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"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3n5atQ2XLN
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"It's okay," I said, nodding. "He was shot two times in the chest. That's what the detective on his case told me. That's all I found out, really. I didn't want to press the issue, I guess."409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerNcObGVLo
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Jude slouched his shoulders and dropped his head, closing his eyes. Then he reopened them, stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my hair.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhKaDnMWWp
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJuiftHkwW
"I know it's hard losing someone you care about," he whispered. "I'll help you, if you want. We'll find where he's buried and we'll say goodbye."409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjoeNTzAc0
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"Thank you," I said softly.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QGAp4uScr
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I wasn't aware that my arms were around his neck, that I was moving closer to him, until he cleared his throat and untangled himself from my body. It was strange, but it looked like he was rather reluctant to do it.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixMNpUdS1b
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"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfR9yLB518
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"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3NsIiLl7w
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"Good." He smiled and took hold of my hand, pulling me across the street with him. He let go once we were on the other side and looked at me. "She'll be happy you came."409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYEfIufqDB
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8uoND4yE7
I smiled thinly as I looked up at the gates of the cemetery. We were inside before I realized, then walking down a rows of graves. The weather was nice and the grass was soft underneath my sneakers. When Jude stopped suddenly I almost slammed right into him. He was so still, his head turned to the left.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYYDUHDkDd
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"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFEzZ0MHc5
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My eyes saw the granite, and the name etched into it, and the words beneath. My heart clenched inside my chest and I reached down to grip his hand, squeezing it until I thought mine might break. We stared at each other for a long time, the wind rustling around us, then Jude smirked, leaned down, and kissed me.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcLfHUx406
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ017vlGz8gL
You see, this is the part where I should have pushed him away. I should have screamed at him, or hit him, or done something to get his lips off of mine. But I didn't. God, I didn't. I just let him keep kissing me. I let his tongue taste me, his hands hold my hips, pulling me against him, his breath quicken.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZqsKxvLWg
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A crow cawed overhead, making me jump, breaking us apart. I kept my eyes narrowed at the ground until I heard Jude walk a few feet and sit down. Then he stared talking.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jPfTSoUoa
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"Ab, this is Kendall. She's a girl I know from school. I really like it here, but I miss you. Mom still cries when she thinks I'm not watching, and Dad, well, he started drinking again. Don't you think that's a bit ironic? He's drinking but I'm the one that gets sent to a shrink? It blows without you here."409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw49otCqk7
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYWcd6KHGK
When his shoulders started to shake and he reached a hand out to touch the grave, I realized he was crying. He was crying more than I had ever seen another boy cry in my entire life. I dropped to my knees beside him and took his hand and just held it. Before I knew what I was doing, my hands were in his hair, stroking, and I was laying my head against his shoulder.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRROoRNGyu
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkCRbMyM3P
"Thank you for coming with me," he said quietly, like someone else would overhear. "It really meant a lot that I could share this part of my life with you."409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAm3Dn3cD5
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I didn't know what to say, so we sat in silence, while the crow cawed again and left us to be alone together among the dead.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDsqoUdUNe