487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzoJWtggtX
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nsQjuoK56
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uBy9Rc0AA
"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."487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vmprJXWqx
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdN3gyKbsb
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPT0vVGTV9d
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdKgpNkQfP
"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."487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWe1ee0lBgC
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNklHRejvj
"Thank you," I said softly.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafG8TWTMUU
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4S4KxFi2wx
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX4kKL8Vmy
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVw4GzzW1su
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnoHkpuJua
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I9qxNJwFP
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr89CwD0Yff
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6xDlcTsvI
"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."487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACODzK0AsU
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvIMNX3DvQ
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLezCx0B3S
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTygFz4NAhP
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OtomvwSMp
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTKuyJrmLm
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkO2VxQEY7
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8GRInpaLa
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVneNdU4pXx
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuIKQiIYrh
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59gLYSsfER
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyjGstQIDv
"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."487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtujNrokN1
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPqGQh2TPx
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZKfWeWCzI
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3dM9ggfH1
"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."487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7Dh7RC3No
487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC87wsObFgp
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.487Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7mR1oOTN1