494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHi2Bzr10cF
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIGhnxPy2D
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPanAuvpLsq
"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."494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwGWGX9AS8
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvv98vs2An
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4sOjg47cT
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzvrWuV9it
"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."494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44Twh6iJZz
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsq7JaASKJ
"Thank you," I said softly.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrHcbZPnlO
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQiT0YN91h
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNJ9RrVkCW
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoFMdn4bcL
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflSOZePnoK
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YOgQzQD4m
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdPE0JxJLb
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWKms04PNH
"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."494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXGPtqq7pc
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVlIb6qSz0
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TJWdSuDi9
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtR55qwywQd
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVYlZKalXB
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2satk8VLVx
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGIMtDD9gv
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrC45iNg74
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmIiBLxwk9
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEItCRzoU6
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjP1KHctpbg
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccowVAtelH
"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."494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GHe8OpXol
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdhe0E5bAy
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQvU7EJC0i
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFw2JraXacf
"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."494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicfTxHlKgt
494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDJEVIUicr
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.494Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwBrfOMO4l