RESTLESS HEARTS

CHAPTER 37

•SHAWN•

Ten minutes dragged on, and Josh clung to me like he was never planning to let go. Seriously, I figured he might be shedding a tear or two on my shoulder. I awkwardly patted his back, attempting to crane my neck to get a look at his face.

"You alright, bro?" His voice was muffled against my shoulder, but he managed to utter something.

"Think you can release me now?"

Finally, he let go and stepped back. Red-rimmed eyes confirmed my suspicion; he had indeed been crying. It almost made me want to chuckle.

"I honestly thought you were gone for good, dude. I'm just relieved you're back."

I managed a smile and sank into the office sofa. He settled across from me, grinning.

"So, tell me. What's the deal? What happened?"

I sighed, leaning back casually.

"It's a long story. We'll save it for another time." He frowned, staring at me, and I chuckled.

"Chill, man. I'm not going anywhere. We've got all the time in the world." He rolled his eyes in response.

"Sure. But life can throw curveballs, you know? One moment, everything's fine, and the next, kaboom! You vanish for a year. Almost two now, but who's counting?"

I chuckled, my gaze dropping to the table in front of me.

"You're wearing that 'something big went down' look."

Jules's face popped into my mind, and my stomach fluttered.

"Well?" Josh prodded.

"I met someone," I confessed at last.

"Okay. I bet you met loads of people in your year-long sabbatical."

"No, not just anyone. Someone I really like." His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really?" I nodded.

"Yeah. Her name's Jules. We met on the island, and she practically saved my life, man."

Josh leaned forward, his face lighting up with interest.

"Wow, that's awesome. I'm genuinely happy for you."

"I am too because I'm so in love with her."

His jaw dropped in shock.

"Whoa! Well, now I definitely need to meet her."

I nodded, smiling. However, my smile faded as I remembered the reason I had sought him out in the first place.

"Hey, um... I came to see you for a favor."

"Ouch. You hurt my feelings, man. You came all this way just to ask me for a favor?"

"No," I defended playfully. "The favor is just part of it, okay? It's not the only reason I'm here."

He playfully glared before crossing his arms.

"Alright, what's up?"

I clasped my hands in front of me, a knot forming in my chest.

"I need you to find out what happened."

His brow furrowed in confusion.

"What happened? Where?"

"In Hawaii. During the explosion. I need you to look into it, find out if my friends are okay, where they are, which hospital, everything. I don't buy that the engine room just exploded. Someone must've tampered with it intentionally. I want to find that person and make them pay for what they did."

Josh stared at me, then slowly leaned back on the couch. Finally, he nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Okay, whatever you need. I know a great private investigator who could help. I'll reach out to him now and let you know what he finds."

I smiled gratefully, feeling my phone buzz in the breast pocket of my suit jacket. Retrieving it, I grinned at the text from Jules.

"Must be her?" Josh teased, and I glanced up at him.

"Yeah. I've got to run; we're meeting at a coffee shop." He chuckled as I stood, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Keep me posted, alright? I want all the updates."

He nodded reassuringly, smiling.

"I will, man. Don't worry; this won't take more than a day. My guy's good at what he does."

I felt an immediate sense of relief. Josh was the right person to uncover the truth for me. The police had given up a year ago, closing the case, and deeming me dead without much investigation. It was messed up. Now, I'd take matters into my own hands, relying on my connections to find out what had truly happened.

I was certain it wasn't an accident. Someone was behind it, targeting either my friends or me. I wouldn't rest until I found them and held them accountable.

For now, I was thrilled Jules had contacted me. It meant she was safe and had found a place to stay. I couldn't wait to see her. I missed her intensely, unable to sleep without her by my side. I was so used to waking up every morning and seeing her sleeping next to me on the bed. I missed that life. But knowing she was okay, everything was slowly falling back into place.

Just as I'd promised.