When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. That was the phrase that we usually hear, but looking at the way I've encountered the phases in my life, I'd say when life gives you lemons, make lemon tarts because making lemonade was just common. You've got to make the best of what you have.

I stopped typing and stared at my blog. Somehow I wasn't feeling really inspired to update my blog today, the words weren't flowing and I wasn't in a mood to write more about lemons or lemon tarts. It was funny how I was preaching about doing the best with what you have in life and yet mine had come to a complete stand-still.

I had absolutely nothing interesting going on for the past decade and was slipping into the mundane struggles of a woman in her late twenties. Almost the entire batch of kids that I studied with had moved on with their lives; successful lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs. Just take Kayla Andrews for example, she'd married her high school sweetheart, a basketball player and a baby was on its way.

And look at me.

Twenty-seven, single, still writing blogs, still having health issues and still baking cakes. Still the same. If you compared me ten years ago, you wouldn't find any difference other than the obvious one that I'd just grown older. To say my life was pathetic was an understatement of the century.

I stared at the bunch of roses crowding the window sill and couldn't help when a laugh bubbled up. The only interesting thing that happened to me after years was Tyler barreling into my life, and that was ironic because I'd never expected him to bring out all these emotions that I'd tried my best to keep hidden.

I felt seventeen again.

Honestly, it made me furious to think that he could be having a girlfriend back in London, and yet he was so shamelessly flirting with me, even asking me to come to his bed.

What a presumptions asshole.

I decided to call Archer and ask him about his plans. I knew I couldn't hold it against Maya, she'd been a consistent friend over the years and the least I could do is put a smile on her face.

I Skyped Archer on the laptop. It rang several times before he answered the call.

"Vicky-Micky...how did you remember me today?" Archer's face filled the screen. He had cropped his blond hair short, and his gray eyes appeared tired.

"Well, just wanted to see what my chef brother was up to."

"Just having a short break. Thought I'd take your call. What's up?"

It was twelve p.m here, and nine p.m in France. So we had about nine hours of the time difference between our countries.

"You're not going to believe this," I announced.

Archer gave me a wary look and said, "Tyler's back in town."

"You knew?"

Archer gave me a nod. "I knew about it a month before he came to town."

"And you didn't think it was important to give me a heads up?" Now I was downright pissed. My brother knew that Tyler was coming back to Cold-Bay and yet he hadn't told me about it.

Archer shrugged, "look, Vicky, I knew how you'd react and I didn't want you to worry. He actually called me three weeks before he was supposed to leave from London and asked...wait for it..." he smiled, "He asked my permission to come back to town."

That was news.

"Why in the world would he ask you permission to come back to his own house?"

"Because he plans to stay this time," Archer explained.

"But...but it still doesn't explain why he would ask you."

Archer gave me the look that said 'are you seriously asking me that question?' "He wanted to make sure you would be fine with it, and I told him you would be more than fine. I think it was high time you guys faced each other and solved this thing once and for all. How many years are you two going to play hide and seek?"

Yeah, he was one to talk. I wanted to throw that in his hypocritical face that he'd tried to avoid Maya in the same way.

And why the hell was I entitled to listen to his lecture?

Did Archer even know what kind of permission he had given Tyler without even realizing? Tyler was a snake, the same type that he kept coiled around his neck. He'd asked Archer permission to come back to town and harass me to sleep with him. He hadn't said the words out loud but the meaning behind it remained. And my naive brother had said yes.

When it came to Archer, he was so easily manipulated by Tyler, he didn't even realize it.

"You're an adult, Victoria, and so is Tyler, so stop hiding behind me, and deal with it."

That really did sting. He knew perfectly what happened all those years back. He knew the heartache that Tyler caused me when he left and to think Archer would say something like that.

Staying mute, I turned the laptop screen around to show him the room. The large bouquet of roses was moved from the living area to my bedroom so now every available space on the floor was covered with the flowers.

His eyes stared into the background. A threatening silence fell over the room. And then he gave me a look filled with uncertainty, "don't you lock the doors?"

"He picked the locks. I'm debating whether I should report this to the police."

Archer looked resigned and almost tired of this entire situation with me and Tyler. "Cold-Bay is Tyler's home as much as it is yours. And we already knew this was going to happen when it was time for him to take over Lockhart Enterprises."

"I'm aware. Don't speak to me like I'm a baby."

"I don't want to fight, Vicky. Change your goddamn locks. Put huge bolts on it if you have to. It's possible there's a logic behind this, he's trying to make some point."

I heaved a sigh, tired of arguing. "When are you coming back here?"

"Next month."

"That's too far." I blurted out.

"Is this about Maya's birthday?"

I couldn't lie to him. "Yes."

"I don't think it would matter if I attend the birthday party or not."

"Wouldn't it?"

"I don't know what to say."

"You're an adult Archer, and so is Maya, so stop hiding behind me and deal with it." I threw his words back at him and gave him a satisfied smile when I saw him trying to come up with a retort.

"It's not the same thing, and you know it." He said softly.

"Are you sure?" I taunted.

"Those siblings are fucked up. Why are we fighting over them?"

"I don't know. I think we're fighting because you're acting like Tyler's attorney."

He stared at me. I stared back. We usually did this. Stare back at each other until the other gave up.

"Okay, fine. I'm going to turn up at the birthday, wish her and then I don't need anyone to tell me that I didn't try to at least stick being friends with the Lockharts. Happy?"

Wow. I never thought it was going to be this easy to convince him.

"Vicky-Mickey, I care about you."

"I know," I replied.

"I want you to be happy. I know these last years have been really harsh on you, so when Tyler told me that he was coming back to town, I thought maybe that will cheer you up, even if it's just a little." Archer's gaze softened. "Was I wrong to assume that?"

I could lie and say yes, but what was the point of lying to your twin? "No."

I was shameless, wasn't I? After everything that had happened, I was still glad that Tyler was back.

"You're a strong woman, you've been through enough and I think it's time you faced all your fears head-on."

I didn't say anything, because I knew he was right.

"If he's bothering you, just tell me. I'll talk to Ty."

"Don't worry. Nothing I can't handle." I smiled.

He laughed, "That's good. So...uh...I'll book my ticket right away."

"Okay."

"How's Haze?" He asked.

"The usual."

Archer smiled. "I really miss you guys."

"Well, we miss you too, Ugly." Hazel chimed in from behind me. "Come home fast, your princess can't stop talking about you to the point where it's getting annoying."

Archer and I exchanged glances. He and I both knew she was talking about Maya.

"First of all, she's not my princess and second of all, I'm quite certain she's dating someone else."

"No, she isn't," Hazel said, and then passed me a look that I couldn't quite place. "She might as well die celibate waiting for you, Archer." Hazel gave me a dreamy look, "Like a princess waiting in her tower for her handsome prince. How romantic. Although I really don't consider you as a prince material, maybe it's because you're my annoying older brother. I'm sorry to say that..."

Hazel blabbered on. Archer and I tuned her out. Maya wasn't dating but that didn't mean she wasn't sleeping with anyone.

"Can you find something to shut her mouth?" Archer asked me. "A tennis ball or a ball of cloth would suffice."

"It's been what? Eighteen years. I haven't found anything suitable for that big mouth."

Archer turned away from the screen and spoke to someone in the background, "alright, I'll be there." He turned to us again, "ladies, I gotta go. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Bye," Hazel called and shut the laptop screen, kinda similar to shutting the door on someone's face.

"Hazel, that was rude."

"Well, he does it to me all the time. It was payback."

I suddenly noticed her clothes; jeans, and a tight fitted halter top. Her dark hair was curled, and her usual black eyes rimmed with a thick coat of eyeliner, winged perfectly, giving her the cat-eye look.

"Going somewhere?"

"Um...maybe I'm going on a lunch date."

"Don't want to appear nosy..."

"Well, you already are. I know what you're going to ask."

I ignored the remark. "Going on a date with whom?"

"It's a secret." She said and started fixing her appearance in the mirror, applying a very heavy coat of red lipstick.

"I pity that fellow you're dating. Must be a hard life, having you breathing down his neck constantly."

"I don't breathe down his neck. Just kiss the life outta him."

"Is it Travis by any chance?"

She whipped her head so fast, I suspected it had dislodged from her body, the outcome was the lipstick dragging across her cheek and leaving a red mark. "Travis who?"

"How many other Travis's are there in this town? Of course, I'm talking about, Travis Lockhart. Tyler's youngest cousin."

She waved her hand dismissively, "Trav is just a friend. You already know that, Vicky."

A friend who sleeps in bed.

I just nodded. "Just be careful."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm always careful."

"I mean careful with him. He's a sweet guy, Travis, but they are all the same. Deep down."

Hazel made a sorry face. "They can't help it right? Their dark pasts I mean. How many people in this world can say 'Ohhh I have immense wealth but you know what, our great-grandma committed suicide in the barn, who is actually suspected to be murdered by our own grand-father. Oh, and our aunt, she jumped from the third story of the mansion. Not to mention our uncle, he checked into an asylum every chance he got. And let's not leave out the part where our brother got his girlfriend..." she stopped talking because thinking of what happened to Phoenix Lockhart's ex was horrifying as it is. "Coincidences much?"

"Can't help but feel sympathetic for them." I said, "their life is a horror movie."

"And we star in it."

That had me laughing, despite the seriousness of the topic.

She put her arms around me from behind and kissed my cheek. "Wanna come with me? It's just lunch."

I shook my head. "I don't think so. I'd rather write my blog and maybe go to the bakery later on."

"You're no fun, Vicky-Mickey. You're sounding more like a grandma. Well, do you want me to call Tyler over for company?"

"Do you want me to boil and skin you alive?"

"Aww...so much love." Hazel gave me a tight deliberate squeeze that almost took my life. "See ya later, sis."

She picked up her handbag and made her way out of the door, shutting the door behind her. I heard the sound of the descending footsteps and only then did I open my drawer and pulled out the little box I kept hidden.

Inside were many of my treasures, those connected to Ty.

I picked up a button and stared at it, thinking of all the bitter-sweet memories surrounding it. There was also a charm bracelet and a necklace. Although it was pricy, for me it was all priceless.

Little toy figures from the LEGO set were cluttered inside. From his LEGO set. Stolen by me when we were kids, it was my revenge for stealing my favorite Hello-Kitty key-chain. I put the LEGO figure back and picked up a shirt button. I held it close to my heart. There was another box just below, which I never dared to open because it reminded me of a Pandora box, a pandora box filled with just pain and despair.

My eyes drifted towards the corner of the opened lid. A folded piece of paper was inside it. I pulled it out.

It was undoubtedly Ty's handwriting.

A shiver ran down my body when I thought of the possibility that he was in my room last night, in my freakin bedroom going through my things, and looking down on me while I slept like he was freakin Edward Cullen.

I walked to the bed and moved the pillows and right there under the pillow was a single rose, the most beautiful one, bloomed to its full potential.

There was a Polaroid picture of me sleeping with my hair spread around me like white wings.

❤️