Battling against the strong currents of wind that made my hair flap against my face, I slipped my hands deeper into my pockets as I walked quickly along the perpetually curving stone path that led me to the white oak double doors that opened up to the Millers' residence.

Hastily, I pulled a lock of hair away from my mouth and rocked back and forth on my heels when I reached the porch. Standing in front of the door, I think I stood there for a full minute before my finger managed to push the gold doorbell for three seconds. Receiving a negative response, I frowned and was about to try the brass lion knocker when the door swung open.

"Ashley dear!"

Immediately, I was enveloped into a warm hug and crushed into the arms of a woman who smelled just as prettily as she looked. Lavender, soap detergent and Chanel No.5 wafted around me like a blanket up my nose receptors went crazy with ecstasy, coaxing me to inhale deeply before I blinked with surprise and realised what was happening.

"Mrs M-Miller?"

I took a step back as she released her grip on me just enough for me to make out her fiery red locks and startlingly beautiful green eyes.

"You just keep on getting prettier and prettier."

I blushed at her comment and tried to hide behind my hair as her soft cat eyes searched my face and ran over my full length, taking in my distressed stonewashed jeans, battered chucks and wooly sweater. I wasn't exactly dressed to impress but if I'd know she'd be back home from one of her numerous business trips with her husband, I would've made more of an effort.

"Is Tyler home yet?"

She beamed at me as her eyes flickered towards the clanging sound coming from the kitchen.

"He's in there with Rosemary trying to make a wreck of my kitchen."

As we both laughed, her silvery one mixed with my nervous one, I took the opportunity to notice the new changes about her. I'd seen her a couple of times after the funeral but she was always dolled up for her joint-role at the company she shared with her husband, holding a bursting briefcase with numerous court cases. I mean, she was exceptionally beautiful but there were fine lines that were permanently etched around her eyes, lining her forehead to make her look heartbreakingly sad when she wasn't smiling or laughing.

Although those lines only appeared after Taylor's diagnosis, they never faded away and I was pretty certain they wouldn't ever disappear. Other than that, her auburn curls were cropped closer to her neck and she was decked out in a robe and fluffy slippers with a magazine in her hand.

Noticing my gaze she tugged at her robe and laughed.

"Daniel and I are home for a month before we fly to New York for our final case of the year and then we're back for Christmas."

I nodded and felt glad they were back. As a kid, I always thought they spent too much time away from the twins but since Taylor had died, their mom spent far more time concentrating on her job whilst their father stayed with Tyler for half a year before joining his wife. They came back whenever they could but I think the house just held too much memories for them.

"Is that Ashley?" I heard Rosemary call before her head poked around the doorway.

Smiling at Mrs Miller, I walked toward the kitchen, instantly drooling at the soft aroma of lemon that danced around me as I welcomed the sight of Rosemary tiptoeing over Tyler's shoulder and humming an encouragement at him.

"Am I late?" I asked as I approached them.

"No dear!" Rosemary turned around and gave me a brief hug.

At the same time, Tyler flashed me a mock irritated look over his shoulder.

"Yes! I sent you a text telling you to come at four and it's almost five."

"I told you I had to drop my stuff off home!"

"Yeah well I don't care," He shrugged his shoulders as he kept his back to me but I could just about hear the faint teasing tone his voice held.

"Whatever, it's not my fault it took half an hour to walk here since you basically live in the suburbs."

Rosemary smacked Tyler on his arm making him yelp quietly before he dumped white sugar and butter into a large, translucent bowl. He whisked the mixture until it turned a pale white colour and was light and fluffy.

"Why didn't you give her a ride, young man?"

Tyler shrugged his shoulders and just whirled his wooden spoon in tighter circles, only to receive a harder smack on the arm from his housekeeper.

"Rosemary!" He yelped loudly.

I bit back a laugh as I turned to the sink and washed my hands clean before patting them dry with a clean towel. Facing Rosemary as she instructed Tyler to crack four eggs, I leaned back against the counter and watched them before clearing my throat.

"So what do you want me to do?"

After giving Tyler a warning not to let the egg shells fall into mixing bowl, Rosemary asked me to get the little plate of lemon zest that she had previously prepared from the counter behind me. I grabbed it quickly and made my way to Tyler as he beat the eggs together.

"Add the zest Ashley and see the vanilla over there by the sink, put a teaspoon of that and salt into the bowl and then you, young man, can beat them into butter little by little, until everything is thoroughly mixed."

We carried out her instructions then she sieved a handful of flour and then passed the bowl to Tyler to beat again until all that remained was a nice, loose batter. I was given the task of pouring the batter into a greased oven tray and felt quite unnerved by Tyler's stare as his eyes followed me to the hot oven. Just as I was about to pull open the oven door, I felt his hand squeeze my shoulder as he gently pried the tray from my hold.

"What are you doing?"

Meeting his sea-green eyes, they held a faint and almost unnoticeable flash of concern as they flickered to the sweltering heat coming from the oven.

"Here, let me do it."

Reluctantly, I let go as he unclasped my shaking hands from the tray.

"You do realise that I'm capable of doing that myself," I commented.

"I know. But I also know you don't like being near hot things like fire," He replied nonchalantly, slipping on oven gloves.

Gaping at him, I froze still, wondering how he could possibly know about my phobia of fire.

Did he figure out the tragedy of my tenth birthday? Did he know about my father? Did he know about my nightmares?

I shook my head; it was completely and utterly silly because I hadn't told Tyler anything about my past and he couldn't have learnt it from Taylor because she promised me. So how else was he supposed to figure it out? I watched him nod towards my hands and I followed his gaze. They were shaking slightly, and quivering in unison when they should have been still.

"How did you figure that out?" I asked, my voice wavering as I pushed my shaking hands behind my back.

"My observational skills are pretty sharp."

As Tyler crouched in front of the scorching oven, he turned his head and I was taken aback by the look in his eyes. It made my chest inflate like a balloon until it was pressing painfully against my rib cage, threatening to explode any moment. When he kicked the door shut with his feet, I stepped back and stood beside Rosemary while she watched Tyler with an amused smile.

"How long is it gonna be in there?" He asked.

With his hands in his pockets, Tyler looked at us through a mess of blond hair that fell into his eyes.

"An hour at most. You kids go and entertain yourselves, then I'll call you down when it's done."

A deep frown formed on Tyler's lips as his eyes swept over Rosemary and landed on me. Feeling unnerved by the intensity of his stare, my eyes flickered to the messy pots and cake splattered counters.

"I'll help you clear up," I blurted.

Rosemary started to shake her head but I laid a hand on her shoulder and met her determined brown eyes.

"I insist," I said softly, frowning as the determination fled her eyes.

What was she up to? What was she trying so hard to achieve? I pushed the questions away when Tyler strolled out of the room, mumbling to himself about going to sleep. Once his blond head was out of earshot, I leaned towards Rosemary.

"That guy sleeps too much," I whispered loudly.

Suddenly, a deep voice bellowed as the footsteps on the stairs came to a halt.

"I can still hear you!"

Once they continued again, I sniggered before bursting into an echoing laugh when I met Rosemary's amused smile.

"What? That's all he ever does when we're not baking in class."

Her amused grin shrunk into a dazed half smile as her brown eyes glazed over with a longing look. "I can't blame him, it's how he deals with everything."

My own smile froze as my insides dipped and twisted uncomfortably. I don't know what this feeling was but whenever anybody mentioned Tyler's ongoing grief and sadness, my tummy churned like the feeling prior to throwing up.

"Forget I said anything dear," She muttered when she saw how quickly the smile on my face dropped.

As she scooped up a handful of dirty tools and plopped them into the sink, I picked up the discarded mixing bowl and followed her lead. The knot inside me continued to twist and turn like a restless child who couldn't sleep.

In addition to that, confusion swirled around my head as I tried to wrap my head around the idea that sleep could help somebody deal with grief. After my father died, I suffered from severe insomnia because not only did I have vivid nightmares but the idea of sleeping made me worry about never waking up again. So how on earth did Tyler turn to sleep to escape reality? It just didn't make sense to me.

"How does sleep help him?" I whispered quietly after we had gathered everything into the sink.

I felt Rosemary stiffen beside me, her hands freezing momentarily before they continued, adjusting the running taps so that lukewarm water bathed the unclean items. I didn't expect her to answer me but after a long silence she spoke up.

"It helps him forget."

Now I was even more confused. Forget what? His sister?

"If it's to forget Taylor, then it sure isn't working out very well for him."

Rosemary shook her head softly before peering up at me, the deep lines around her mouth tightening into a frown.

"No, not Taylor, never," She paused as if she was trying to piece her next words together carefully. "Tyler feels grief, sorrow, anger, anxiety, hurt, loneliness, hopelessness and guilt. He feels it all the time, interchanging between them so much that it wears him out and his antidepressant pills just make him emotionless which isn't as effective as true happiness is. So instead of taking the pills that he's been prescribed, he just sleeps because that's the only way he can see Taylor again and that is the only thing that makes him happy."

I frowned when she mentioned guilt but let it pass. Right now, I was just gaping up at Rosemary, trying to consolidate everything that she had laid out in front of me. I mean I always understood that Tyler was grieving and that he was devastated by the loss he had experienced. But it didn't occur to me that he would feel hopeless and angry and anxious. I didn't think that he'd lost the will to carry on with his former life because he felt he had nothing else to live for. I just assumed he couldn't be bothered to keep up with the pretence of being the soccer team's star striker anymore.

It never occured to me that he was angry about Taylor's death; I thought he understood that it was a natural occurence and there was nothing he could do.

Most of all, however, I didn't know how blind and stupid I was.

How had I missed all of this? Everything Rosemary had just revealed was there in plain sight so how were we all missing this every single day?

I guess we just weren't looking hard enough.

At first glance, Tyler came across as a scandalous bad boy who couldn't care less about high school or soccer or anybody else for that matter. But on a deeper level, he was just a hopeless guy who couldn't summon the energy to live the perfect life he used to lead.

All he really needed was help and a shoulder to share the burden of the exhausting emotions he had to carry around all the time. What he didn't need was to be is shunned like everyone had been doing for the past year and a half.

"I...I didn't realise," I croaked, tearing myself away from my deafening thoughts.

"Nobody does," She replied softly, gently reaching a hand out to rub my arm. "His father understands but doesn't know how to help him and his mother fails to see past her son's false smiles and effortless acting."

It was all an act. All of this, it was an act. Tyler was putting on an act and I fell for it.

I nodded slowly, trying to will the ache in my chest to go away but it just hardened, feeling heavier and more uncomfortable. It was so heavy that it was weighing me down making it much hard to stand upright.

I pulled out the nearest kitchen stool at the table and collapsed onto it, burying my head into my hands as I breathed heavily.

"What about therapy? Has he been seeing anyone about it?"

I knew the question was hopeless since I had firsthand experience on how useless therapists could be but sometimes they did work. It just depended on if they genuinely cared and if the patient was willing to let them do their job. I guess I wasn't willing to let Dr Jillian help me since none of her suggestions worked and she did genuinely care about me.

Rosemary's eyes glittered with anger before her shoulders deflated.

"They just hand him pills and coax him to talk when they're not actually listening and we both know Tyler doesn't do any talking. He's never been good at expressing himself."

I sighed heavily and just stared hopelessly at the marble table before me.

"Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?"

Instantly, my mood lightened but the heaviness inside me still remained. I nodded, propping my head up by using my elbows as I watched her retrieve a clean mug from one of the many cupboards.

"Don't feel too bad about it Ashley. I've definitely seen him improving lately."

The heaviness lifted a little. "Really? Like what?"

With her back to me, she opened a pack of marshmallows and scooped out three.

"You haven't noticed?"

I shook my head even though she couldn't see me.

"Noticed what?"

"These past few weeks, he hasn't skipped any lessons at school and his grades have increased to an average D."

A small smile played upon my lips as I realised that I hadn't noticed anything at all. I mean, I knew he hadn't missed any Home Ec. lessons but I didn't think he still bothered with his other classes.

She continued. "He's also picked up a soccer ball again and plays in the back garden much to his mother's dismay. She pays more attention to trampled tulips than her son rekindling his life's love again."

My eyes widened at the fact that Tyler was playing soccer again but I couldn't hold back the giggle that left my lips.

"Soccer was his only love." I agreed, remembering how many hours Tyler used to spend training and the amount of prestigious summer camps he'd been to.

He was famous in our town for his exceptional skills as a striker and had been spotted by many scouts before. We all believed that he would get a soccer scholarship and play for a major league team; well that was until Taylor got sick. He quit his captainship and gave up playing for good.

Rosemary's brown eyes gleamed with pride when she peered up at me from the steaming mug that she was stirring.

"I beg to differ," She smiled.

The smile reminded me of Mona and Blake but I pushed the image away. I frowned at her comment but broke into a wide grin when she gingerly placed the mug in front of me. Bending over, I inhaled the thick aroma of cocoa and sipped the creamy liquid.

"Be careful, it's hot–"

I winced and let out a hiss when the scalding chocolate seared my tongue. Pulling away from the mug, I flashed Rosemary a sheepish grimace. She laughed at me, wiping her hands on her apron before glancing at her wristwatch.

"The cake should be ready in about fifteen minutes so why don't you finish that mug and pop up to wake up Tyler."

Before I could protest, she disappeared into the garden, muttering about having forgotten to take down the washing. I dug a soggy marshmallow out of my warm hot chocolate and popped it into my mouth, holding back a moan as the sweetness overtook my taste buds. I spend another minute slurping the chocolate, trying to take my time but in the end I just downed the whole mug and swiped a hand over my mouth.

Standing up, I padded out of the room and curled a hand around the wooden bannister. I don't know why I felt nervous about waking up Tyler but my tummy flipped repeatedly to coincide with each step I took up the stairs.

Maybe I was just scared that he was going to tell at me to get out of his room.

By the time I reached his door, there was an orchestra thrumming inside my chest. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside and cautiously approached the bed. My hammering heartbeat halted at the sight of a sleeping figure metres away from me. I had to hold back a laugh at the fact that he was sprawled diagonally on top of his comforter with an arm bent behind his head and another draped over his chest.

When my eyes travelled over to his face they eagerly drank in his serene expression, almost widening at how much he looked like his sister. Of course Tyler's face was more manly, sprouting a light blond shadow on his chin and upper lip and his eyebrows were much thicker but beside that he was Taylor's living and breathing replica.

I had never, in my entire life, witnessed a face capable of emitting such beauty and innocence.

I laughed out loud at the fact that I thought he looked beautiful but it was true. He really did look beautiful; just like my best friend. Leaning over him, I called his name several times but received no response besides a light snore and a couple of inaudible mumbles.

Smiling to myself at the realisation that he was the type to talk in his sleep, I planted a hand on his arm and squeezed with little pressure, surprised by his bulging bicep.

"Taylor..." He choked out, followed by a list of incoherent words before he tossed and turned into a foetus position.

The smile died on my face. Overwhelmed, I whipped my hand back from his arm and concentrated on getting my rapid breaths to slow down but it was no use.

"Tyler?"

His face was contorted with immense agony and my heart rocketed when he let out a soft moan of pain.

"Taylor...please..."

He turned again, scrunching his face as he let out another moan whilst mumbling 'no' several times. I held back a whimper when he clutched a fistful of his sheets. My chest contracted painfully; I was well familiar with vivid nightmares and knew that I had to wake him up gently.

"Tyler," I coaxed quietly, using the back of my hand to stroke his cheek. "Wake up."

This time I was much louder and his eyelids flickered but remained closed. I squeezed his arm and tried to ignore my rapid breathing. He mumbled something again but all I caught was the words 'forever' and 'always'.

Trying not relish over how defined his muscles were, I applied more pressure but the only response I received was another pain-stricken moan and call for his sister. My eyes began to sting when he called out for his sister again.

"Tyler? Come on Tyler, wake up."

A soft whimper left his lips and I almost doubled over as my knees gave away. Collapsing onto the edge of his bed, I clutched my chest to ease the suffocating feeling that tightened my veins. I tried to count to sixty but was interrupted when his eyes flung open: disorientated, dazed and confused.

"Taylor?"

Frozen, I jumped off his bed and stared at the confusion swirling behind those sea-green orbs of his and felt the heaviness inside me returned. This time it weighed me down so much I nearly buckled but miraculously I stayed upright, using all my strength as I bit back my tears.

"No, it's Ashley," I whispered quietly, squeezing his arm gently.

"Ashley?"

The green and blue tides in his iris overlapped each other as the confusion increased and I felt my mind struggle to keep up with my thoughts. Hypnotised and intoxicated, I held his gaze and inhaled deeply before letting it out.

"Yeah," I whispered, nodding as I continued, "The cake is almost ready."

I caught sight of vulnerability in his eyes as they come into focus. Blinking several times, they morphed into outrage before he bolted upright and shuffled away from me.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?"

I stood up straight and stepped away from him as a scowled formed on his lips.

"Cake's ready," I muttered, feeling slightly hurt by the malice in his tone.

He raked a hand through his hair making it stick up into even more random directions. There was a slight sheen of sweat coating his brow and his forehead was wrinkled with apprehension.

"Cake?" Sea-green eyes lit up with recognition. "Crap, I totally forgot."

I rolled my eyes as he swung his legs over the bed and planted them onto the floor firmly before he rubbed the sleep away from his distressed eyes. Tyler tugged at his twisted shirt and stood up, towering over me as he stretched his cramped muscles. I let out a giggle when he released a monstrous yawn making him glance at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Still here?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I stormed out of his room, leaving him with an amused smile. Moments later I felt heavier footsteps follow after me so I picked up my pace. When I reached the stairs, I wasn't surprised that Tyler was right behind me considering the fact that his legs were ridiculously long and muscular from playing soccer everyday until sophomore year.

Taking the stairs two at a time wasn't a good idea but Tyler's close presence behind me made feel unnerved and slightly anxious, so I hurried down the spiral staircase as fast as possible. Since I was flying down the stairs and concentrating entirely on the proximity between myself and Tyler, I accidentally skipped two consecutive steps and fell short of the third one.

Suddenly, my entire body was leaning forward, crashing down to land on the fourth step. A short but panicked scream left my lips, echoing around us as I threw my arms out to brace myself. Immediately, a pair of arms shot out around my waist just before I face-planted the wooden steps and jerked me back with enough force to send me reeling backwards. Crashing into a brick wall face first would have been less painful than colliding into Tyler's rock hard chest.

"Ooof!"

My cry was muffled by a his shirt, but my heart - which attempted to leap out of my chest - flopped back down my throat and settled into it's place. It was deafeningly loud as blood rushed to my cheeks, emitting a scorching heat when I craned my neck to eye my saviour.

To my surprise, there was no amusement in his oceanic orbs. Just concern and great relief as they flickered between my eyes, searching them deeply before they scanned the rest of my face.

"Are you okay?" He breathed, warmth fanning my face as I nodded quickly and swivelled around, hoping he hadn't noticed my red cheeks.

By the time we reached the kitchen, my chest felt inflated again, threatening to rip out of my rib cage and I wondered how many times I would experience this feeling today. Maybe it was due to the fact that his large hands never left my body even when I carefully reached the end of the stairs. I think he forgot that his fingers were loosely clasped around my waist but I couldn't concentrate on anything but that. The skin beneath the area his hands were resting on was glowing red hot beneath my sweater and I couldn't pinpoint why.

Scratch that, I didn't want to pinpoint the reason why.

"What was that all about?" Rosemary glanced up as we entered the kitchen.

"This one," Tyler flicked a thumb in my direction before resting his hand back around my waist. "Nearly plummeted to an early grave."

He look down at me with an amused smile as I glared at him.

"I did not!" I said hotly, "I just tripped and lost my balance. It wasn't anything that big!"

"Considering how loud you screamed and how you clung onto me, I'm pretty sure you thought you were going to die."

"Like how you're clinging onto her now?" Rosemary interjected as her eyes travelled to Tyler's arm around my waist.

Tyler's glanced at his arm, confusion and shock fleeting across his eyes before they widened in horror. Immediately, he dropped his arm from me like he'd been burned and the glowing red skin around my waist instantly felt cold. Rosemary exploded into a series of chuckles as Tyler scratched the back of his neck, the tip of his ears glowing pink.

"Umm...so how's the cake?" I croaked awkwardly before clearing my throat and repeating the question.

She flashed us a grin and beckoned us over to observe the masterpiece we'd created. A jaw-breaking smile possessed my lips as I peered over Rosemary's shoulder.

"Woah, that looks..." Tyler started, his eyes bright as they drank in the sight before him.

"...delicious!" I finished off making him look down at me with a genuine smile.

My chest inflated but it had to be due to the cake. It was giving off such a mouthwatering aroma that I had to inhale the sharp lemon and sweet raspberry scent that wafted around us like a fog. The golden brown cake before us was sliced onto a silver platter, revealing the soft yellow inside that made me inhale the fresh citrus aroma and sigh with satisfaction. It would have been plain if not for the berry sauce that had been blended with the raspberries and drizzled it over the cake's exterior creating a deep red sheen that reflected in the room's bright light.

"So who's going to taste it first?" Her brown eyes sparkled as they flickered between the both of us.

She clapped her hands, rubbing them together as I barged Tyler out of the way and shoved my way closer to the heavenly cake.

"Me!" I yelped excitedly, bouncing up and down as she handed me a delicately thin slice.

Without thinking, I shoved the entire slice into my mouth and let loose a moan as I felt the lemon tang and sweet raspberries battle the sharpness of the berry sauce. It was like a heavy war was being fought on my tongue when I swallowed the crumbling soldiers, sighing as I grinned at my amused partner.

"It's so good!" I mumbled as I swiped my sleeve over my lips to wipe away the crumbs.

"I can tell," He laughed as he took a bite of his own slice.

I watched as he closed his eyes and rocked back and forth on his heels before he opened one eye and met mine. In that moment we shared an understanding. Returning his heartwarming smile, I sighed and picked up another slice as he shoved the rest of the slice. He swallowed in less than a second without evening bothering to chew it.

Laughing at the ecstasy written all over his lips, I picked up another slice making Rosemary laugh at my eager hands.

"That good?"

"Best ever!" Tyler and I said simultaneously making Rosemary laugh even louder.

Five minutes later and my exasperated partner scowled at me as I downed the final slice in less than a nanosecond.

"Wha? Nwot ma fwalt you're too swow!" I held a hand over my mouth and his scowl grew deeper.

"You're lucky that wasn't a banana cake or I'd make you vomit it out," He crossed his arms over his chest and grunted.

Swallowing the final mouthful, I looked at him in disgust, drinking in his stubborn expression as he leaned towards me threateningly. I stood my ground and peered up at him, folding my arms over my chest as well.

"And eat it yourself?" I scoffed and his nod made me bite back a laugh. I'd always known Tyler was gross but this was just nuts. "You're absolutely disgusting!"

Sea green eyes swirled with mischief and amusement.

"Banana cake is banana cake. It doesn't get much better than that."

I watched him push his hair from his eyes and frowned at him.

"Vomit banana cake is still vomit Tyler," I drawled.

His face grew a little green as he realised that I was correct.

"Okay, you can keep your vomit to yourself," His raked over my body with disgust and I choked a laugh when he used a high falsetto to say, "I'm so not interested anymore."

A series of giggles left my lips before they transformed into a deafening laugh. I threw my head back and closed my eyes as I laughed at the green tinge on Tyler's face. When I was done laughing, I wiped my teary eyes and met his sea green eyes before guffawing again. This time, a deep chuckle joined my high pitched giggles.

I bit my lip to control my laughter but every time I met his eyes my lips quivered into a grin even when he shook his head at me.

"You're crazy," He mumbled when we finally caught out breath but I just grinned at him.

"You're the one who genuinely wanted to eat vomit flavoured banana cake."

He looked like he regretted saying that when he grimaced at me.

"I'm never gonna let you live that one down Ty," I giggled again, clutching my torso as I leaned against the counter to support my weight.

For a fleeting moment, his eyes flashed with the strangest emotion before they hardened slightly. It was like my words had flicked a switch to darken his mood and suddenly his face was emotionless.

"What?" I asked nervously when the intensity of his gaze grew too much.

He shook his head making a blond mop fall into his eyes. Slender fingers pushed the hair away but it just flopped back into place because his head was lowered.

"You called me Ty," His voice was low.

A knot tightened inside my chest and my face became distorted with horror. I could feel the muscles around my lips tugging downwards as my cheeks burned hot red.

"Shit I'm sorry! I didn't even realise! It just slipped out-" I babbled, only to be silenced by Tyler's hand gripping my arm and tugging me closer.

Sincere eyes searched mine, snatching the guilt and anxiety from my face and replacing it with a calm and serene feeling. Only problem was that my chest began to inflate again and my breath hitched slightly. I guess I was feeling angry with myself for calling him that when it was it was Taylor's little nickname for him.

"Don't worry about it Ashley."

"I..." I trailed off, struggling to choke the right words out as I fingered the loose threads hanging out of my sweater. "I didn't realise."

Reading my mind, Tyler's eyes softened making my insides swell up with a feeling I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"It's just that nobody has called me that since..."

I nodded slowly and stepped away from his hold, placing a considerable amount of distance between us just so my body could stop inflating. Exhaling sharply, I mumbled an apology and began to retreat to the hallway when Tyler called out my name.

I turned around to meet his questioning gaze.

"Where are you going?"

Slipping my hands into my pockets, I pulled out my cell phone and glanced at the time.

"I have to be home in an hour for dinner."

He nodded and strode past me, long legs racing up the stairs. Before I could protest, he was already halfway up. Watching his blond hair flop about with each step, I absentmindedly rubbed my thumb over the screen of my phone.

"I'm just getting my car keys," He bellowed from his room upstairs.

Running a hand through my curls, I trudged towards the door and was just about to open it when Tyler jogged down the stairs, twirling his car keys around his index finger while he shrugged a fitted leather jacket on.

"Where are you running off to?" He asked as he leaned over me to open the door.

A refreshing fragrance with essences of lemons, tea tree and soap filled my nose as his hair tickled my face. I couldn't help but inhale deeply and felt severely disappointed when he pulled back and stood up to his full height.

"Thanks for the offer but I don't want to be driven home," I smiled at him gratefully.

"Why not?"

He eyed me carefully, cocking his head to the left in confusion. It was a cute act and somehow I managed to keep my thoughts intact, keeping my eyes trained on the space between his eyes since staring into the sea green orbs made me feel slightly flustered.

"Walking helps me clear my head. I sort of have a lot on my mind, you know?"

As he nodded with understanding, I expected him to retreat back to his room but instead he leaned over me again and pulled the door open.

"Come on then, it's getting dark."

Puzzled, I stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"Huh?"

"I said let's go."

Blinking at him slowly, his eyes bored into mine before I received an exaggerated eye roll. In the space of a second, I was transported from the Miller's hallway to their front porch in a single tug. I gawked at the fingers clasped around my wrist before blinking at Tyler again.

"Huh?" I repeated.

He rapped a knuckle against my temple and let out a low whistle as if he understood something he'd been trying to figure out for years.

"Yup," Tyler knocked my head again before pausing dramatically to listen for any sounds. "Definitely empty."

Snapping out of my daze, I smacked his hand away.

"Shut up, I have more brain cells than you have in your entire body."

"That must be one because you're an amoeba."

My mouth hung open and I shoved his shoulder so that he staggered off his porch.

"Take that back!"

"Nope," He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. "Truth hurts doesn't it?"

"Shut up!"

A slow smirk pulled the corner of his lips up as he held his hands out to the side and shrugged his shoulders in a dramatic fashion.

"Oh the beauty of ignorance," He sang in a lilting voice.

I gritted my teeth.

"Ignorance can be cured." I scoffed, arching an eyebrow before I raked my gaze over his body. "Stupidity, however, is forever."

And with that, Tyler's smirk dropped as I strode past him, purposely knocking my shoulder against his before I hurried down the cobbled path to escape him.