282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugPEVgMoLr
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWArzYeURbR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcUuliZeeb
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GHx8ZUnRX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7e43IO5Iv
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt0VvD5puj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HeZE2rg6e
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIJgXOdO8m
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsISVVXnnUn
"Thank you," I said softly.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5tvhc7XZY
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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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQC9pC4Jksb
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAsEE5crOk
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GZG5M1YnN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKKVIQ4nkO
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsz5HTpT1Oe
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtvOnbjsvD
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcrSNSAgZ4
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGAgLg2kAs
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSYjHUHynJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxIBgfPPnR
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw196rtZiox
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwA55ytzKt
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWj5L9FHDP
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvZxsbFQkK
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbgQVz0BRN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGK2H5WCoc
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHMnIMXfaz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkAHUPuxNi
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVoxBokCZb
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmhU9pmUgI
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfdRNNzKhW
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Pj8atCOTN
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSoLV92ime
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bydPa4HqC
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI8B29JZqM