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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAluOd9Wt9XW
503Please respect copyright.PENANACC3uQPvWr8
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."503Please respect copyright.PENANANUx3a6Gt9d
503Please respect copyright.PENANAANVk9BbALO
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAr4YwxY1kLy
503Please respect copyright.PENANArnTBocDsWI
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAWnrCItksbM
503Please respect copyright.PENANA2cuUnP1Yb6
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAmKQX8vo27m
503Please respect copyright.PENANAHNWaNObuyD
"Thank you," I said softly.503Please respect copyright.PENANAsEUQ9M4PJD
503Please respect copyright.PENANAQV5vWgoGOT
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAXrAQhCh103
503Please respect copyright.PENANA5RuXw1frZC
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"503Please respect copyright.PENANAgDuGT34RnX
503Please respect copyright.PENANAED0im9pGMx
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.503Please respect copyright.PENANAqsCueIaTL4
503Please respect copyright.PENANA943e3xhrxl
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAkgRFe6pbau
503Please respect copyright.PENANAH8J6jdE59Z
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAaCXFPNewHT
503Please respect copyright.PENANA4uXSYwBMye
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."503Please respect copyright.PENANAFlVMKv6FyP
503Please respect copyright.PENANAYCQdMYEWia
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAvizpeBqxO2
503Please respect copyright.PENANAIEfFC49no1
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAbfWvHH7b4t
503Please respect copyright.PENANA07xCPqyjYg
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAbcXqtAXzmv
503Please respect copyright.PENANAHwLskhYC86
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAINv38KlQ1J
503Please respect copyright.PENANAFFm9wzgwcy
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAZA1dmMJJDV
503Please respect copyright.PENANApLPpgR3Hvv
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAF3nRtjWLpi
503Please respect copyright.PENANANULT0so5ua
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANATYpPd3bWRk
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."503Please respect copyright.PENANANUx3a6Gt9d
503Please respect copyright.PENANAANVk9BbALO
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAr4YwxY1kLy
503Please respect copyright.PENANArnTBocDsWI
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAWnrCItksbM
503Please respect copyright.PENANA2cuUnP1Yb6
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAmKQX8vo27m
503Please respect copyright.PENANAHNWaNObuyD
"Thank you," I said softly.503Please respect copyright.PENANAsEUQ9M4PJD
503Please respect copyright.PENANAQV5vWgoGOT
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAXrAQhCh103
503Please respect copyright.PENANA5RuXw1frZC
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"503Please respect copyright.PENANAgDuGT34RnX
503Please respect copyright.PENANAED0im9pGMx
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.503Please respect copyright.PENANAqsCueIaTL4
503Please respect copyright.PENANA943e3xhrxl
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAkgRFe6pbau
503Please respect copyright.PENANAH8J6jdE59Z
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAaCXFPNewHT
503Please respect copyright.PENANA4uXSYwBMye
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."503Please respect copyright.PENANAFlVMKv6FyP
503Please respect copyright.PENANAYCQdMYEWia
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAvizpeBqxO2
503Please respect copyright.PENANAIEfFC49no1
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAbfWvHH7b4t
503Please respect copyright.PENANA07xCPqyjYg
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAbcXqtAXzmv
503Please respect copyright.PENANAHwLskhYC86
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAINv38KlQ1J
503Please respect copyright.PENANAFFm9wzgwcy
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANAZA1dmMJJDV
503Please respect copyright.PENANApLPpgR3Hvv
"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."503Please respect copyright.PENANAF3nRtjWLpi
503Please respect copyright.PENANANULT0so5ua
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.503Please respect copyright.PENANATYpPd3bWRk