A/N: This chapter talks about middle child syndrome briefly, if you're sensitive to that issue proceed with caution. Or if you want more information on the topic let me know.

Lucas flopped onto his bed as he scrolled through the contacts of his phone, it was only the Monday of Thanksgiving break and he had already lost his cool. He desperately needed to hear his girlfriend's voice, and just talk out what happened. She answered on the second ring.

"Hello?" He heard a sniffle, a usual sign that she was upset and trying to not to show it, on the other end

"Riley? Are you okay?"

"Lucas? That you? I didn't look at the caller ID, I miss you." Riley answered ignoring his question completely

"Yeah, I miss you too Princess. I'm not bothering family time am I?" Riley let out a bark of a laugh on the other end

"No, I doubt they notice I'm in my room. I was just reading. What's going on babe? You sound like something's wrong?" He heard some shuffling on the other end; he assumed she was getting comfortable on her end.

"I just didn't have the best day. I needed to hear your voice." Lucas shrugged and picked at his comforter

"Oh babe, I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"

"Well me, Zay and Lena were out and about and we ran into some guys from school." Lena was Lucas' little sister she was only a year younger than him but was two grade levels below. She would have been a freshman but not knowing what she wanted to study, she was staying at home helping their grandfather with the ranch. "And they were just trying to rile me up obviously and like I tried to ignore them. But then they started making comments about Lena that were just so not okay and I couldn't take it anymore. I decked them and Zay had to pull me off."

"Oh Lukey" He heard Riley give a sympathetic murmur on the other end of the phone

"And Lena just looked so disappointed me, because I told her how I wasn't punching walls anymore and she was so proud." Lucas sighed, "We talked about it more though once we got home. So I felt better after that, but I still feel bad that I like lost it." Lucas gave a deep sigh, "But I guess I mostly miss you." He told Riley with confidence. He enjoyed the giggle on the other end of the phone and he knew she was probably blushing. "But enough about me, what's going on with you? You sounded off when you first answered. Is something wrong?" There was a moment of silence and Lucas thought he had lost her until Riley made an indignant noise,

"Things could be better, like if you were here." Riley spoke sounding dejected

"What's going on Princess?" Lucas asked the worry evident in his tone

Riley gave a deep sigh, "Its jut ongoing issue, its dumb. And I'd love to tell you about it. But it's mostly an at-home issue, and I'm at home. I've had conversations about it with my family before, but like. Its still happening and they don't get it when I bring it up. So can we put it on hold?" As much Lucas wanted to help his girlfriend he recognized that she did not walk to talk about it now, and he knew from previous experience that making her talk about it would only make her shut down.

"We can put it on hold, when we get back. You're sleeping over, and you can tell me about it then." He spoke in a gentle tone that usually made Riley to turn mush, he heard her give a sigh of relief on the other end. "So you said you were reading before I called. What were you reading?"

"Oh, I was about to re-read All the Bright Places for the hundredth time."

"Is it good? I haven't read it." He heard his girlfriend gasp on the other side of the phone

"Yes! It's amazing. You have to read it! You know what, I'll read it to you." And for the rest of break that's what the couple did. Lucas would fill Riley in on his day before she read to him over the phone until she got to sleepy. Lucas wanted to know what was going on with his girlfriend but was comforted by the fact that when he got back she would tell him.

Riley was sure that she had some separation anxiety from the days spent without being with her boyfriend. Sure they talked on the phone, she really did like reading to him over the phone. But she missed kissing him and the feel of his body against hers. So when they got back to campus and they were safety stowed away in his room she jumped on him attaching her mouth to his and threading her fingers through his hair. It wasn't long before they had both lost their shirts and Riley had acquired a fresh hickey on her shoulder blade and Lucas was spotting one of his necks. Once they had calmed down they got snuggly in Lucas' bed, Riley's shirt returned on her as Lucas looked at her expectantly.

"So I guess you want to know what was wrong over break huh?" Riley asked her voice timid

"I would love to know, if you want to tell me." Lucas told her brushing some hair away from her eyes, Riley sighed deeply

"To put it simply it's middle child syndrome. Basically in a family with a middle child, the middle child is often overlooked for the oldest and youngest of the family. That's my main issue." Lucas gave her a confused look

"But you're not a middle child?"

"Ah but Maya is older then me and she was basically my sister growing up. It was just her and her mom so my family adopted them essentially. And since Katy, Maya's mom, worked so much my parents saw it as their duty to look after her." Riley gulped trying to keep the tears away, "And even though Katy's gotten a better job and is more active now old habits die hard."

"Oh Riley-Bean, your parents love you." He gave her head a kiss trying to offer some comfort

"I know they do, I do. But when your entire extended family and immediate family is asking Maya and the rest of your cousins about their life and not you. It still hurts. And I know that I should speak up and share, but when you've been made to feel like you don't matter or no one wants to hear your stories its hard." Riley wiped some tears away. "I mean Uncle Shawn and Aunt Angela asked me about my photography because Shawn is a photographer and Angela is a writer so they always take interest. But then they had to go deal with their sons Chet and Henry. They're Auggie's age and they were messing around with Uncle Eric. My Aunt Morgans' and their kids weren't there. But everyone was all excited about Maya and what she was doing. And her new girlfriend." Riley gave a huff of dejection, "My Uncles kept telling me I was too young for dating so I didn't even to get to talk about you or share anything about you like I wanted."

"Oh Princess." Lucas gave her a squeeze and was about to offer more comfort but she was on a roll

"I mean Gramps likes you. Mom had apparently told him about how you're teaching me to box and he is over the moon that one of his grandkids will be able to box. He boxed in the navy and it was a big family thing. So the fact that you're teaching me already gives you major props with him." Riley sighed again, "But it just sucks to be pushed aside by your own family and I know they don't mean to and part of it is because I don't stand up for myself but I feel silly about it." Riley gulped as she felt tears pricking her eyes, "And then I get upset because this entire issue is one of the reasons I stayed with Paula for as long as I did too."

Lucas gave her a confused look, "What do you mean Riley?"

"It felt nice to be wanted like that, she didn't want to have to share me. And after feeling like I'm being constantly shared at home or pushed aside because someone more important comes along it was nice. And like obviously it backfired and just re-enforced these issues." The tears started to fall and Lucas was quick to wipe them away "And Lucas I am just terrified that one day they're all just going to forget about me. That I'll be forgotten by the people I love." And with that Riley fell into deep ugly sobs. Lucas pulled her into him, shushing her lightly as he stroked her hair and reassured her we wouldn't leave.

It hurt his heart to see his girlfriend like this. She was one of the most important people in his life, she kept him sane. Their friends loved her, and he knew her family did too. But that didn't stop the hurt in her heart. When she slowly stopped crying he pulled her into his arms and across his lap, cradling her and gently rocking her until her tears stopped, as did the resulting hiccups.

Riley looked up at him in awe, he always knew what she needed. She knew her family loved her and they wouldn't forget her. But it didn't stop the hurt in her heart she didn't need words; She needed someone who would hold her while she cried and Lucas was that person. Her heart swelled with love as she looked up at him. His bearded face and green eyes looking over her in concern. She loved Lucas Friar, and she could only hope he loved her too. Realizing this she knew she didn't want to wait one more minuets to tell him.

"I love you" Lucas gapped at her in awe; he was thinking the same thing as he looked down at the goddess in his arms. He loved her, but he was unsure if she was there in their relationship. He didn't want to freak her out. "I love the way you always know just what I need even when I don't, and that you let me handle my problems the way I want to. And I love the way you smile and the way you kiss me. I love the way you smell when we wake up and you don't care if I lay on top of you or if I have you on top. I love you Lucas, and you don't-" Lucas responded by action first, kissing her passionately on the mouth pulling away before things got too heated so he could tell her how he felt.

"I love you Riley. I love the way you smell like sunshine, I don't know how you do but you do. And how you always support me even when I know I've made a bad decision. I love it when you get tired and whiny and want me to lay on top of you. I love the way you smile because it does things to my heart that I didn't know where possible. I love you Riley Matthews." The smile that over took Riley's face made Lucas' heart swell and jump and he was sure it was going to explode. Just as Lucas' own smile was spreading across his face Riley once again attached herself to his lips only stopping when their chests were heaving in desperate need of air.

"Just to be clear, you love me?" Riley asked as Lucas nodded and pecked her lips, "And I love you. So that means we're in love." Lucas nodded eagerly kissing her again enjoying the elated giggle that was a welcomed change of pace from the tears of moments ago.

"Yes, we're in love. And now I can tell you I love you whenever I want to. And don't worry my Princess Riley-Bean you'll always be the number one for me." Riley giggled still high on Lucas

"I love that you love me, and that I can tell you that I love you whenever I want to." Riley leaned in for another kiss but was interrupted by her own large yawn. Looking over at the clock she noticed it was 1 am. "We should get some sleep love."

Lucas too glanced over at the clock, "We should my love, it's late and you had a pretty emotional night. You're feeling better right?" Riley nodded as Lucas pulled his comforter over them, as Riley got comfortable with her head in his neck.

"Yes I feel a lot better, thanks Lukey. I love you."

"I love you too Princess, get some sleep." He kissed her head and smiled down at his girlfriend as she smiled into his neck. The two of them were in love and he was sure with that, they could face any challenges that came their way.

A/N: Look at these two, so in love. What do you think of that? Thank you for reading! Don't be a silent reader let me know what you're thinking!