442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vZ9LiYMY2
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YRuSEMFbq
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYmhWKBymm
"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."442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5coteRKdJF
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwn1CRG2a9
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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TWj9uAXVX
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq2Q5lrCKH
"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."442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZU3J10Sku
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JcflWhTUR
"Thank you," I said softly.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FfUMSMuyj
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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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBP08ZhafmY
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKduhbNlB3
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIDIiLIt1g
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84OF49ftO1
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡee85BFkvXW
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pXdrWt1Eh
"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."442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiZ3n53xaP
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBjQCL7YUv
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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMSyv9mVwG
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepVuCo3Hgg
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tYfQOvD2l
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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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZV6Yhj6rK
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6ssBaGyBH
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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2jJEakMlG
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLTVzzzDJ3
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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZCamvT8kZ
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquPomkhgTH
"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."442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwxPe0IwI4
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstBA3LdPij
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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3mLCdC0xw
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4MrFrhfY1
"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."442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2kTlSWJg8
442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0IXSgCGRS
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.442Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oOZMmKTsn