After Jude had finished telling me he was also a patient of Dr. Alder's, I asked why he was there, like it was the most normal question in the world. Even though I hadn't answered him when he asked, he still gave me some insight to who he was.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUNzP7liDq
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"My dad thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't like spending all of my free time with him. I wanted to go out with my friends and go to parties, and when I came home drunk once, he said he'd had enough. He called my mom the next morning and they both agreed that I should go see someone. Unfortunately for me, Dallas is an old friend of the family. Doesn't that make my visits all the more special?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2DYkeGFio
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpwMVZzLYq
It struck me as odd that he'd call his psychiatrist by her first name, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I asked, "Does that make it weird?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oLXRWaAfR
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"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWJwcLpyzU
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIvwqcgjek
"With her being a family friend. Isn't it strange? I mean, if she's so close, wouldn't she have known your problems before you got an appointment with her?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTP12vpwp9h
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NWy7kKxfU
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDrVnphViq
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWzn65cpBw
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8GSqsMSTn
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Jude looked at me, the torn napkin forgotten. His eyes held mine for a minute before he said, "Are you trying to ruin my explanation or something? You're the one who asked for it, remember?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuS0hNW7g9g
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I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlItH8fgjbs
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He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L8Eisi5yz
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"Anyway, you should have seen her face when I walked into her office. She looked like she forgot who was coming in that day. But when we started talking, she understood things very quickly. I was actually surprised, but I guess in her line of work, she got a lot of nut jobs."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZITykpr2u
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I stiffened.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHT5IKm9uL
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He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VeTeIr4B5
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"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cVamlvYcn
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Jude looked at me, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to figure me out. He was going to fail with that one. Then he let out a long sigh and picked up his mug, draining his coffee.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXsejYm35L
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27SRCNBoWH
"Listen," he said after he finished, "I'm not going to judge you or anything if you tell me your secret. It's not a big deal, really. I bet you're normal compared to some of the patients Dallas gets."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eVAIhV9px
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSDGSlm7PR
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9XYKj8GcB
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That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYIkdgexiM
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"You don't understand!" I practically shouted in his face, my vision blurring. "I can't tell you what happens because then you're going to go away."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8xEiA5imR
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"Wait." His eyes widened and he leaned forward. "What do you mean 'happens'? Kendall, what's going on?" He reached across the table for my hand, and I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEh8EotaWF
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I looked up at him. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks now. I took a breath and finally told him. Then I wished I hadn't opened my mouth.474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIXeBsrrF5
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgmUbFCZ1O
"I have dreams almost every night about killing people, only they aren't my dreams, and now I'm afraid you're going to die, too."474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTUvss2qLM
474Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAysocH4r4U
Before he could reply, I stood up and ran out. But something stopped me halfway out of the shop. The window, there was something taped to it. I wiped my eyes and looked at the white piece of paper. The words MISSING PERSON were typed in big, bold letters on the top of the page, and underneath was a picture. A picture of someone I knew.