Lachlan
I hung back as Nikko and Ethan said their goodbyes to Julia, both giving her comforting hugs, as if they were old friends. Not the relative strangers they were. That was what tragedy did to people. Brought them together. Gave them something in common to fight for.
“Walk me out, bruh?” Nikko looked my way.
I knew precisely what he wanted to discuss. It was the last conversation I wanted to have, especially after tonight. But Nikko wasn’t going to let me avoid having it forever.
So, instead of wrapping Julia in my arms and trying to pretend my world hadn’t been rocked to its core, I made my way toward him, kissing Julia on the temple and promising to be back soon. Then I followed Nikko out of the house.
At nearly ten at night, the quaint, beach community was peaceful. I had difficulty wrapping my head around just how much had transpired over the last few hours. From Ethan’s surprise appearance. To learning what Claire had been looking into. To finding out who Julia was. To the truth that she may be the key to uncovering the identity of a serial killer.
From the moment I met Julia, I couldn’t shake the feeling she was different. That our paths crossing wasn’t simply a happy coincidence.
I never expected one jellyfish sting could have led to this.
“What’s up, cousin?” I asked once we reached Nikko’s truck and he turned to face me.
He briefly glanced over my shoulder at the house before returning his attention to me, his voice no louder than a whisper. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Between you and Julia.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his biceps stretching the traditional tattoos covering his arms. “What’s the deal?”
“You were the one who practically pushed me to talk to her the other night.” I shrugged. “So I did. When I learned who she was, I was just as surprised as you are. Probably more so.”
“I understand all that, but what’s the deal with you two?” He stepped toward me, seeming to choose his next words carefully. “It was one thing when she was just some ha’ole from the mainland here for a good time. But this—”
“She’s not just some ha’ole,” I gritted out through a clenched jaw.
He raised a brow. “Really?”
“I…” I shook my head, unable to explain my reaction.
I couldn’t quite understand it myself.
“Do you have feelings for her?”
“It’s not like that,” I replied dismissively. “We made an agreement before either one of us knew who the other was. One week. No expectations. Then we walk away.”
“And now?”
I shoved my hands into the pockets of my shorts. “Nothing’s changed.”
“Nothing’s changed?” he hissed out in disbelief. “From where I’m standing, it seems everything’s changed.”
“No, it hasn’t. I—”
“Listen, bruh.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “I’m happy for you. I’ve been trying to get you to meet a girl for years now.”
“I’ve been with plenty of girls,” I reminded him. A twinge of guilt settled in my stomach over the notion of talking to Piper’s older brother about another woman.
When I first started hooking up again after her death, I did everything I could to hide them from him. The last thing I wanted was to lose him as a friend. As ohana. But he eventually called me out, claimed he wanted me to move on. That it wasn’t healthy for me to continue to hold onto a ghost.
“You were never really with them,” he argued. “Not emotionally. Since losing Piper, you’ve kept everyone at arm’s length… Until now.”
I rolled my eyes, stepping away from him. “What are you going on about?”
“You know exactly what I’m going on about,” he mimicked. “I saw the way you looked at Julia. It wasn’t the look of someone who’s not interested. Hell, I don’t even think I ever saw you look at Piper that way.”