Faked an identity

"Tyler... Tyler! Wake up. Breakfast is ready," Nanny Alena calls, her voice calm yet firm.

Tyler jolts upright on the couch, blinking away the remnants of sleep.

He rubs his face, frustrated, as the problem he had been wrestling with the night before crashes back into his thoughts.

He pulls open the curtains, letting in the morning light. It confirms what he already knows: dawn has come, and his dilemma remains unsolved.

"No! Damn it!" he exclaims, running his hands through his hair. "I fell asleep! When? How?!" He paces the room, angered by his own weakness.

"Tyler?" Alena calls again, her voice carrying a hint of concern.

She has been with the Millar family since before the twins were born, her role more than just that of a nanny. To Tyler and Tayler, she's family.

Tyler opens the door and leans on the frame, still groggy. "Hey, Nanny. You never wake us up for breakfast. What's going on?"

"Your mother wants to introduce you both to a guest. She says to hurry downstairs," Alena explains with her usual composed demeanor.

Tyler's heart races. "Wait, has Tayler gone down already?"

Alena shakes her head. "No. She's still getting ready."

Relief floods him, and he bolts for Tayler's room. Just as he's about to knock, the door swings open, and they nearly collide.

Without missing a beat, Tyler ushers her back inside, closing the door behind him.

"Tayler, please. I need your help," he begins, his tone urgent. "This is the last time, I promise. I swear, I only did it for you. You never talk to anyone, you've never had a boyfriend, and Tanner seemed perfect-"

"You did it for me?" Tayler interrupts, her voice icy. "Spare me the lies, Tyler. We both know you didn't do this for me. You think I don't see through you? You did it because you thought it'd be fun to use me as some kind of pawn in your game. Well, I'm not playing anymore."

"Tayler-"

"No!" she snaps, cutting him off. "What you did was disrespectful. To me, to Tanner-"

"Tanner's fine! He-"

"I don't care!" she yells, her voice shaking with anger. "You can go ahead and deal with your mess because I am done. If you don't fix this, I'm telling Mom and Dad everything."

She storms out of the room before he can respond, and Tyler scrambles after her.

"Taylor! Come on, just listen-"

"I said, I'm not-" Taylor's voice cuts off abruptly as she steps onto the staircase. She freezes, her hand gripping the railing.

Tyler catches up, confused, and looks past her. At the bottom of the stairs, Tanner is standing in the middle of the hallway, halfway to the dining room.

He isn't moving either. His eyes are locked on Taylor, and the intensity of his gaze is enough to make Tyler uncomfortable.

What the hell is this? Tyler wonders. He looks at his sister, noticing her flushed cheeks. No way. Is she blushing?

Tayler, the introvert who avoids men like the plague, is staring back at Tanner as if she's never seen anything like him before.

The pink in her cheeks deepens, and for a moment, Tyler wonders if she's even breathing.

Around them, the room seems to hold its breath. Nanny Alena, Joe, and Rachael stand nearby, their expressions ranging from shock to mild amusement. Rachael, in particular, looks like she's trying not to smile.

Tyler clears his throat loudly, snapping everyone out of their trance. Tanner looks away, clearly embarrassed, and Tayler practically jumps back, spinning around to face her brother.

"I'll do it," she whispers, her voice trembling.

Tyler stares at her, stunned. "You'll what?"

"I'll do it," she repeats, louder this time. "I'll pretend to date him. Is that what you wanted?"

Tyler narrows his eyes, suspicious. "Wait. You're agreeing to this now? What changed?"

Tayler's gaze flicks to the floor, her hand pressing against her chest. "I don't know. He's just... too much."

Tyler groans. "So this is the type you've been waiting for all this time?"

Tayler doesn't answer, but her cheeks darken again, and Tyler has to bite back a laugh.

"Fine," he says, exasperated. "Let's go to breakfast. We'll talk about this later. For now, try to act normal."

Side by side, they descend the stairs. Tayler's usual calm demeanor is gone, replaced by a nervous energy that even Tyler finds unsettling.

As they enter the dining room, Tayler bypasses her usual seat and sits next to Tanner without hesitation.

Tanner looks at her, startled, but a small smile spreads across his face. Tayler returns it, and the tension in the room shifts into something else entirely.

Tyler sits across from them, watching the exchange with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Great. My problem's solved, but now I have to watch this nonsense.

Rachael finally breaks the silence. "These are my twins-though I'm sure you can tell just by looking at them."

Tayler offers a shy smile. "I'm Tayler Bricks Millar. Nice to meet you... uh..."

"Tanner O'Brien," he says, finishing for her.

Her smile widens. "Tanner O'Brien. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you, Taylor," Tanner replies, his voice warm.

Tyler clenches his jaw. Are they seriously going to flirt right in front of us?

He clears his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "I'm Tyler. You can probably guess the rest of my name."

"Tyler," their father warns, his tone sharp.

"Sorry," Tyler mutters, then turns to Tanner. "I'm Tyler Millar. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Tanner," the guest interjects, his smile never faltering. "Just call me Tanner. I'd like to feel at home here."

Tyler rolls his eyes. Feel at home? You're here for one night.

"Please, have some breakfast, Tanner," Tayler says, her voice softer than anyone at the table has ever heard it.

Tyler pushes his chair back abruptly after a half a sandwich and a glass of milk. "Thanks, Nanny," he says, leaving the table.

Rachael frowns as she watches him go. "What's gotten into him lately?" she murmurs.

Nanny Alena shakes her head. "I don't know, but he's been acting strange since yesterday."

Their father doesn't comment, though his gaze follows Tyler until he disappears upstairs.

Meanwhile, Tayler and Tanner remain in their own world, oblivious to everything else.