Chapter Three

Personality Status (highest to lowest): Honest, Romantic, Brave, funny, Curious.

Relationship Status (highest to lowest): Hannah, Josh, Mike, Beth, Chris, Matt, Sam, Jessica, Ashley Emily.

As soon as we reached the Washington's lodge, a tranquil and dark mansion the roof covered in white snow and the glint of lights coming from the inside, Josh removes his hand from mine to take the lodge keys out of his pocket. Before he has a chance to open the door we hear Chris' voice come from behind us. "What's up love birds?" Chris greets us with a mischievous grin. Josh and I look at each other in realisation that Chris saw us.

"If anything I'm pretty sure we'd be eagles, or dragons, sounds much more bad ass." I reply, trying to avoid an embarrassing confrontation, but he's seen us luckily it was just Chris Josh's best friend, he trusts us about his 'hidden' –cough- feelings for Ashley and we can trust him about this.

"Well the saying goes as the saying goes. So do you two have something going on now?" Chris pries, rubbing his hands together still smiling.

"Do you and Ashley have something going on yet?" I deflect back and that turns his smile into uncertainty, Josh folds his arms with a grin now escalating on his own…very handsome facial features.

"In time maybe…don't change the subject." Chris hesitantly says back, his voice going quiet like whenever he is confronted with the topic of his crush Ashley.

"Look Chris we don't want-," Josh starts to say but Chris holds his hands in the air with an understanding look.

"I know, don't worry you're naughty secret is safe with me." Chris replies and Josh turns around to open the door. The door swings open and we're embraced by slightly warmer surroundings but there's still that bite of cold air in the lodge. We head through the rooms, walking towards the living room area where's there's a fire flickering, warmth in the air and there's Hannah, Beth, Sam and Ashley curled up on the couch under blankets and holding what looks like hot chocolate.

"Hot chocolate and marshmallows, I like the way you guys think." Josh says in greeting grabbing the bag of marshmallows and taking a seat on the other sofa, holding out the bag for me. I take a handful of marshmallows with a smile, before I'm tugged onto the sofa by Hannah and onto her knee.

"Didn't you come up with Mike Kit?" Hannah asks me, restraining me lightly with her arms. I laugh popping a marshmallow into my mouth, I look over to Josh who's staring at me as if he was hoping me to snuggle up next to him.

"He stayed back with the ice queen, they're waiting for Jess and Matt." I reply and I see Hannah wrinkle her nose when I mentioned Emily. We then hear the door of the lodge swing open and the loudest voice which could only be Jessica's boom through the rooms.

"Look who's in the house bitches!" Jessica shouts, her, Mike, Matt and Emily walking into the living room and placing their bags by the door.

"Here we go." Sam says, in sarcastic enthusiasm as she sees Jess enter the room.

Hannah smiles slightly as Mike walks through and up to me. "Look at that Kit Kat's here, she must've survived the bear hugging." Mike jokes and I poke my tongue out at him. I squiggle out of Hannah's grip and pat her on the arm hinting her to move up the couch.

"You can take this seat, I'd rather be next to Josh he's holding the marshmallows captive." I excuse myself for the real reason, which is that I really want to spend as much time with Josh without causing any suspicion. Everyone will be watching each other like hawks to see if any…relationships form. Is this what I'm thinking? That I want there to be a relationship between Josh and I, I mean that'd be great but I haven't even divulged to Hannah about mine and Josh's kiss yet. I'm actually wondering whether I should…maybe after the holiday, but right now I find it exciting that Josh and I share a secret together, it is no one's business after all.

Josh smiles as I take a seat next to him and I take a swift over at Hannah who says hi to Mike with a blush as he sits down next to her. Emily goes off to make some hot chocolate for the rest of the group, Jess and Mike sit down and Chris takes the armchair near Ashley. I hear Ashley and Chris exchange small talk, their smiles evident that they like each other, I must admit they'd be great together, Sam, Josh and I have been hoping they'd get together for some time now. Everyone's relaxed and when Emily brings in the hot chocolate, even handing one to me and surprisingly it wasn't poisoned, we all just chilled out for a while going over what we can do while we're here. This is the most at ease I've felt in ages especially with Josh sitting next to me, his arm touching mine lightly which is comforting.

"I haven't stopped thinking about kissing you." Josh whispers under his breath, his voice just loud enough for me to hear.

I blush slightly and I can't help put break into a smile. "Me too." I whisper back. Josh moves his hand discreetly and lightly brushes it over the back of mine.

We didn't even notice Jessica suddenly standing in front of us with her hands placed on her hips, her voice startling us out of our moment. "Are you two planning to hog the marshmallows all night or are you going to share? After all sharing is caring." I abruptly withdraw my hand from Josh's, he does the same but more hesitantly and we end up spilling the marshmallows all over the couch, luckily I don't think Jess noticed us if she did hell would happen. "Wow, great job guys." Jess takes the bag filled with the remaining marshmallows. "I'll take these then." Jess goes back next to Emily and I see Emily gazing over at me with suspicion.

"So what should we do now?" Ashley asks, her cheeks tinged pink from either the warmth of the fire or the fact that Chris has been talking to her.

"Well I don't know about you guys but I'm beat." Sam says, getting up from the chair and stretching her arms in a yawn.

"Yeah me too. I was thinking we could go out for a small hike tomorrow see some of the views." Beth suggests and we all smile in agreement.

"Nothing like looking at some good views." Mike says with a mischievous grin and Emily rolls her eyes with a sigh.

"So er what's the sleeping arrangements?" Chris asks as he stands up trying hard not to glance over at Ashley.

"There's enough rooms to go around, some might have to bunk up though." Josh tells everyone and I catch him look over to me. Oh what a damn nice arrangement that would be.

"Kat can share with me." Hannah says and I nod in prolonged agreement, I'm guessing Hannah and I will have a lot to talk about tonight. The main topic probably being Mike and maybe Josh…

"Sure, but before I sleep I'll spend some time relaxing these muscles in a hot bath, it's well needed if we're trekking tomorrow." I say as everyone starts grabbing their bags and heading off to their rooms. Hannah takes mine up seeing as she got here the day before and Josh hangs around waiting until everyone has gone upstairs.

I slowly walk up to Josh, a small smile forming on my face and he moves a stray strand of my hair behind my ear with his hand, his fingers lightly brushing against my cheek. "I guess I'll see you in the morning then." Josh says to me and I let out a sigh, moving my hands to his hair and looking into his eyes. The morning seems so far away from now.

"Yeah I guess so." I reply, my smile faltering a bit but Josh then changes that as he leans forward hesitating for only a moment and then he presses his lips against mine. There's a softness in them that I can't describe and it unknowingly always seems to have a calming effect on me. I curl my fingers through his hair, wanting more, needing so much more. Josh lowers his arms down to my hips and I press against him, our lips moving perfectly against each other, as if they're dancing. I then move my hand downwards, running it up the inside of his shirt, feeling the warmth and movement from his chest.

A creek from upstairs then makes us withdraw from each other, our chest's rising and falling feeling out of breath but also exhilarated at the same time. It's Hannah, standing at the top of the stairs with either a bewildered or surprised look on her face. "You, upstairs, talk now." Hannah says and just when Josh and I think she's pissed off that we've hidden this from her, Hannah shakes her head with a small smile before she walks back to her room. Great, she's not angry.

I look back to Josh, my cheeks tinged pink and I'm really trying to refrain looking at his lips…those amazingly soft lips. "I guess I'll have to skip the bath." I whisper and Josh grins back.

Josh kisses my cheek, his lips lingering on my skin for a few seconds more and I close my eyes. "Night Kathy." He whispers in my ear and as I open my eyes, I see him heading off to his room. I clasp my hands together, trying to process everything that has just happen, but instead I end up grinning wildly and not being able to stop myself grinning even when I reach Hannah's room.

I head in and she's lying on her bed reading a magazine, she looks up at me her eyebrows raised and she immediately throws her magazine to the side. I lie myself down next to her and she waits for me to say something, but I actually don't know what to say for once. "Details Kit, now!" Hannah says, her voice a little too loud and excited for my liking and I hide my face in my hands so she doesn't see my stupid grin.

I then look up to her. "You're not angry with me?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"No, of course not. Kit I am so damn happy for you." Hannah tells me genuinely and I let out a breath of relief. "You've liked my brother for as long as I can remember and if there was anyone in the world he could be with I'd want it to be you. I know you Kit, Josh is amazing and as my best friend you're exactly who I'd want him to be with."

Her words of reassurance touch me. "Thanks Han, but right now we're trying to keep it on the down low especially with the loud mouths we've got here." Hannah pulls her fingers across her mouth, pretending to zip it and she throws away the key, I knew I could always trust Hannah with anything even if it is about her brother. "It's the same with you and Mike, you two would be so good for each other. He lets that bitch Emily walk all over him, which is not like him at all and she's so damn demanding. If I wanted anyone to be with my brother, it'd have to be you. You're so kind and caring, you'd never hurt anyone, Mike needs someone like that and not someone who scraps into him every time they can get."

Hannah smiles, blushing but then she brings me into a hug. "Thanks Kit, those words mean everything to me. Let's hope it all works out in the end right." We pull out of the hug and I nod.

"I hope so, everything will work out Han, it will. Hopefully before this getaway has ended Mike will realise that it's just definitely not meant to be with Emily and he'll see sense and go out with my best friend." I reply, laying down and resting my head on the pillow, Hannah does the same on the other side of the bed.

"Gosh Kit, just imagine. Mike and I, you and Josh, going on double dates, going to events together it'd be amazing." Hannah whispers, both of us getting tired and I can slowly feel my eyes falling.

"It will be Hannah, I promise you I'll make sure it works out. I promise." I whisper in reply, everything suddenly drifting off as we both fall into a dreamless sleep.