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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAYNKitdPJMP
319Please respect copyright.PENANAJyIvLYizfw
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."319Please respect copyright.PENANAgL1gXpdqnS
319Please respect copyright.PENANANlOAlf2Yqq
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAMrFPydctpp
319Please respect copyright.PENANA4VAlDXAFRA
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAEArfKTjPJe
319Please respect copyright.PENANASwBxgKO4CL
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAtCwqkEsLC7
319Please respect copyright.PENANAagI5wpKVvW
"Thank you," I said softly.319Please respect copyright.PENANAmPKMt5zVQk
319Please respect copyright.PENANAfhadNyZpwm
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAAo64Ayq2iB
319Please respect copyright.PENANAgXTiQKk2f9
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"319Please respect copyright.PENANAiwJ5eO1vBa
319Please respect copyright.PENANAlY1WvOWFBU
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.319Please respect copyright.PENANAIdo7HKUCvO
319Please respect copyright.PENANAZWFgyqueUu
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAkQH6iCI0gi
319Please respect copyright.PENANA1zvho18QFx
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAN3pflfFHx4
319Please respect copyright.PENANAYzAqFfrELn
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."319Please respect copyright.PENANA6sTHsegKbk
319Please respect copyright.PENANAJzaDCxdTu2
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANA6sLwSTmrhN
319Please respect copyright.PENANAcu5vF2EYLk
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANANHi6Dqkm9g
319Please respect copyright.PENANAWkdxV0Q7bR
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANA2C3ugb7OKd
319Please respect copyright.PENANAtVXdMxPYhI
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANACcTspRHFok
319Please respect copyright.PENANAJN8lVxTdhL
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAi12EfOUflm
319Please respect copyright.PENANAlFZW5QqJ3a
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAHnt3Wm3pqS
319Please respect copyright.PENANAghcT343smc
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAW1qxltynD9
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."319Please respect copyright.PENANAgL1gXpdqnS
319Please respect copyright.PENANANlOAlf2Yqq
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAMrFPydctpp
319Please respect copyright.PENANA4VAlDXAFRA
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAEArfKTjPJe
319Please respect copyright.PENANASwBxgKO4CL
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAtCwqkEsLC7
319Please respect copyright.PENANAagI5wpKVvW
"Thank you," I said softly.319Please respect copyright.PENANAmPKMt5zVQk
319Please respect copyright.PENANAfhadNyZpwm
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAAo64Ayq2iB
319Please respect copyright.PENANAgXTiQKk2f9
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"319Please respect copyright.PENANAiwJ5eO1vBa
319Please respect copyright.PENANAlY1WvOWFBU
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.319Please respect copyright.PENANAIdo7HKUCvO
319Please respect copyright.PENANAZWFgyqueUu
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAkQH6iCI0gi
319Please respect copyright.PENANA1zvho18QFx
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAN3pflfFHx4
319Please respect copyright.PENANAYzAqFfrELn
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."319Please respect copyright.PENANA6sTHsegKbk
319Please respect copyright.PENANAJzaDCxdTu2
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANA6sLwSTmrhN
319Please respect copyright.PENANAcu5vF2EYLk
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANANHi6Dqkm9g
319Please respect copyright.PENANAWkdxV0Q7bR
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANA2C3ugb7OKd
319Please respect copyright.PENANAtVXdMxPYhI
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANACcTspRHFok
319Please respect copyright.PENANAJN8lVxTdhL
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAi12EfOUflm
319Please respect copyright.PENANAlFZW5QqJ3a
"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."319Please respect copyright.PENANAHnt3Wm3pqS
319Please respect copyright.PENANAghcT343smc
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.319Please respect copyright.PENANAW1qxltynD9