493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmHLtcIqWH
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5u9ypRYWQ
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WbJnGdM8v
"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."493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypt6ksfwun
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsEq26s9hA
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKy75wesPm
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE921ESZzw
"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."493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRm7B7YweU
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5skPZRrFe5
"Thank you," I said softly.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs47SvtHWB
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbXsN2RnWa
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUETg1p85nC
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyidQOWRZZJ
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty3W7qP2AS
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnoVQ7GaPi
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaD40wJz4q
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuQC5ycqsv
"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."493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJE95CoxJF
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4HV8utnrC
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFp0flzoGm
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeooxiGGl4
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDPEohMedV
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NHZezbUDC
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfSZjLtUFz
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuJOVzv0lU
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPiyd4TWme
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9SDVrLOg2
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIZPnzylxy
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XXPfgI9pW
"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."493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4jpRN44T3
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0aF8pqxk1
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZeZvB7FqC
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDFd4GVG3V
"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."493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgluXdsRpaP
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMPAvl0CxL
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.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aEecFidMv