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"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhHioagq0Q
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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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNqVlSDu93
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PigdlePsq
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8t378IOnG
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8ue5qoWL5
"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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxG7s9e9Xb
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHqghLEYba
"Thank you," I said softly.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarzfXIi3qT
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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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4PJWKAdET
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZojLDbSEn
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONHdgvxnQO
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPsJ60a6q8
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMw0ymh3t9d
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAak0a8G7ln
"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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYkMv3CjqW
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorLL6VUcRi
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hpQfRabgf
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAPq6YwzQd
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjyACs8jK8
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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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCyh044XJX
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Jdup0L54q
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54psUZRWbx
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5LQhD2LoB
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0QT3hPBpC
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmBK4kgrgj
"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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3q7jONoagc
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlXuCc623H
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjztru4O5f
237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJGag5Pg1H
"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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCCdbzk3yn
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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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuk65hSdYDe