RESTLESS HEARTS

CHAPTER 48

•JULIANA•

"Can you help me with this?"

I paused, clothes in hand, and bent down to meet Miguel's eyes. He was small, barely reaching my knees.

Taking the kite from Miguel, I inspected the string. It was a bit loose, so I tightened it for him once more.

Sure, the kid could be a bit annoying, but he was a good boy. He was the first person I befriended when I arrived in Costa Rica. He helped me settle in, playing tour guide most of the time, and now he clung to my side like glue. Not that I minded it. Having some company, even if it was a ten-year-old, was nice.

"Apresúrate!" he exclaimed impatiently, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

(Translation: Hurry up!)

After securing the string, I handed the kite back to him. His eyes lit up with excitement.

"Now, scram," he poked his tongue out before darting away with the kite trailing behind him.

Miguel, or Miggy as we all called him, came from a wealthy family in Costa Rica. His parents were always busy, and he had no siblings or friends. It was no wonder he stuck around the American girl trying to fit in here.

We both shared something in common: we didn't fit in with others around us.

My life has been peaceful and enjoyable so far. Nobody knew my past, and no one from San Francisco, where I used to live, was here to force me to go back. This was my new life now.

After finishing hanging the clothes, I picked up the basket and headed back inside the small two-bedroom house I bought near the coast. It had the best view of the ocean.

This house was my dream, and the location was perfect. Everything felt right here, and I loved it.

But my peaceful moment was interrupted when I heard my phone ring. Miggy had it because he was always playing a racing car game on it. The sound echoed from a distance, and I froze, staring outside where Miggy was flying kites with the other kids. 

No one knew my number.

I hadn't made any close friends here except for Miguel, so unless he gave my number to some drug dealer in town, he was in trouble.

I watched as he took the phone out of his pocket and frowned at the screen. Then he looked up, his eyes meeting mine as he waved the phone in the air.

"Su teléfono está timbrando," he shouted, and I nodded at him.

He handed his kite to the other kids and ran back to the house, annoyed, thrusting the phone into my hand.

"Tan molesto," he grumbled under his breath, and I shot him a fake smile.

(Translation: How annoying)

"Piérdase." He sprinted out of the house to rejoin his friends.

(Translation: Get lost)

The phone had stopped ringing by the time I held it, staring at the unknown number on the screen. My heart jumped when it started ringing again. It was the same number that called earlier, and I hesitated before answering it.

"Hello?"

"Thank God. What took you so long to pick up the damn phone?" a female voice I didn't recognize said.

I was struck with confusion and slowly put the empty basket of clothes down.

"Um, who is this?"

Was it Miguel's mom? Did she always sound this young?

The woman scoffed before replying.

"Your future sister-in-law."

Wait, what?

"Shanelle," she clarified, and I released a breath I didn't know I was holding.

What the hell was going on? How did she get my new number and contact me? 

This was insane! Of all the people I expected to call, the universe just had to pick someone I barely knew.

"How did you even get my number?" I asked, with a curious tone, as I casually strolled out to the balcony.

"You should ask Vincent. Although, it didn't take much convincing to get your location from him."

I let out a long sigh and ran my fingers through my hair.

Fantastic. My own brother just had to tell the one secret I most trusted him with, might as well broadcast it to the world.

"Okay, what do you want?"

"This has nothing to do with what I want," she quickly retorted, and I could feel my irritation growing.

"Then why did you call me? To talk? Have a heart-to-heart? Trust me, you're at the bottom of my list right now."

There was a long pause from her end before I heard her voice again.

"It's about Shawn."

The moment she mentioned his name, it felt like a protective layer around my heart had suddenly disappeared.

My chest tightened as memories of Shawn flooded in.

"What about him?" I asked, my tone cutting like a razor.

I hoped she'd catch on that I didn't appreciate her calling out of the blue just to talk about him. Shawn and I were history, and I'd been trying to move on with my life here in Costa Rica.

Now, thanks to my inconsiderate brother, my contact info and secret location were in the hands of someone I didn't even trust.

"He's in the hospital, Jules."

A cold shiver of fear ran down my spine, and I gripped the balcony railings tightly.

"What?"

"He's... recovering, so there's no need to worry. But honestly, if you ask me or anyone else, he's not doing well, Jules. Has been that way since you left."

So now it was my fault? He seemed perfectly fine the last time I saw him, busy locking lips with his ex-girlfriend.

"I'm sorry, I don't see how that's any of my concern. I'm hanging up."

"Jules, wait!" She pleaded. "I know this is a lot to ask, but I care about my brother, and I can't stand to see him like this. Please, please consider coming back."

My world spun around me. She was right; it was a lot to ask. I was in the middle of building a new life, trying to move on from him. It felt like too much.

But she said he was in the hospital. Why? How? When?

Him being in the hospital now made the urge to return, overpowering. I never stopped caring about him, and I never stopped loving him.

In just an hour, this piece of news had turned my world upside down.

I ended the call without another word to Shanelle. She'd probably take my silence as a rejection, but it was too late to turn back now. She already had me when she mentioned the hospital part.

In the next few hours, I locked up my house in Costa Rica, said goodbye to Miggy, and booked a flight back to San Francisco without any regrets about leaving.