x
The cemetery was half an hour from Jude's house. On the way he kept humming to himself while I avoided stepping on sidewalk cracks. I know, it's weird, but he didn't seem to mind it. Besides, he seemed to lost in his own head to care about anything else around him. It was only when I stopped walking, did he look back.376Please respect copyright.PENANArsvGpfIzA5
376Please respect copyright.PENANAqGfN9W5k6f
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."376Please respect copyright.PENANAp7aLoRxWdB
376Please respect copyright.PENANANwXd0nMN0K
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAA4e1zcdDLM
376Please respect copyright.PENANA0QrvpElYZM
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAX2k1if1owC
376Please respect copyright.PENANAD3FYhsiUnO
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAXpLXmKyni7
376Please respect copyright.PENANAQBpSWXjqbc
"Thank you," I said softly.376Please respect copyright.PENANAJsvp3yKRvQ
376Please respect copyright.PENANAZAShw3WOTI
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAjZdqod3VH2
376Please respect copyright.PENANAuqOyR44u2u
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"376Please respect copyright.PENANAF6CFt5MIiQ
376Please respect copyright.PENANA5tmZYzDeWL
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.376Please respect copyright.PENANAVm0X1x7RNs
376Please respect copyright.PENANAU4Aa7oriCv
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAGFMaVTuIQu
376Please respect copyright.PENANAPDb46UouC3
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAR9pEj3ZXzT
376Please respect copyright.PENANArZveqYTMDv
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."376Please respect copyright.PENANAaPqx23epgc
376Please respect copyright.PENANAozvUAHYweN
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANANydQGlWSum
376Please respect copyright.PENANAYYA3rGULjc
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAlpqJ1et2Ch
376Please respect copyright.PENANAs6rUucDbZs
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANARteFqvB9oz
376Please respect copyright.PENANAzUZwVMujw1
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAHUM0wwUmPo
376Please respect copyright.PENANApBcEDbbm8F
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANACUmEq0C4LT
376Please respect copyright.PENANA1Sc1E7sVWS
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAbxQ1YqoTHD
376Please respect copyright.PENANAdUnim3ZuXd
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAsXXEnPyWUI
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."376Please respect copyright.PENANAp7aLoRxWdB
376Please respect copyright.PENANANwXd0nMN0K
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAA4e1zcdDLM
376Please respect copyright.PENANA0QrvpElYZM
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAX2k1if1owC
376Please respect copyright.PENANAD3FYhsiUnO
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAXpLXmKyni7
376Please respect copyright.PENANAQBpSWXjqbc
"Thank you," I said softly.376Please respect copyright.PENANAJsvp3yKRvQ
376Please respect copyright.PENANAZAShw3WOTI
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAjZdqod3VH2
376Please respect copyright.PENANAuqOyR44u2u
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"376Please respect copyright.PENANAF6CFt5MIiQ
376Please respect copyright.PENANA5tmZYzDeWL
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.376Please respect copyright.PENANAVm0X1x7RNs
376Please respect copyright.PENANAU4Aa7oriCv
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAGFMaVTuIQu
376Please respect copyright.PENANAPDb46UouC3
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAR9pEj3ZXzT
376Please respect copyright.PENANArZveqYTMDv
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."376Please respect copyright.PENANAaPqx23epgc
376Please respect copyright.PENANAozvUAHYweN
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANANydQGlWSum
376Please respect copyright.PENANAYYA3rGULjc
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAlpqJ1et2Ch
376Please respect copyright.PENANAs6rUucDbZs
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANARteFqvB9oz
376Please respect copyright.PENANAzUZwVMujw1
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAHUM0wwUmPo
376Please respect copyright.PENANApBcEDbbm8F
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANACUmEq0C4LT
376Please respect copyright.PENANA1Sc1E7sVWS
"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."376Please respect copyright.PENANAbxQ1YqoTHD
376Please respect copyright.PENANAdUnim3ZuXd
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.376Please respect copyright.PENANAsXXEnPyWUI