Chapter 135

“Really? But who could it be? Your parents have been gone so long, and their old friends have probably forgotten them. They haven't even mentioned your parents lately, let alone visited their graves,” Lindey’s words struck me harder than I anticipated.

The whole “out of sight, out of mind” thing? It's very real. Before, it didn't bother me, but hearing Lindey say it so directly stung.

“Maybe it was a mistake,” Lindey offered, attempting to reassure me.

I glanced at the tombstone, where my parents' names and photos were etched clearly. How could anyone possibly mistake that? It sounded like something you'd tell a child to calm them down.

“Maybe,” I echoed, simply agreeing to end the conversation. I'd already confirmed the flowers weren't from Lindey or Matthew, and it seemed unlikely they were from any of my parents' old friends. That left one possibility: this bouquet was suspicious, and I needed to find out why.

“Rea, don't overthink it. I'll ask Matthew if any of his friends visited,” Lindey said, trying to prevent me from spiraling.

I hummed in agreement. After reminding me—repeatedly—to attend Matthew's birthday, Lindey finally hung up. I snapped a picture of the flowers and posted it on social media with the caption: [Who's still remembering them?]

Lena called immediately. She must have a lot of free time these days to monitor social media so closely.

“What's going on?” Lena asked.

I explained the situation, murmuring, “I’m really curious who it could be.”

“You’re seriously going to the Johnston residence? Isn't that like walking into a lion's den?” Lena’s focus shifted from the flowers after hearing the rest of the story.

“It's bad if I don't go, but if I do, I'm worried something might happen,” I admitted, outlining my dilemma.

“That's why you need a guy to go with you. Even if things go wrong, you'll have backup. Plus, it might finally get Jace and his family to back off,” Lena suggested. “Has Hayden reached out?”

“He said no,” I replied, summarizing my conversation with Hayden.

She chuckled. “He's got guts. Why don't you just try dating him? Maybe you'll catch feelings, and then you'd have found yourself a good guy.”

I stared out the window. “I’m not in the mood for that, okay?” I knew Hayden well. He’d never been in a relationship before; if I dated him, he'd be fully committed. A half-hearted effort wouldn't be fair to him. Besides, Hayden wasn't someone to trifle with—I knew that from the moment I met him.

Lena understood and dropped the subject. Instead, she asked, concerned, “So what are you going to do? Should I go with you? Even if we can't make Jace and his family back off, at least he won't get a chance to bother you.”

I considered it. “I still need to find a guy.”

“Exactly! Just agree to Hayden's terms, and then—” Lena began, but I interrupted.

“Do you know any guys who'd help? Maybe I could hire one,” I suggested.

“Seriously? You actually thought of that?” Lena sounded shocked.

“It’s the best solution—no hassle, no strings attached,” I said, feeling pleased with my plan.

Lena sighed. “I know some guys, but they’re all respectable doctors. I doubt any would agree to something like this. Unless…”

“Unless what?” I asked.

“Rea, why don't you try speed dating or a matchmaking agency? There's a popular one online. You could attend an event and find a date. With the whole nation watching their social media, you wouldn't even need to officially announce anything to the Johnston family,” Lena suggested, though I could tell even she knew it wasn't ideal.

That wouldn't work, but her words sparked an idea—I could use a matchmaking agency to find someone.