Awakening (Book 2 in the Original BOC Series) ✔

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Go fish."

Nathan smirked, glancing up at his little brother skeptically as he leaned his hand to the middle of the bed where the cards they weren't already holding was placed between them. It was supposed to be a deck, but it didn't balance very well on the bed spread. Now the deck was flattened with the cards going in different directions so Nathan took one from the side.

He scanned his cards and then looked at the new one he picked up. He lifted his eyes at Chambers who was narrowing his eyes and studying him. Nathan grinned behind the five cards he held. He chuckled, "You know... if we were playing poker... I would have totally whooped your ass." He nodded at Chambers looking at the cards he held again.

Chambers scrunched his nose, using two fingers to straighten a slanted card. "Hmph... but we're not." Chambers raised a brow, lifting his chin, "Got an Ace?" Nathan rolled his eyes and grabbed the card he had just picked up and tossed it towards his brother. The younger version of him beamed reaching and picking up the card to match with another Ace in his hand.

He looked at the pile of pairs beside his hip and nodded, looking at Nathan, "I'm totally whooping your ass." Nathan laughed with so much gusto, his head leaned onto his shoulder of the arm propping himself on his mattress while he laid horizontally on the vertical bed.

Nodding, Nathan grinned, "Because I'm letting you."

Chambers made a face, making Nathan start to bubble with laughter again. "Bull. Shit," Chambers countered. He patted the pile of pairs beside him and grinned, "You just don't have talent like moi big brother. And even if we were playing poker, I know that I'd whoop you in that too!" Nathan raised his brows.

"Oh really?"

Chambers gave a hard nod.

Nathan glanced at his brother and then sighed dramatically, shrugging, "I don't like Poker anyway." Chambers laughed, waving at Nathan to take his turn. Nathan studied his cards and made tiny humming noises. "Hmm..." He peeked over at his brother then looked at his cards, "Hummmmm..."

Chambers was grinning and rolled his eyes.

"Hm.... Okay. Okay, I got it." Nathan raised his chin like he was trying to peek at Chambers' hand, "Got any... eights?" Chambers gave his brother a flat look before taking a card and handing it over. Nathan grinned, adding it to his small pile of two pairs next to him. He looked at it and then balled his hand up in a fist, pulling it down as he proudly cheered, "Yes!"

Chambers scoffed when Nathan nodded, "See. I'm already turning this game around."

"You barely have two pairs!" he waved a hand, palm up, at the cards by his brother. His shoulders slumped once he let his hand drop to his crossed legs. Nathan scoffed back shaking his head with his lips pulled in. "That's how I throw you off baby bro. I have to make sure that your arrogance gets the best of you."

Rolling his eyes, Chambers shook his head. "You're so full of it." He leaned over the edge of the bed to grab his bottle of water. Chambers hissed in air as he rose up, holding his hand to his side. He sighed slowly before opening the bottle and taking a long sip.

Nathan looked away from Chambers side up to his brother's face. His face turned thoughtful and lowered a brow, "How you feeling?" Chambers nodded, closing up the bottle and tossing it to the side of him so he wouldn't have to bend over again. "I'm good. It honestly feels more sore than painful. Jennings did a damn good job of closing it up."

Chambers had spent a whole week in Nathan's room. He was unconscious for three days before he woke Nathan up with one of the tussles Chambers tore from the small couch pillow their mother brought in the day before. Nathan's nose twitched at something rubbing against it and swatted lightly until the something had rubbed harder and Nathan's eyes snapped open.