So....that happened.

7|Morning!

Riley set her phone down, somewhere on the kitchen counter. She was persuaded that the stranger was just being flirty or silly. Nothing serious. After all he was very much still a stranger to her. The thought of him flew out the window the moment she heard hasty little steps down the corridor.

"LILLYYYY!!!!" The kid ran straight to her arms, holding a teddy covered in drool in one hand and a sugar coated candy in the other. Fletcher was the last of a very long list of step-sisters and brothers. Hopefully the last. She thought as she picked up the toddler and sat him on her hip. "Hi little devil!" The house only just waking up and the chatter grew louder in the kitchen as the rest of them followed. Arden, Maxence and Prudence (the twins), Layla, Danny, Garret, Vera, June and Tobias. They were all here, loud and well.

Riley was somewhere in the middle. She always has been but never complained about it because she always has had the attention of the elder ones, Arden and Toby, and the admiration on her younger sisters and brothers. "Morning Lilly" Prudence greeted her with all her teeth and breakfast out. "Oh god...Prudie, how many times do I have to tell not to talk with your mouth full!" Riley scolded her. She sat Fletcher in his baby chair as she twirled around the kitchen to get her baby brother's milk. "Ouch!" Max cried as she stepped on his toe. "That hurt!" He hissed, shooting a cold stare at his big sister. "Sorry Max...Little tyke" she grumbled under her breath. Danny heard her and smiled as he sat watching the scene from the kitchen table. Max was always one to know how to throw quite a tantrum whether it was to get what he wanted or simply annoy the lot of them.

"Toby? Tobyyyyy! Can you get the cereals up there please? Tobyyyy!" Layla's voice was annoyingly shrill, they blamed it on their mum she was so chatty. Tobias quickly followed orders, glad that his sister would soon be stuffing her mouth. Arden set the rest of the plates down on to the table, scrambled eggs, toasts and marmalade, while the morning tea was still infusing. He was quite the chef. He and Vera worked together in a small pub they owned in Brooklyn. Both had never known the life in England; they were born here, in America. Their mother had never known to stay in place, she was free-spirited, too much maybe to stay in a stable relationship. Riley sometimes envied the twins for being real siblings.

"Riley, your phone's ringing. A certain 'Dog Owner' I think..." June said. Suddenly, the noise was drowned out by her phone's ring, her cheek grew a dark shade of red as she left the room, her phone on her ear.

"You called...I can't believe you called..." She did not bother to say hello. The boyish chuckle at the other end of the line caught her off guard. "Yeah. Now that you can hear me: Hi I'm Tom, nice to hear you." The chuckle turned into a cheeky laughter. "Riley?" He called, the silence on the other side getting too long. "Sorry I forgot to laugh..." She ironized. "Oh c'mon, that was actually funny!" His voice was not too low, not too high and she wondered whether she liked it or not. "Not really no."

"You don't laugh a lot, do you?" He inquired. She was looking out the window, it was still dark outside. The picture he sent her slowly resurfaced in her memory and she could picture his face quite clearly now. It was vaguely familiar..."Tell me Tom, what kind of performer are you?" She asked out the blue. He coughed then cleared his voice. "I'm an actor." "I thought so." She admitted. "You did? Why didn't you say something?" There was no accusing tone, no harshness in his voice. She guessed he was just curious. "I don't know, really. I just assumed you wouldn't want me to cover you with compliments. People like you don't need those." She said that last sentence in a jokey way. "But you're wrong!" He faked the hurt in his voice. "People like me aren't loved enough, in my humble opinion!" That's when he heard the melodic sound of her voice in a sweet laugh. He liked it very much. "Poor you! Poor little dog-loving Tom!" She chuckled. They laughed for quite some time before she was ready to hang up the phone. "I like your voice." He said slowly. "I don't like yours" she admitted. He scoffed." Well then goodbye! I won't bother you again, you brat."

"Goodbye Tommy Boy. It was nice talking to you." She chuckled and smiled as she hung up.

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Let me know how you like this kind of chapter!

XO Milo