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“Happy birthday, honey,” she said as she hugged me. “The riding clothes are from Colin and me, along with the new barn boots and riding boots. Ian left you a jewelry armoire.”
She stepped back, patted my chest, and left me.
I set my bags on the bed and stepped into the closet. What did I need a jewelry armoire for? No one gave me jewelry.
Sitting on top was a long velvet box with a small white card that said, “Love, Granpa.”
I reached for it with a shaky hand. The Graeme ID bracelet given to every Graeme on their twentieth birthday stared back at me when I opened it. I took it out and smiled because Josh and the date were etched into the cool metal on the underside of the bar.
I put it on and pulled my phone out to snap a photo, sending it to Jasper before posting it on my Instagram account, captioning it:It’s Official.
The first heart was usually from Jasper, but this time it was fromKnightTimeDanc3r.
The guy’s posts never showed his face, and each image was of stables, horses, and races. Lately, there were a few of me thrown in there, with captions like:I love that smile, or when they’d taken a good closeup of my face:green is my favorite color.
Most photos were taken in the playhouse, so I knew it had to be one of Uncle’s students. Camille took time off to plan her wedding, and Mister Campton asked me to fill in for her. It was another step towards inclusion, and I took it.
Sylvie also joined us for rehearsals, helping with lines after Wallace changed it to a musical.
Jasper went with me in the beginning, but in the last week, he’d been busy doing something else. I didn’t ask. I trusted him.
Supper was different. Jasper didn't return, but I kept my thoughts to myself. Ian and Finn were still in the honeymoon phase, taking any opportunity to touch each other. If they weren't holding hands, they were kissing.
Mom and Colin argued during most of the meal, but that was normal. It was the only part of the night that was.
Sylvie and I were both odd man out. She stayed quiet, though. Something was going on with her, but I didn't ask.
After, I cleaned the kitchen while the couples went to their rooms and closed the doors. I checked my phone every five minutes, hoping for a message from Jasper. Instead, I had a private message fromKnightTimeDanc3r.
@KnightTimeDanc3r: Hi. How's your night going?
Did I answer? I didn't know who this guy was. Hadn't paid attention during rehearsal. Well, that wasn't true. I knew every person on the roster, but not well enough to chat with them on Instagram. If I responded, how personal did I get? I wasn't good at making friends. If Ian hadn't made me the lead in the last play, Jasper and I never would have had a conversation.
My phone vibrated twice more before I checked it again. Sylvie left after sweeping the floor, and I hopped up on the counter to read the messages.
@KnightTimeDanc3r: Shy, huh? It's okay. I get it.
@KnightTimeDanc3r: You're probably busy, anyway.
@Jo.GraemePlace: Not busy, no. Was cleaning the kitchen. How's your night going?
That wasn't smooth, but what else did I say?
@KnightTimeDanc3r: Not too bad. You answered.
Well, that told me nothing. How evasive were we gonna be?
@KnightTimeDanc3r: You comin' to rehearsal tomorrow?
@Jo.GraemePlace: I am, yeah. Will I see you there?
@KnightTimeDanc3r: Always. Well, I gotta get up early to feed the horses. Have a good night. See you tomorrow.
@Jo.GraemePlace: You, too.
Why did that happen? Who was this guy and why was he talking to me?
I checked the photo one more time, and out of the 100 hearts, none were Jasper's.
