492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxGffpbkbR
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgHEF45Gfs
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn68sTEidkY
"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."492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJ7Jt0BWfp
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeWFPd9y1D
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dFIXPCbVa
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzZYYzjHcu
"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."492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9CDrizF0S
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4dXfgfud2
"Thank you," I said softly.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm54NpLKGA3
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpglKKZqUC
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9eC0i2Sdl
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrBzC0u4FL
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPpRjPDF5J
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsD2rdLwtN
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVvg53tDqc
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XDnyHJn35
"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."492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymCV6ulWk8
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73tXCQEDD1
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5RfH9heeI
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfuP9wo2Fv
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyF69ODK6V3
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj2A1G6Dx4
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gdjLPq3TP
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTRqK8tdCK
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KFzfAUHai
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3RYdwvEKQ
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgqeZaSARJ
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggWQfB1E7i
"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."492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pIcKcSfrp
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJxq0pqdNk
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u0cElhQj3
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiz7MdSIrH3
"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."492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMV9vvRwaK
492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡde8Tr6nzHr
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.492Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihk6GOX7Bl