466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoLJiawf7X
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8ENJt9pvb
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XrS5Mvz9V
"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."466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1gmNly8zn
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIoEhCbsoK
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcz89LKeIs
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50Lb4tSghu
"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."466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkFnNhjfdi
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf0uMYD7WB
"Thank you," I said softly.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvkhO2IWz2
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLU4tZagHi
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtObMhxf3LP
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmx3rEYDFz
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fksa8ifg9
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdHzRmvEXJ
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBNizpxAd4
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXekfw9Gqws
"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."466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcRb4fImBg
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnLKSrBITQ
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAkjChPsS1
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoOJTJghuC
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW0FxJO7KV
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYpx8NS55I
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpCZtNiTca
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRVdBUKxDn
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcNSl1aO0h
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQYQwXh2yj
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqhDSSkp8P
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8gsl3pUSs
"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."466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKXv0sRk3R
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIDRxAqoEf
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrS00WcJlG8
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZTolqHIvU
"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."466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdx2HO9C8n
466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpf5wq8aOP
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.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvymDJiAV7x