When I opened my eyes, I didn't know where I was for a few minutes. I was staring at a ceiling, but it was angled strangely. Shifting, I realized I was on my back, the floor beneath me hard. Slowly, I flipped onto my stomach and lifted myself up. The hallway I was in was small, but I could hear everything. I heard the shouting, the screaming, and finally, the gunshot.559Please respect copyright.PENANA5aFucVRnIw
559Please respect copyright.PENANAEOsizG36gU
Silence filled my head and for a moment I thought I had gone deaf. My entire body stopped working, because the fear took over, and my brain told me who it was who had gotten shot. I squeezed my eyes shut and my knees gave out. I was back on the floor and I didn't move, didn't see, under someone touched my face with trembling hands.559Please respect copyright.PENANAzzO7Ca7OxI
559Please respect copyright.PENANA5yQGzGJ04E
"Kendall, we have to call the police, and an ambulance or he isn't going to make it."559Please respect copyright.PENANAE31AmpZ46V
559Please respect copyright.PENANAW4QseTdypx
At these words, I opened my eyes, and looked into a pair of hazel ones. Christian sat crouched in front of me, his entire face etched with worry and panic. He kept glancing behind him at the bedroom, his lips forming a thin line.559Please respect copyright.PENANApD6ZXy7DiT
559Please respect copyright.PENANAsylEBaBcGt
"You're alive," I whispered. Then I threw myself at him, kissing him like I hadn't seen him in years. He returned the gesture and held me tightly. "God, I thought you got shot."559Please respect copyright.PENANA6Zogx4NTFb
559Please respect copyright.PENANA33BP0Rf09I
He stopped kissing me, then, seeming to remember why he came out here. Gently he drew away from me and touched my face, his eyes searching mine, and then he spoke.559Please respect copyright.PENANAiaY5L3Hhox
559Please respect copyright.PENANA6grW7MEBpk
"Kendall, it's Jude."559Please respect copyright.PENANAuMMxrbJiYk
559Please respect copyright.PENANAR20B57yYPB
My eyes widened at his words, then I noticed his clothes, and the red specks on the fabric. It was blood. Jude's blood.559Please respect copyright.PENANAoBvOBeRmng
559Please respect copyright.PENANA7KnvvBkZ34
"He saved me," Christian explained, bringing me to my feet. "But not without getting shot. Seth got him right in the chest. I'll call for help and you watch him."559Please respect copyright.PENANA4Q4BEGb25u
559Please respect copyright.PENANATMBz1rHjmZ
My legs shook and I gripped the wall for support. "Seth," I muttered. "Where is he?"559Please respect copyright.PENANAi59PGval8S
559Please respect copyright.PENANAcPXFJgVHtK
"He's not here," Christian said angrily. "The fucking coward jumped out the window."559Please respect copyright.PENANAkFiOInuYXL
559Please respect copyright.PENANA1irKE7VtQI
I nodded, starting toward the door. I didn't even have to go all the way into the room to smell the blood. It was so strong that I nearly gagged. The first thing I saw was a shoe, then I heard a muffled cry. I saw Jude laying there, his chest covered in blood from the wound, and his eyes, those forest-green eyes, were staring at me.559Please respect copyright.PENANA0MyXmkNPH4
559Please respect copyright.PENANAl9cPNRblDt
I dropped to my knees beside him and automatically grasped his hand. "It's going to be okay," I said, trying hard not to cry. "Christian's calling for help."559Please respect copyright.PENANAipMIQhZwib
559Please respect copyright.PENANA0bXtJWb9GC
Jude's eyes, for the first time, looked full of terror. His breathing was erratic and his body trembled. Then he opened his mouth.559Please respect copyright.PENANAfdss4olWUw
559Please respect copyright.PENANAQUlooqZj1f
"I'll be with Abbie," he whispered, a smile on his lips. "I'll get to see her soon. It's what I always wanted."559Please respect copyright.PENANAJvSFLKVIU6
559Please respect copyright.PENANA6NQVxfA0hq
"No," I said, shaking my head. When I looked at him, his eyes mirrored mine with tears. "You're not going to die, Jude. It's not happening. We're going to get you to the hospital and you're going to be okay."559Please respect copyright.PENANAXfidKF8uLd
559Please respect copyright.PENANAZkwsbMpXpV
I heard the sirens, and then all I remembered was them taking Jude away, while I sat outside wrapped in a blanket. Christian sat beside me, our hands linked, and for the first time in my life, I prayed.559Please respect copyright.PENANAtcmnUS0Vb6
559Please respect copyright.PENANAUBlJipLtSU
559Please respect copyright.PENANAbHlBTcDFUX
Whether or not Jude went to the other side at all during the operation to remove the bullet, I didn't know. When we were finally able to see him, he was still asleep. Christian went to get some sort of food for us and when he got back he explained what he could. Seth had taken him from his own yard, drugged and carried him to his car, and just before the unconscious settled down on Christian, he remembered being stuffed into a tight space. Then he woke up in a bedroom with Seth touching him.559Please respect copyright.PENANAQptCXOOIBq
559Please respect copyright.PENANALNZlWMk5jb
I was sitting in a cushioned chair, my knees pulled up to my chest, when the hospital room door opened and one of the nurse's came in. She shook her head. "He's very lucky to be alive," she said to us. Then she looked at me. "Someone is here to see you, Kendall."559Please respect copyright.PENANAevx6nqbw7J
559Please respect copyright.PENANA3MJ7pWRjOx
"Who?" I asked suspiciously.559Please respect copyright.PENANAUlJAAvYxfo
559Please respect copyright.PENANAiyag224C1g
"Your mother."559Please respect copyright.PENANA8w8Msh242o
559Please respect copyright.PENANAM1o30249wM
I blinked at the nurse a few times, glanced at Christian, and stood up. I followed her out the door and down the hall. There was a figure standing near the automatic doors. She burst into tears when she saw me.559Please respect copyright.PENANAUvh8acqjno
559Please respect copyright.PENANAZJOWZoGEzO
We didn't exchange words. She cried, hugging me. She smelled minty and she didn't seem to be stumbling. She was, for the first time in two years, completely sober. When I hugged her back, her little intake of breath told me that she wasn't expecting that at all. When she asked me what happened, I just told her that my friend got shot. She surprised me by asking if it was my boyfriend.559Please respect copyright.PENANAFOPQrAdMiQ
559Please respect copyright.PENANAluxXDasGXw
When I returned to Jude's room with my mom, Christian stood, his eyes narrowed. When my mom saw him, she frowned.559Please respect copyright.PENANAR7atNFgRs1
559Please respect copyright.PENANAiPPGjRTvda
"Please don't be mad," she said softly. "I know what I did and said was wrong. You can forgive me if you want later."559Please respect copyright.PENANA7Eg7hJyB0j
559Please respect copyright.PENANAjMAacflGuJ
Christian's mouth opened slightly in disbelief. I went over to him and tapped his chin with my finger. He shook his head and looked at me, reaching for my hand. We sat and waited for Jude to wake up while my mom announced she was going into rehab.559Please respect copyright.PENANAsKbDqeXNny
559Please respect copyright.PENANAwGGVLrbY4u
559Please respect copyright.PENANAwgGXfHA7Ot
After Jude had woken up at some during the night, I cried against him and thanked him for saving Christian. He laughed at me and told me to stop being so dramatic, then to my surprise, he shook Christian's hand.559Please respect copyright.PENANAKhu2SO6fpf
559Please respect copyright.PENANAVEDOP9E9fE
I couldn't wait to sleep. I was exhausted. We dropped Christian off and headed home, neither of us speaking. My mom unlocked the door without saying anything to me, then went to her room. I went into the living room to fall asleep with the TV on. When I flicked on the light, a terrible scream escaped my throat.559Please respect copyright.PENANAtxjqcq8mzY
559Please respect copyright.PENANAbnJB4VqYEf
Seth was staring at me with a crooked smile and amused golden eyes.559Please respect copyright.PENANAOmkRu82rHR
ns18.97.14.89da2 559Please respect copyright.PENANAEOsizG36gU
Silence filled my head and for a moment I thought I had gone deaf. My entire body stopped working, because the fear took over, and my brain told me who it was who had gotten shot. I squeezed my eyes shut and my knees gave out. I was back on the floor and I didn't move, didn't see, under someone touched my face with trembling hands.559Please respect copyright.PENANAzzO7Ca7OxI
559Please respect copyright.PENANA5yQGzGJ04E
"Kendall, we have to call the police, and an ambulance or he isn't going to make it."559Please respect copyright.PENANAE31AmpZ46V
559Please respect copyright.PENANAW4QseTdypx
At these words, I opened my eyes, and looked into a pair of hazel ones. Christian sat crouched in front of me, his entire face etched with worry and panic. He kept glancing behind him at the bedroom, his lips forming a thin line.559Please respect copyright.PENANApD6ZXy7DiT
559Please respect copyright.PENANAsylEBaBcGt
"You're alive," I whispered. Then I threw myself at him, kissing him like I hadn't seen him in years. He returned the gesture and held me tightly. "God, I thought you got shot."559Please respect copyright.PENANA6Zogx4NTFb
559Please respect copyright.PENANA33BP0Rf09I
He stopped kissing me, then, seeming to remember why he came out here. Gently he drew away from me and touched my face, his eyes searching mine, and then he spoke.559Please respect copyright.PENANAiaY5L3Hhox
559Please respect copyright.PENANA6grW7MEBpk
"Kendall, it's Jude."559Please respect copyright.PENANAuMMxrbJiYk
559Please respect copyright.PENANAR20B57yYPB
My eyes widened at his words, then I noticed his clothes, and the red specks on the fabric. It was blood. Jude's blood.559Please respect copyright.PENANAoBvOBeRmng
559Please respect copyright.PENANA7KnvvBkZ34
"He saved me," Christian explained, bringing me to my feet. "But not without getting shot. Seth got him right in the chest. I'll call for help and you watch him."559Please respect copyright.PENANA4Q4BEGb25u
559Please respect copyright.PENANATMBz1rHjmZ
My legs shook and I gripped the wall for support. "Seth," I muttered. "Where is he?"559Please respect copyright.PENANAi59PGval8S
559Please respect copyright.PENANAcPXFJgVHtK
"He's not here," Christian said angrily. "The fucking coward jumped out the window."559Please respect copyright.PENANAkFiOInuYXL
559Please respect copyright.PENANA1irKE7VtQI
I nodded, starting toward the door. I didn't even have to go all the way into the room to smell the blood. It was so strong that I nearly gagged. The first thing I saw was a shoe, then I heard a muffled cry. I saw Jude laying there, his chest covered in blood from the wound, and his eyes, those forest-green eyes, were staring at me.559Please respect copyright.PENANA0MyXmkNPH4
559Please respect copyright.PENANAl9cPNRblDt
I dropped to my knees beside him and automatically grasped his hand. "It's going to be okay," I said, trying hard not to cry. "Christian's calling for help."559Please respect copyright.PENANAipMIQhZwib
559Please respect copyright.PENANA0bXtJWb9GC
Jude's eyes, for the first time, looked full of terror. His breathing was erratic and his body trembled. Then he opened his mouth.559Please respect copyright.PENANAfdss4olWUw
559Please respect copyright.PENANAQUlooqZj1f
"I'll be with Abbie," he whispered, a smile on his lips. "I'll get to see her soon. It's what I always wanted."559Please respect copyright.PENANAJvSFLKVIU6
559Please respect copyright.PENANA6NQVxfA0hq
"No," I said, shaking my head. When I looked at him, his eyes mirrored mine with tears. "You're not going to die, Jude. It's not happening. We're going to get you to the hospital and you're going to be okay."559Please respect copyright.PENANAXfidKF8uLd
559Please respect copyright.PENANAZkwsbMpXpV
I heard the sirens, and then all I remembered was them taking Jude away, while I sat outside wrapped in a blanket. Christian sat beside me, our hands linked, and for the first time in my life, I prayed.559Please respect copyright.PENANAtcmnUS0Vb6
559Please respect copyright.PENANAUBlJipLtSU
___
559Please respect copyright.PENANABpKyu3QorQ559Please respect copyright.PENANAbHlBTcDFUX
Whether or not Jude went to the other side at all during the operation to remove the bullet, I didn't know. When we were finally able to see him, he was still asleep. Christian went to get some sort of food for us and when he got back he explained what he could. Seth had taken him from his own yard, drugged and carried him to his car, and just before the unconscious settled down on Christian, he remembered being stuffed into a tight space. Then he woke up in a bedroom with Seth touching him.559Please respect copyright.PENANAQptCXOOIBq
559Please respect copyright.PENANALNZlWMk5jb
I was sitting in a cushioned chair, my knees pulled up to my chest, when the hospital room door opened and one of the nurse's came in. She shook her head. "He's very lucky to be alive," she said to us. Then she looked at me. "Someone is here to see you, Kendall."559Please respect copyright.PENANAevx6nqbw7J
559Please respect copyright.PENANA3MJ7pWRjOx
"Who?" I asked suspiciously.559Please respect copyright.PENANAUlJAAvYxfo
559Please respect copyright.PENANAiyag224C1g
"Your mother."559Please respect copyright.PENANA8w8Msh242o
559Please respect copyright.PENANAM1o30249wM
I blinked at the nurse a few times, glanced at Christian, and stood up. I followed her out the door and down the hall. There was a figure standing near the automatic doors. She burst into tears when she saw me.559Please respect copyright.PENANAUvh8acqjno
559Please respect copyright.PENANAZJOWZoGEzO
We didn't exchange words. She cried, hugging me. She smelled minty and she didn't seem to be stumbling. She was, for the first time in two years, completely sober. When I hugged her back, her little intake of breath told me that she wasn't expecting that at all. When she asked me what happened, I just told her that my friend got shot. She surprised me by asking if it was my boyfriend.559Please respect copyright.PENANAFOPQrAdMiQ
559Please respect copyright.PENANAluxXDasGXw
When I returned to Jude's room with my mom, Christian stood, his eyes narrowed. When my mom saw him, she frowned.559Please respect copyright.PENANAR7atNFgRs1
559Please respect copyright.PENANAiPPGjRTvda
"Please don't be mad," she said softly. "I know what I did and said was wrong. You can forgive me if you want later."559Please respect copyright.PENANA7Eg7hJyB0j
559Please respect copyright.PENANAjMAacflGuJ
Christian's mouth opened slightly in disbelief. I went over to him and tapped his chin with my finger. He shook his head and looked at me, reaching for my hand. We sat and waited for Jude to wake up while my mom announced she was going into rehab.559Please respect copyright.PENANAsKbDqeXNny
559Please respect copyright.PENANAwGGVLrbY4u
___
559Please respect copyright.PENANABSVKGt2Ejr559Please respect copyright.PENANAwgGXfHA7Ot
After Jude had woken up at some during the night, I cried against him and thanked him for saving Christian. He laughed at me and told me to stop being so dramatic, then to my surprise, he shook Christian's hand.559Please respect copyright.PENANAKhu2SO6fpf
559Please respect copyright.PENANAVEDOP9E9fE
I couldn't wait to sleep. I was exhausted. We dropped Christian off and headed home, neither of us speaking. My mom unlocked the door without saying anything to me, then went to her room. I went into the living room to fall asleep with the TV on. When I flicked on the light, a terrible scream escaped my throat.559Please respect copyright.PENANAtxjqcq8mzY
559Please respect copyright.PENANAbnJB4VqYEf
Seth was staring at me with a crooked smile and amused golden eyes.559Please respect copyright.PENANAOmkRu82rHR