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.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBxXLG86tt
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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?"390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtMCGtiYMQ
390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡat84wv8IsL
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?"390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOLU44cxBo
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"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBwN0MStVI
390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhc8wZpyxZF
"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?"390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42gp6KbBAw
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"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zXRtLRgPj
390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkbGM2Y1BF
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA0DRTino3
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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?"390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYphzx4S2OH
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I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9l4YAD7Jg
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He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFabqvJzUtg
390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugOkzXLCiv
"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."390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBu3c8UyqI
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I stiffened.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPsNzPvLAx
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He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gmM02g8Ak
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"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Pwsd0RpxB
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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.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMV058wKM7
390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4OdhZhtsk
"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."390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCBpJIanLP
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"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjYvN1WVgN
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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?"390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRDydS5pbv
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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."390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVuzA8fXBp
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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.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qd71RgmFo
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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.390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6tVsX0s51
390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2AEQQxpaV
"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."390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCSwE6P399
390Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpo7CIB3Cc
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.