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"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCS2SfNyZq
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"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."485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GYLjdXspL
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqxg60kdsB
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLmXacMy7P
"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."485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWcTpNGXAi
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"Thank you," I said softly.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UWRm2L7kW
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSmZ15HPvY
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"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S5ELKtDCJ
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"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddMisTKyD3
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"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."485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5U9Hj6Ehm
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatpr24nRIq
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"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd24BClSGdI
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKQfDiLHgK
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlg9S9XGD55
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡor2r1qD2Bi
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"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."485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCZAFmbozD
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cMb1Fa4Tn
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"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."485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5N0pup0up
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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.485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATUay2WLcy