes widened slightly. Beth blinked.
“Oh my god,” Beth mouthed.
Sam just sipped her coffee and smiled innocently.
Josh was halfway through complimenting the pancakes when Melinda cut him off.
“You know, Josh never used to like strawberries. Until he was thirteen.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “You always tell this story.”
Melinda grinned. “Because it’s cute. He had a crush on the neighbor girl—what was her name? Lucy?”
“Can we not—” Josh pleaded.
“She loved strawberries,” Melinda continued. “So Josh suddenly loved strawberries. Ate an entire bowl in front of her to impress her.”
Josh buried his face in his hands. Sam leaned in.
“Is that what this is?” she teased, pointing to her plate.
Josh groaned. “I walked into that one.”
Beth whispered, “You’re walking into something else too.”
Hannah snorted into her drink.
...
The table was finally cleared, plates stacked high in the sink. Josh was helping his mom rinse them off while Sam dried. Bob had retreated to his armchair with the newspaper, and Hannah and Beth were standing by the base of the staircase, watching the scene unfold with suspicion and awe.
Beth crossed her arms. “Okay. They’re literally glowing.”
Hannah gave her a look. “I told you.”
“Still…I didn’t expect her to pull our brother.”
“You’re saying she couldn’t?”
Beth shrugged. “No, I mean—she could obviously. Just didn’t think she’d want to.”
Hannah snorted. “You should’ve seen them last night when we were picking the movie. I saw her elbow Josh when he tried to choose The Thing. That’s their thing, apparently.”
Beth raised her eyebrows. “How long has this been a thing?”
“I don’t know,” Hannah whispered. “But they’re in full domestic mode. He gave her the last strawberry. He’s never even offered me the last anything.”
Beth squinted toward the kitchen. “They’re drying dishes together.”
“In harmony,” Hannah said dramatically. “He handed her a mug like it was made of solid gold.”
“I swear, I saw him pour her coffee without even asking what she wanted.”
“You think they’ve actually done it?”
Beth blinked at her sister. “Seriously?”
Hannah looked back toward the kitchen, where Sam nudged Josh playfully with her hip, and he bumped her back with a grin that reached both ears. “I mean, look at them. You don’t act like that unless something’s happened.”
Beth looked like she was processing a life-altering truth. “You really think so?”
Hannah leaned in, whispering, “Last night wasn’t just a sleepover.”
Beth groaned and rubbed her face. “Okay, I hate how right you probably are.”
Sam and Josh reentered the room, laughing over something quiet between them. Josh’s hand was lightly resting on the small of Sam’s back, casual but protective. Beth and Hannah both stared at it like it was glowing red.
“We’re gonna take a walk,” Josh announced.
“Cold out there,” Melinda warned from the sink.
“I’ll give her my jacket,” Josh said automatically, then realized how that sounded. “I mean—not that she’ll need it—I—”
Sam laughed softly. “You’re adorable when you panic.”
Beth let out a single cough that sounded suspiciously like, “Whipped.”
Josh shot her a look. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” she said sweetly.
Sam slipped her arms into her hoodie. “I’m stealing this,” she said to Josh, tugging on the sleeve. “Smells like you.”
Josh’s ears turned bright red.
Beth covered a giggle with a sudden, dramatic sneeze. Hannah looked seconds away from combusting with smug energy.
As Josh and Sam headed out the door, Hannah turned to Beth and whispered, “We need to get Sam alone later. I need the full story.”
Beth nodded solemnly. “Intervention-level interrogation.”
“I’ll make popcorn.”
“Let’s go spy from the porch first.”
“God, I love mornings like this.”
...
The cold hit immediately, sharp and biting, but it didn’t bother Sam much. Josh had already slipped his hoodie off and wrapped it around her shoulders like a reflex.
“Such a gentleman,” she teased, zipping it up. It was warm and smelled like cedar and clean laundry. “Chivalry isn’t dead.”
“I’m just trying to avoid getting roasted by my sisters again,” he muttered. “I swear they know everything.”
Sam laughed, linking her arm with his. “They’re definitely suspicious.”
Josh raised a brow, voice lowering into something sly. “Think they heard anything?”
Sam smirked. “I was more worried about them seeing something this morning. You’re not exactly subtle when you sleep.”
Josh made a strangled sound. “I don’t snore.”
“You definitely drool.”
He gasped in mock offense, then leaned down close enough that his breath warmed her cheek. “You didn’t seem to mind last night.”
She gave him a shove. “You're insufferable.”
“You like it.”
“I do.”
They walked along the gravel path behind the lodge, past bare trees and scattered red-orange leaves, the crisp scent of autumn settling around them. Sam pulled the hoodie tighter around her. Josh didn’t say anything for a moment, just let the silence stretch between them.
“I like this,” he finally said. “You. This. Mornings like this.”
Sam’s hand slipped into his. “Me too.”
...
“Okay,” Hannah said, closing the bedroom door behind them like they were about to discuss nuclear codes. “What’s our plan?”
Beth flopped onto her bed. “Subtle questioning or full frontal interrogation?”
“Subtle. We don’t want her to shut down.”
Beth raised an eyebrow. “Sam? Shut down? She’s emotionally bulletproof.”
“Exactly why we need to catch her off-guard.” Hannah began pacing. “Let’s go for the casual route. Like, ‘so how was your night?’ then—bam—hit her with the smirk.”
“I’m ready.” Beth grinned. “You do the smirk, I’ll pretend to be shocked when she admits it.”
“She won’t admit it.”
“Then we interpret her every blink as confirmation.”
Hannah paused, listening for footsteps. “They’re back.”
Beth sat up straight. “Showtime.”
...
Josh and Sam reentered, cheeks pink from the cold. Sam had the hoodie’s sleeves pulled over her hands and looked perfectly content.
“We’re back,” Josh said to no one in particular.
“Finally,” Beth said, exchanging a glance with Hannah. “We were worried you froze to death...or something.”
“Mhm,” Hannah added. “You look a little flushed, Sam.”
Josh narrowed his eyes. “Okay, what is happening right now?”
“Nothing,” the twins said in sync.
Sam stretched, unbothered. “We were just admiring the scenery.”
Beth’s mouth twitched. “Bet you were admiring something.”
Josh looked between them. “Are you two high?”
Sam just smirked and made a show of slipping the hoodie off slowly and tossing it back to Josh. “Thanks for the walk.”
He caught it, stunned. “...Anytime.”
Beth’s jaw dropped.
Hannah looked smug.
“Oh my god,” Beth whispered later as the twins returned upstairs. “She dominated him.”
“She is my hero,” Hannah whispered back.
...
Sam barely had time to blink.
One moment she was stretching her arms in the hallway, about to head back downstairs after grabbing her phone charger. The next, two very determined sisters stood in front of her like guards at the gates of gossip hell.
“Hi,” Hannah said, too chipper, fingers laced together like an evil mastermind.
Beth stood beside her, arms crossed, smirking like she’d been waiting for this moment her entire life. “Don’t try to run. You won’t make it.”
Sam narrowed her eyes. “Run from what?”
Hannah took her by the wrist and tugged her gently toward the nearest bedroom. “Just come with us. We need a quick chat.”
“I don’t like the way you said ‘chat,’” Sam muttered, but didn’t resist. She knew better. Once these two set their sights on something, there was no escape.
Once the door closed behind them, Sam was herded to sit on Hannah’s bed like she was about to be interrogated by federal agents.
Beth leaned against the dresser with a smug expression. Hannah stood across from Sam with her arms behind her back, pacing slightly.
“So,” Hannah began, like a professor giving a lecture, “you slept in Josh’s room last night.”
Sam crossed her legs and played it cool. “Yeah. So?”
Beth raised a brow. “That’s not normal sleepover behavior.”
“We thought this was a girls night,” Hannah added, mock-hurt. “We were supposed to eat junk and complain about boys, not go full Fifty Shades in the room next door.”
“I’m gonna stop you right there,” Sam said, hands up. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Oh, wasn’t it?” Beth asked, eyes sparkling. “Because I swear the air in the hallway was thicker than butter when you two walked in.”
“And Josh had sex hair,” Hannah said bluntly.
Sam turned beet red. “He always has messy hair!”
“Not like that,” both twins said in unison.
Beth stepped closer. “So. Spill. Did you guys...do it?”
Sam groaned. “This is so invasive.”
“And yet,” Hannah said sweetly, “you’re not denying it.”
Sam buried her face in her hands. “I am not telling you if I slept with your brother.”
“Okay,” Hannah said, plopping down next to her, “then I’ll just ask the important stuff.”
“Hannah—”
“Was he gentle or rough?”
“What the—!”
“Like, did he go slow? Or was it like—" she made a vague gesture that looked suspiciously like a lasso.
Sam let out a loud, mortified squeak and shoved her shoulder. “I am not having this conversation with you!”
Beth howled with laughter from across the room.
“Oh come on, Sam,” Hannah grinned. “You know I’m gonna be your sister-in-law one day, right? Might as well get the details now.”
Sam glared, eyes narrowed. “Are you like this with all your brother’s hookups?”
“You’re not a hookup,” Hannah said plainly, the teasing tone softening just a little. “You’re Sam. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”
Beth gave a slow nod. “Yeah. It’s like...grossly soft. Like he’d take a bullet for you and then ask if you’re okay.”
Sam looked down, a small smile tugging at her lips. “...He did bring me tea this morning. And my hoodie. And stole all the blankets.”
Hannah and Beth exchanged knowing looks.
Hannah leaned in again. “So...was he good?”
Sam gave her a long, level stare.
Hannah didn’t blink.
Finally, Sam muttered, “...Yes.”
“Knew it!” Hannah cheered.
Beth laughed so hard she nearly toppled off the dresser.
“You guys are insane,” Sam said, red-faced and hiding her smile.
“And you’re in love with our brother,” Hannah sang, flopping backward dramatically.
Sam rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it.
Beth lounged at the foot of the bed, leaning forward like she was preparing to grill a suspect.
“You’re really not gonna get out of this,” Hannah said, smug. “You might as well just answer everything. We already know.”
“You think you know,” Sam said, tightening her grip on the pillow in her lap.
“We heard things,” Beth added, wiggling her brows.
Sam blanched. “You what?!”
“Kidding,”
“Okay, fine.” Sam sighed, throwing the pillow aside. “Let’s get this over with. Ask your questions, you vultures.”
Beth grinned. “Oh, we’re going in.”
Hannah sat up straighter. “First: who made the first move? Who crossed the line first?”
Sam hesitated. “I guess...he kissed me. But I didn’t push him away.”
Beth gasped. “Our brother seduced you?”
Sam rolled her eyes. “If you can call awkward fumbling and apologizing for having cold hands ‘seduction,’ then yes.”
Hannah leaned in. “Okay, but was he smooth once things got going? Or was it like...Josh being Josh?”
Sam snorted. “He tried to be smooth. Then knocked his head on the headboard. I laughed. He apologized six times.”
Beth was already cackling. “Sounds right.”
“Was he confident though?” Hannah asked. “Like, did he take charge?”
Sam’s ears turned red. “Yeah. I mean...yeah. Eventually.”
Beth raised a brow. “So he has a dominant side.”
“Beth!”
“I’m serious! Was he soft and slow, or like—hands everywhere, whispering in your ear, biting your neck—”
“Okay wow,” Sam said quickly, holding up a hand. “You guys are relentless.”
“Not denying it,” Hannah said with a smirk.
“Fine.” Sam exhaled. “He was sweet. At first. Then he kinda surprised me. In a good way.”
Beth’s grin widened. “Surprised you how?”
Sam looked away. “I didn’t know he had it in him.”
“Oh my god,” Hannah whispered. “You mean he—”
“Yes,” Sam said quickly. “Yes to whatever you’re going to say. He was passionate and intense and I did not expect that from Mr. Movie Commentary.”
Beth leaned in, eyes wide. “Did he say anything dirty?”
Sam hesitated.
“Oh my god,” Beth said again. “What’d he say?”
“I’m not—”
“We’re not letting this go,” Hannah cut in.
Sam sighed, defeated. “He said...‘I want to make you feel so good.’” She paused, then added, “And then something about me moaning being his favorite sound.”
Both sisters screamed into the pillows at the same time.
“HE DID NOT—” Beth shouted, laughing hysterically.
“I cannot believe my brother is a closet romantic perv!” Hannah shrieked.
Sam was dying of secondhand embarrassment. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with his sisters.”
“We’re not done,” Beth said, wiping tears of laughter. “Did he do the thing? Y’know...that thing.”
“What thing?”
“You know,” Hannah said, nudging Sam. “The hand thing.”
Sam stared. “I need more context.”
Beth made a gesture. “That thing. With his hands. The good stuff.”
Sam blinked. “Do you mean—wait, do you guys seriously want to know if your brother—?”
“Yes,” they said in unison.
Sam buried her face in her hands. “This is wrong.”
“But was he good?” Hannah asked.
Sam mumbled into her palms.
“What was that?” Beth leaned in.
Sam peeked through her fingers. “Yes. Okay? He was really good. Too good.”
Beth nearly fell off the bed. “Oh my god, he’s been practicing.”
“Stop!” Sam yelled, face fully red.
Hannah was wheezing. “Did he do the thing with his voice? That low tone he gets when he’s being serious?”
“Yes.”
Beth smirked. “Did it make your knees weak?”
“I hate you both.”
“Okay,” Hannah said, trying to regain composure. “Final question.”
“Oh thank god.”
“Was it just a one-time thing?” Hannah asked, voice soft for the first time. “Or do you...actually feel something for him?”
Sam looked between them. Her smile softened. “I’ve felt something for him for a long time. Last night just confirmed it.”
The room went quiet for a second.
Then Beth sighed dramatically. “We’re gonna be sisters-in-law, aren’t we?”
Sam threw a pillow at her face again.
A voice echoed up the stairs.
“Sammy!” Josh shouted from the kitchen. “You disappeared on me, and I’m dangerously close to burning toast. If I burn toast, I blame you!”
Hannah and Beth immediately exchanged a look. Sam was sitting frozen between them, still recovering from the interrogation.
“You gonna survive this?” Hannah whispered.
“No,” Sam muttered.
Beth grinned and linked arms with Sam. “Come on, toast boy’s waiting.”
“Try not to blush when he looks at you,” Hannah added with a wink, slipping to Sam’s other side.
They walked together down the stairs, Sam sandwiched between Josh’s twin sisters like a girl being marched to the gallows — except the gallows were a warm kitchen, and the executioner had messy hair and a crooked smile.
Josh looked up the second he heard them coming down. He stood by the counter, holding a knife in one hand and butter in the other.
“There she is,” he said, eyes lighting up when he saw Sam. “I was about to come drag you out of whatever black hole you fell into.”
“You’d have to get past us first,” Beth said sweetly, plucking a slice of toast from the plate.
Josh raised an eyebrow at his sisters. “You guys look...suspiciously smug. Should I be worried?”
“No,” Hannah said too quickly.
“Yes,” Sam muttered under her breath.
“What was that?” Josh tilted his head.
“Nothing!” Sam and the twins said in perfect unison.
Josh squinted at all three of them, then slowly turned back to the counter. “Okay...definitely not weird at all.”
Sam glanced at Hannah and Beth, who looked like they were biting the insides of their cheeks trying not to laugh.
She whispered to them, “Not. A. Word.”
They both gave her innocent smiles.
Josh turned back around, toast now buttered and on a plate. “Here. I made your favourite,” he said to Sam, like it was the most casual thing in the world.
Sam blinked. “You remembered?”
He shrugged, but there was a subtle proudness in the lift of his shoulders. “Of course I did. You like cinnamon sugar on one slice, plain butter on the other. You’re a toast split-personality kind of gal.”
Hannah made a quiet awww sound behind her hand. Beth just mouthed, You’re so screwed.
Sam sat at the table, cheeks burning, and Josh slid the plate in front of her with a small, crooked smile.
She tried not to melt.
Beth sat across from them, nudging Hannah and whispering, “Do we just leave? Let them kiss and get it over with?”
“We’re not leaving. I want to watch him be all cute and unaware,” Hannah whispered back.
Josh leaned over Sam’s shoulder to grab the sugar dish and said low in her ear, “You okay?”
Sam turned her head slightly to meet his eyes. “Yeah. Just recovering from your sisters.”
Josh snorted. “You brave soul.”
She smiled and nudged his arm gently. He bumped her shoulder back in return. To anyone else, it would’ve looked like friendly teasing—but not to Hannah and Beth. They saw everything.
...
Beth had been bouncing her leg under the table for five straight minutes, glancing between Josh and Sam, then at Hannah. Finally, she slammed her hands on the table.
“Okay, I can’t take it anymore!”
Everyone froze.
Josh looked up mid-pour, nearly overfilling the glass. “What?”
“You two slept together!” Beth blurted, pointing an accusatory finger between Sam and Josh.
The juice glass overflowed.
Josh blinked. Sam nearly choked on her toast. Hannah covered her face with both hands.
“BETH!” Sam gasped, her voice strangled.
“What!?” Beth defended. “You two snuck off, you came back all giggly and secretive, and Sam gave Hannah the look. You know the look!”
“I am going to crawl into the oven and turn it on,” Sam muttered, hiding her face behind her hands.
Josh, still frozen with the juice carton in one hand, finally spoke. “Wait, hold on—what are we talking about here?”
Beth looked at him like he was the dumbest man alive. “You and Sam! Last night!”
Josh dropped the juice carton. “Oh my god—”
The door burst open.
“What’s going on in here? We heard yelling!” Melinda asked sharply, stepping in with Bob right behind her.
Everyone froze like deer in headlights. Sam looked like she wanted to die. Josh had his hands in his hair. Hannah whispered “abort mission” under her breath.
“Josh and Sam slept together!” Beth shouted again, her hands flailing.
Everyone froze. Again.
Melinda’s gaze swept over the room—the flushed faces, the awkward postures, Sam looking like she wanted to vanish into the floor, Josh with one hand gripping the edge of the table like he was preparing to be struck by lightning.
Then her eyes locked onto Beth’s still-raised arm and the very obvious accusation written on her face.
Melinda’s mouth twitched.
“We know,” she said calmly.
A heavy silence followed.
“You knew?!” Beth and Hannah said in unison.
Sam looked like she was about to pass out. “What?!”
Josh choked. “Mom!”
Melinda smiled, completely unbothered. “Oh, honey, I gave birth to you. I know you. And I know what it looks like when you're in love.”
Hannah’s jaw dropped. “You knew this whole time and just said nothing?!”
Melinda shrugged. “I figured it would come out eventually. You’re all adults. You’re allowed to have feelings—and make...questionable decisions.”
Sam looked like she had disassociated from her own body.
Josh ran a hand over his face. “This is—how did you even—?”
Melinda raised an eyebrow. “The way you look at her, Josh. The way she looks at you. You carried her plate to the table, filled her mug before your own, tucked her hair behind her ear when you thought no one was watching—do I need to go on?”
Josh groaned and dropped his head to the table. “Please stop.”
Bob took a long sip of coffee, finally joining in. “Honestly, I’ve known too.”
Josh looked up slowly. “You too?”
“Son, I’m not blind,” Bob said dryly. “You two practically orbit each other like a couple of lovesick satellites. I just chose not to say anything because I really didn’t want to know the details.”
Beth looked personally offended. “You both knew, and you just sat there this morning like nothing was happening?!”
Melinda raised a brow. “Yes. Because we're the parents, and we’re mature adults.”
“Speak for yourself,” Bob muttered.
Sam finally let out a tiny laugh, hiding behind her coffee mug. “This is the weirdest breakfast I’ve ever had.”
Melinda leaned over and gently brushed Sam’s shoulder. “We’re glad you’re here, sweetheart. You make Josh happier.”
Josh peeked over at Sam, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Then Hannah made a gagging sound.
“Oh god, don’t look at each other like that. Not after what I think I heard through the vent.”
“Hannah!” Sam and Josh both exclaimed.
Beth slid dramatically down in her seat. “This is my villain origin story.”
Josh laughed, groaning into his hands. “I’m never gonna live this down.”
Melinda sipped her tea with a smirk. “Not a chance, sweetheart.”
This might be the longest thing I've written
P5 uploads batch from stream