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But he winds up, knockin' me Back down on my knees
Josh knew people considered him ridiculous—he bore no illusions to the contrary. However, that didn't make him a dullard. In fact, he spent much of his free time attempting to become as learned as possible.
That being said, he did find himself a bit miffed at the sound of strangled shock emanating from Alex's mouth at his assessment. It seemed she'd nearly choked on her own tongue at the insinuation that her motivations could extend beyond just jesting.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she professed, trying in vain to wrangle her countenance back into its pretext of pacificity.
Again, Josh was foolish, but that didn't make him a fool. "Come on," was all the prompting he provided, coupled with a grin and an ever-perceptive head nod.
Was Alex truly going to stand there and pretend that she and Jake had been subdued even a measure in their interactions? Or neglect to acknowledge that twin telepathy was a common occurrence? Even a blind man could discern the intentions behind their ceaseless witty drabble.
And Josh had the benefit of full vision.
His brown eyes glinted with gaiety as he watched the girl huff in exasperation before falling back onto the mattress in the center of the room.
The headboard thudded against the wall under the action, and he could imagine how the noise stirred an aggressive agitation in his brother a floor below. The thought caused a breathy chuckle to fall from his lips, but Alex didn't seem to notice. Too busy staring intently at the wooden ceiling as if it could provide a solution for her circumstances.
Gradually, he made his way over and laid himself down beside her on the bed, careful not to encourage another thump that would surely bring his twin acrimoniously bursting through the door. Together, they gazed attentively at the ceiling, which stubbornly offered no answers.
Eventually, Alex's head turned towards him, and Josh's followed in time. "What exactly did he tell you?" She whispered as if afraid they'd be overheard.
His head shook, and those trademark curls bounced along with it. "I've heard nothing but perceive everything," he mused mystically and was unsurprised by the eye roll it received.
"You're so full of shit," she chided with a smile, but it never quite reached her eyes. Alex could deliver her quips, push the prospect away as she might, but the lingering uncertainty never thoroughly washed away from her porcelain doll like features.
Josh shrugged in surrender, his shoulder nudging her own in the process. Yet, no goosebumps arose with the contact. There was no undercurrent of electricity between them—just the scraping of fabric between them and nothing more.
"I gathered something transpired last night. You've both been acting dubiously ever since," he elucidated, running a hand across his slightly stubbled chin. "Now what exactly, I couldn't say. Jake hasn't mentioned anything."
The mere utterance of his brother's name had Alex expelling an exhale through her nose. "Twins don't tell each other everything?"
She looked confused by the prospect that they wouldn't, and it caused him to let out a hearty laugh. Just the notion that because you shared a womb with someone meant they were privy to every portion of your life was humorous to him. "Definitely not. We're entitled to our secrets."
Alex's eyes sharpened towards Josh as she seemingly considered his words. "Maybe I'm entitled to mine as well," she countered and turned her sights back to the captivating ceiling.
He couldn't help but count the similarities between her and Jake in those ensuing moments of silence. They were both unbelievably stubborn, though the same could reasonably be said of him. Their mordant tongues aimed to proclaim nothing but revealed everything if you could comprehend beyond the causticity. They shared the qualities of brilliance and creativity, albeit in different forms. And, at the heart of it, they were both passionate about music.
It made sense. They made sense. However, the conditions didn't, and that's what, he assumed, continued to give them pause.
If you have chemistry, you only need one other thing. Timing. But timing's a bitch. Hadn't something to that effect been philosophized on that one show Ronnie had made them watch?
It was a compelling, if not harrowing thought.
Alex must have summoned up some sense of courage while he'd been ruminating because she spoke again in that same hushed tone. "We almost kissed."
He wasn't stunned by the revelation but slightly astounded by the inclusion of 'almost.' Josh figured Jake would have just gone for it and let the pieces fall where they may after. "Ah, I see, you're perturbed that you didn't."
Her head snapped towards him, and she looked affronted, hazel eyes slanted in insult and mouth agape. "What?" She sputtered. "No! Nothing should have nearly happened. We basically despise each other." Alex sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than him.
"Jacqueline Carey did say that love and hate are two sides of the same blade," he countered in response to her contradiction.
She sighed heavily, throwing her arms above her head in exasperation. The mattress squeaked under the motion, but thankfully only loud enough to be heard within the confines of the room.
They'd been here for a while, hadn't they? It was a feat no one had barged in as interruption yet.
"Love seems a bit excessive," Alex grumbled. It probably was, given the four days they'd actually spent in one another's presence. But, Josh had a tendency towards the hyperbolic. "Have you ever been in love?" She turned back towards him and questioned, bright eyes full of earnestness.
"The world is rife with love," he announced, hands gesturing wildly about the room in emphasis. "I fall in love each and every day."
He could nearly feel her displeasure tainting the air around them with the ambiguous answer—anticipated the sound of her sucking her teeth before the outward show of irritation even occurred. "God, you're such a free-loving hippie."
"You could be too. Peace, love, and harmony, baby." He punctuated the last word with an elbow to her side that earned him a playful giggle.
Alex groaned in reflection before sitting up on her hands. "Nah, I'm far too analytical for all that, which is why nothings going to happen with Jake because nothing can happen. It is what it is."
She seemed resolute in her reasoning, and Josh knew there wasn't anything more he could say to sway her.
Because obdurate, that's what she was.
His eyes trailed after her as Alex stood from the bed and stretched, arching her back to rid it of the stiffness, before offering him a hand to stand.
"Doesn't mean we can't still have our fun, though," she announced, pulling him up from the mattress. Devilment flickered behind her eyes like a flame, and a coquettish smile brightened her face.
Josh grinned in reciprocation. "You trying to stir shit up?"
She bit her bottom lip in problematic promise. "Always. Now, take off your shirt and give it to me. It's time to instill a bit of chaos into the evening."
