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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAdF9GVvIeEM
341Please respect copyright.PENANAxGzn6pK4Ks
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."341Please respect copyright.PENANAGWXJ1p9ylw
341Please respect copyright.PENANAACgVHNC8V6
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANANtUG7a9m2c
341Please respect copyright.PENANASnKX4XZ8e8
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAh9diukCLnE
341Please respect copyright.PENANAdPAmaLwQV1
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANAnk42CZzAlt
341Please respect copyright.PENANAW7ADhmHiAw
"Thank you," I said softly.341Please respect copyright.PENANAd9sHyIcZge
341Please respect copyright.PENANAxb6voRvcPI
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAjhoiIMFOPS
341Please respect copyright.PENANAwyZVCyg280
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"341Please respect copyright.PENANAI87imXJLAE
341Please respect copyright.PENANA7dpV9YVP7b
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.341Please respect copyright.PENANAMzQUFd4bjj
341Please respect copyright.PENANAxaKvF1pbm5
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANAi6EhiGb0VG
341Please respect copyright.PENANA38Msm7gOxI
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAMagqkyUodi
341Please respect copyright.PENANAOz5s1nNLiE
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."341Please respect copyright.PENANA6UwmtB83Ot
341Please respect copyright.PENANAzorcEWzNl7
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANA39yFxXKCt6
341Please respect copyright.PENANAvFv1tDuvEL
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAwDMyX7CnBw
341Please respect copyright.PENANAwQeCqaAiXv
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAy6HqEqIi7K
341Please respect copyright.PENANAdByikhGuXI
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANAseDSRS1OzJ
341Please respect copyright.PENANA61vIDvy0bz
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANA9i8LFULdfX
341Please respect copyright.PENANA6XrKAnbZ6j
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANATkqU7jezwK
341Please respect copyright.PENANAHu4a18fMGh
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAHmIOgxhFPp
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."341Please respect copyright.PENANAGWXJ1p9ylw
341Please respect copyright.PENANAACgVHNC8V6
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANANtUG7a9m2c
341Please respect copyright.PENANASnKX4XZ8e8
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAh9diukCLnE
341Please respect copyright.PENANAdPAmaLwQV1
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANAnk42CZzAlt
341Please respect copyright.PENANAW7ADhmHiAw
"Thank you," I said softly.341Please respect copyright.PENANAd9sHyIcZge
341Please respect copyright.PENANAxb6voRvcPI
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAjhoiIMFOPS
341Please respect copyright.PENANAwyZVCyg280
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"341Please respect copyright.PENANAI87imXJLAE
341Please respect copyright.PENANA7dpV9YVP7b
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.341Please respect copyright.PENANAMzQUFd4bjj
341Please respect copyright.PENANAxaKvF1pbm5
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANAi6EhiGb0VG
341Please respect copyright.PENANA38Msm7gOxI
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAMagqkyUodi
341Please respect copyright.PENANAOz5s1nNLiE
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."341Please respect copyright.PENANA6UwmtB83Ot
341Please respect copyright.PENANAzorcEWzNl7
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANA39yFxXKCt6
341Please respect copyright.PENANAvFv1tDuvEL
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAwDMyX7CnBw
341Please respect copyright.PENANAwQeCqaAiXv
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAy6HqEqIi7K
341Please respect copyright.PENANAdByikhGuXI
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANAseDSRS1OzJ
341Please respect copyright.PENANA61vIDvy0bz
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANA9i8LFULdfX
341Please respect copyright.PENANA6XrKAnbZ6j
"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."341Please respect copyright.PENANATkqU7jezwK
341Please respect copyright.PENANAHu4a18fMGh
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.341Please respect copyright.PENANAHmIOgxhFPp