[A/N: Songs for the chapter: 
- Taylor Swift // Enchanted]

Sitting at the kitchen counter with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, I prodded at the soggy marshmallows that fought to stay afloat.

As soon as Rosemary saw me standing there drenched from the rain, she hurried me into kitchen and towelled me dry like a stray puppy before insisting that she make me my once favourite mug of hot chocolate.

I smiled at the fact that she still remembered my - and Taylor's - favourite hot drink.

She spent the entire time gushing about how she thought she'd never see me again because I hadn't set a foot inside the Miller residence since Taylor had passed away, except to collect some of the sentimental photographs, letters and clothes she had left for me in her will.

"So what are you doing here?" She asked with concern lacing her voice. "Is everything okay?"

I focused on the mud brown liquid that swirled against the floating marshmallows which reminded me of icebergs, white and lightweight.

"Everything with is fine except where it concerns Tyler."

My voice sounded exhausted and I wondered how much of a mess I looked right now. Self-consciously, I began to unbraiding my hair so that it could dry faster.

"Oh no, he's not doing drugs, is he? His parents threatened to send him away for good if he ever went down that path again!" She gasped, turning around and freezing as she rummaged through the fridge.

The shock on my face stopped Rosemary short as her cheeks tinged with shame, flustered and bright pink.

"I'm sorry, it's nothing to concern yourself by," She smiled; it held a flicker of guilt because she had let too much information about Tyler's personal struggle slip.

A numbing ache began to press against my skull and I rubbed my temples as my mind began to go into overdrive. What had happened to Tyler since I stopped paying attention? I gave up trying to help him after his sister's anniversary last year, and from the sounds of it, he had spiralled further out of control than I had imagined.

I was just about to delve deeper into the matter of drugs when Rosemary strode over to me to, taking my finished mug since I had pushed it to the side. My stomach churned, tense from the confirmation that Tyler was still having a hard time getting over his sister's death.

She squeezed my shoulder, drawing the subject to a close.

"Will you be staying for dinner?" She smiled at me with her kind brown eyes. They glittered with excitement, coaxing me to cave in and accept the invitation.

My eyes flickered to the ajar door to my left, giving me a perfect view of the extravagant dining hall. Knowing that the ebony long table could seat up to sixteen people, my eyes found Taylor's seat beside the head of the table.

Sliding my gaze back to Rosemary, my shoulders deflated.

I had no place in this household anymore, not since Taylor had passed away. Not that I wasn't welcome - the twins' parents and Rosemary loved me - but it just didn't feel right to sit in the vacant seat that Taylor had left behind.

Not to mention, Tyler obviously didn't like me very much, or at all.

I shook my head vigourously, spraying spots of water on the floor as the ridiculous invite settled in.

"Does Tyler even know that I'm here?" I asked Rosemary.

With a sad smile, she accepted my decline and started opening cupboards, pulling out pots and pans. The sound of clanging metal filled the room, bouncing off the largely spaced walls and creating a soft echo.

"He's still sleeping but he should be waking up soon because dinner is in about an hour and we both know how cranky he gets when he's hungry," She chuckled, sending a warm smile in my direction.

"Is it okay if I wait for him to wake up? I need to talk to him about something important," I pursed my lips, anxious at the prospect of apologising to Tyler.

"Sure sweetheart, do you want me to make you another hot chocolate?"

I nodded, leaning back in my seat as Rosemary filled the silence with her sweet, happy whistling. Occasionally she asked me about school and how I was holding up, but most of the time, her chirpy tunes filled the comfortable silence between us.

It wasn't too long before Tyler trudged down the grand, spiral staircase with heavy eyelids and a monstrous yawn.

"What's for dinner? You promised to make me apple pie yesterday," He grunted, scratching the back of his head.

Tyler stumbled into the kitchen with boxer shorts and a faded, aqua soccer jersey that had two holes above it's fraying hemline. It made his eyes look like a glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea from one of those travel postcards, bottomless and blue, with soft sea-green tides that made my heart leap to my throat.

They briefly met with mine, widening a fraction in utter shock before he recomposed his facial expression into one of disbelief and seething anger.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tyler hissed a chilling tone, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed against his chest.

Although he tried to feign carelessness, his bright eyes burned into my face and he was rigid as a pole.

"We need to talk," My voice betrayed me, cracking slightly.

I cleared my throat as he ran his slender fingers through his wild bangs, smoothing the upright locks.

"Piss off!"

He spun around and headed back upstairs; leaving me with a throat so tight that I was forced to inhale through my nose.

The slam of his bedroom door sent a harsh jolt through me and I jumped. I gathered my things, hastily tucking my curls behind my ears when they curtained my face.

"Thanks for the hot chocolate Rosemary but I need to go. My mum is expecting me home soon." I announced in a robotic voice, not trusting myself to use a normal tone because it would be squeaky and wearisome.

Concealing my defeat, I squared my shoulders and strode out of the kitchen.

"Wait dear!" Rosemary waddled over to me and wiped her flour-stained hands on her apron. "What just happened right now?"

Her inviting kindness lured the story out of me so I told her about our project and how I'd snapped at Tyler. Towards the end she had a knowing smile playing on her lips, stretching them back to reveal her slightly crooked teeth.

"So that's why he desperately asked me to teach him how to bake cakes." Her laugh was light but it didn't reach me.

Her words sounded muffled as if my entire head was submerged in water. Guilt swallowed me whole as I choked upon my next words.

"He asked you to teach him?" I squawked.

She nodded; her smile widening whilst my guilt increased.

"What the hell have I done?" I muttered to myself, burying my head into my hands before dragging them across my face. "What should I do now?"

"Make amends," Rosemary suggested kindly as she gestured for me to go upstairs.

Turning to the right, I arched my head and stared at the rich, velvet carpet that covered the winding staircase. My arms slowly reached out and brushed the glossy, wooden banister.

"I can't..." I bit my lip with uncertainty. "He hates me and refuses to work with me. I don't know what more I can do to convince him."

Rosemary's mud brown eyes sparkled the way water glimmers when a ray of light reflects off it. They regarded me carefully as I curled my fingers around the smooth banister, letting my fingers trail the spotless surface.

"You have nothing left to lose dear, what harm is there in trying one last time?"

She had a point. If I walked out, he wasn't going to work with me, but if I made an attempt to get through to him, maybe - just maybe - he might agree to work with me again.

Kicking my muddy shoes off, I dumped my stuff at the foot of the first step and tiptoed up the stairs, terrified to make a sound, let alone breathe.

On the way to his room, my heart clenched violently as I passed Taylor's old room, but I swallowed the lump lodged in my throat and forced myself to enter Tyler's neighbouring room.

Nothing had changed since the last time I had been in here. His room still consisted of the very same mural of the terrific solar system that wrapped around the four largely space walls of his domed room. The ceiling caved out where the painted night sky clutched it's tiny scattered star lights which lit up the room, making it very easy to spot Tyler slumped against the foot of his platformed king sized bed with his eyes shut tightly and his headphones on.

His dark blond eyebrows were furrowed together and he was frowning in his sleep which worried me, along with his bad posture. He had one knee up whilst the other leg was stretched out in front of him.

I didn't know why I assumed he was asleep, but the serenity of his face reminded me of an undisturbed expanse of water, except for the fact that he was frowning.

People don't frown in their sleep, do they?

Either way, he didn't notice my presence so I tiptoed towards him, curling my socked toes on his soft plush carpet. I winced at the remembrance of the painfully, sweet moment we had in his room in ninth grade and sighed before stepping forward and clearing my throat. Remembering that he couldn't hear me, I twitched my fingers, terrified to shake him awake.

Just as I was about to reach out and gently nudge him awake, his pale lids flung open with annoyance.

"I thought I asked you to leave me alone in the kindest way possible."

I jumped out of my skin and would have rocketed out of the roof if Tyler's tight grip on my wrist hadn't held me in place. Rolling my eyes at his comment, I pressed a hand to my chest and willed my racing heart to calm down.

"No," I breathed with determination. "Not until you hear me out."

"And why would I do that?" He ripped off his headphones with his free band and used the other to pull himself up, almost dragging me to the ground in the process. I slammed into his chest as he jumped to his feet, wincing my glasses dug into the skin beneath my cheek.

Knowing that it would do no good to complain, I rolled my bottom lip inside my mouth and paused until the pain ebbed away.

"I've said sorry!" I struggled to keep my voice even.

"A five letter word that has absolutely no meaning as to why you lost your shit today," He barked and pushed me away from him quite roughly.

I stumbled back, losing my balance momentarily until I grabbed onto his desk to steady myself. I pinched the bridge of my nose and ran a hand through my tangled flat curls.

"Look, I don't know what to say to you except that I want you to pass this assignment as much as I want to and that I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just tossed everything back into your face when you were trying and that was unfair and out of order."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "If that's all you have to say, get another partner and leave me alone Ashley."

The cold tone he used to say my name made a chill ripple down my spine and I had to curl my toes and stiffen back to keep my posture straight. Giving him a deadpan expression, I had to force myself to conceal my hurt.

I shook my head, struggling to get the right words out to convince him that I was truly sorry but my mouth worked soundlessly. No words came out and my tongue got heavier by the second.

After a moment of silence, I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes. I could feel the light pounding of what was probably going to be a killer headache as it pressed painfully against my skull.

Peering up at him, I ignored the hazy lines of the concerned yet irritated frown on his face and cursed my blurred vision. He seemed to be closer than I remembered and it took me several seconds to realise he was slowly edging towards me.

"Tyler, it's not that I need you to work with me again. I want you to work with me again. Please stop skipping class and at least try to work with me again," I muttered pathetically, cursing myself in my head for being anything but articulate.

"When I don't try, you get annoyed. When I do try, you're ungrateful. So now, I might as well do nothing."

Frustration swept over my nerves, tightening them until I ran my fingers through my hair. Tugging with enough force to draw pain, I winced and then let my hands fall, letting them hang loosely by my side. Desperate and losing hope, I planted my hands on his chest and craned my head up, pleading him with my eyes.

"I told you already, I'm sorry. I just want us to be partners again. You know that you're much more creative than I am and that's what Ms Smith is really looking for. She isn't grading our baking skills, she grading our creativity. I'm the practical part of this group, baking the cake and all that crap, but you're the most important aspect; you're the creative one who can come up with the craziest combinations."

He drew his eyebrows together, confused as to where this was leading.

"Don't give me that look," I continued, "I know about your crazy food experiments - you used to boast about fries and frozen yoghurt to Taylor and I all the time!"

The mention of his twin made his eyes cloud with a wistful look before he finally sighed, defeated and probably just exhausted as I was of all this fighting.

"Okay, maybe we can be a team again--" Tyler started hesitantly.

"Really?" I cut him off but the corners of his mouth twitched as his eyes setlled on my hands.

"Only if..." He trailed off and pursed his full lips together until they disappeared.

"Only if what?" I asked eagerly, eyes bright and alert.

I was willing to give up just about anything if meant getting Tyler back...and of course, passing the wretched assignment.

He looked pointedly at my hands on his chest. "Only if you stop molesting me. Your 'hands on' apology is starting to creep me out."

My mouth gaped open before I jerked away from him and glared at his amused eyes. Something in them made me reel back with astonishment. His eyes held a long-lost, boyish glint to them that he used to have whenever he used to tease Taylor and I. They rippled with a hint of mischief as they taunted me playfully, lingering on my eyes with enough intensity to make my breath hitch.

Realising that Tyler was capable of joking again rather than the fact that the joke was aimed at me, I pressed my hands to my cheeks and was mortified at the amount of heat they were giving out.

"Ha ha!" I grimaced, sarcasm dripping from my voice as I wedged a large distance between us.

Retreating out of his room, I heard his deep rumbling laughter as I slammed the door behind me. I pressed myself against the cool wood, leaning my head back so that my eyes were trained on the chandlier that hung from the ceiling.

Clamping my cheeks with both hands, I cupped them as a giddy smile crept upon my lips.

I was blushing.

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[A/N: And would you look at that eh? Blushing already? Haha.

Chapter 11: 'Smoking, Choking'

Hmm, I wonder what adventure our bad boy and protagonist are going to be taking ;) See you in a few days. Vote, comment and fan.

- Kaddy]