Page 56 of The Prime-Time Experiment

“Yeah,” she said, a fraction too quickly. Then, after taking a calming breath, “I’m excited to be here.”

Declan smiled, stepping out of the way to hold the door open. “Come on in.” The shift from outside to inside was immediate. Warmth hit her first, followed closely by noise and movement. Tyler crossing through the kitchen. Ebony seated at the table. Two unfamiliar figures further inside the house, partially obscured by shifting bodies and uneven light.

Riley’s shoulders drew in slightly, subtle enough to go unnoticed by most. Her focus sharpened, tracking movement, tone, positioning. Mapping the environment.

“Riley!” The voice was bright, warm, and entirely unhesitating.

Leanne crossed the room before Riley had fully oriented herself, closing the distance with an ease that didn’t ask permission. There was no pause, just immediate welcoming.

“Oh, it’s so lovely to finally meet you,” she said, her hands briefly resting on Riley’s arms in a gesture that was instinctive rather than intrusive. “I’m Leanne.”

Riley stilled for half a second at the contact, then adjusted, allowing it.

“Hi,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Leanne pulled back just enough to take her in properly, her expression open and kind in a way that didn’t feel forced. “We’ve heard so much about you,” she added, a smile touching her mouth.

Riley’s attention flicked instinctively toward Declan. He was watching, but not stepping in.

“We have,” Leanne continued, undeterred. “And not just from these two—” she gestured lightly toward Declan and Tyler “—but apparently the entire internet as well.”

There was humour in it, light enough not to feel intrusive, but Riley still registered the shift. Attention narrowed toward her, expectation entering the room alongside it. Her fingers curled instinctively against her palm.

“I didn’t intend for that.” She wasn’t sure whether it was a criticism or a statement.

“I didn’t think you did, darling,” Leanne replied gently. A statement, then.

A quieter presence stepped forward then, filling the space beside her without disrupting it.

“I’m Charlie,” he said, his tone steady, easy. “It’s really good to meet you, Riley.”

There was no rush in him, no pressure to perform. He simply existed there, calm and grounded in a way that softened the edges of everything else.

Riley nodded once. “You too.”

Behind them, Tyler called something out from the kitchen, Ebony responded with equal focus, and the room shifted again; movement, sound, overlapping conversation threading through the space. Riley’s attention flickered briefly, tracking it all, her mind attempting to hold each thread at once, then a small, familiar presence appeared beside her. Ebony.

“I’m really glad you’re here,” she said. No hesitation, just certainty. Riley’s shoulders lowered, just slightly.

The noise in the room didn’t disappear, but it dulled at the edges, easier to filter, less intense. Riley looked at her, something shifting quietly beneath the surface, something she didn’t have a clear framework for.

“Thank you,” she said, softer than before.

Ebony nodded once, like that was enough, and reached for her hand without looking at her. Riley glanced down at the contact, then let it happen.

Tyler stood near the table, one hand resting loosely against the back of a chair, his attention flicking between Declan and Riley with a look that held more understanding than curiosity. He didn’t approach immediately, just stayed where he was, giving her time to adjust without making it obvious that he was doing so.

“Alright,” he said lightly after a moment, tapping the chair once. “Before Mum starts interrogating people at the door, can we all sit down?”

Leanne turned to him with mild offence. “I do not interrogate.”

“You absolutely do,” Tyler replied easily. “It’s just friendly.”

A small ripple of laughter moved through the room soft and contained. The tension didn’t disappear, but it shifted, loosened enough that Riley didn’t feel that same nervousness as before.

They moved toward the table gradually. Riley followed the movement rather than leading it, her attention still tracking; who moved first, where people positioned themselves, how the space reconfigured around them.

Declan pulled out a chair without comment, not looking at her as he did it. Just… making the option available. Riley took it. Ebony remained close, still holding her hand until the last possible moment before slipping into her own seat.