After Jude had finished telling me he was also a patient of Dr. Alder's, I asked why he was there, like it was the most normal question in the world. Even though I hadn't answered him when he asked, he still gave me some insight to who he was.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXapzriboJ
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOm29e0reYE
"My dad thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't like spending all of my free time with him. I wanted to go out with my friends and go to parties, and when I came home drunk once, he said he'd had enough. He called my mom the next morning and they both agreed that I should go see someone. Unfortunately for me, Dallas is an old friend of the family. Doesn't that make my visits all the more special?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTE2kbtXFf
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTpIm9u45T
It struck me as odd that he'd call his psychiatrist by her first name, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I asked, "Does that make it weird?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KxqOD7JgR
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEysGuQvqE9
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYxYeSYmXl
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pZjLRO8Fn
"With her being a family friend. Isn't it strange? I mean, if she's so close, wouldn't she have known your problems before you got an appointment with her?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPvglkA2yT
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmyGDXLs4g
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayD3xtV4j4
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfAJtqybHt
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo22fEJ8yYJ
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfhk9MxqIs
Jude looked at me, the torn napkin forgotten. His eyes held mine for a minute before he said, "Are you trying to ruin my explanation or something? You're the one who asked for it, remember?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoTn7YvlLy
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRo46c1J8sc
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZJblS8diN
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQZDth7j2i
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZAFTU9qk4
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFuTmCDl6X
"Anyway, you should have seen her face when I walked into her office. She looked like she forgot who was coming in that day. But when we started talking, she understood things very quickly. I was actually surprised, but I guess in her line of work, she got a lot of nut jobs."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaF0fUozlYX
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFCc8XrFpv
I stiffened.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SIanQGSFO
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBpEaPGyKe
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFjYJrU4vO
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwlYjWa7lK
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVO9h6QwSE
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnjhHjs41t
Jude looked at me, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to figure me out. He was going to fail with that one. Then he let out a long sigh and picked up his mug, draining his coffee.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Jy5bddvCk
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1r3DDWRZGV
"Listen," he said after he finished, "I'm not going to judge you or anything if you tell me your secret. It's not a big deal, really. I bet you're normal compared to some of the patients Dallas gets."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6mhj2Fgby
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPCONVeacU
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFCHEvLgoz
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFhlHDQyL0
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUE2QYI71Hm
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuEgF3Ec1F
"You don't understand!" I practically shouted in his face, my vision blurring. "I can't tell you what happens because then you're going to go away."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWn3jrGMbm
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2VKB7s2is
"Wait." His eyes widened and he leaned forward. "What do you mean 'happens'? Kendall, what's going on?" He reached across the table for my hand, and I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxdEtqziiX
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZouXdXtAKU
I looked up at him. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks now. I took a breath and finally told him. Then I wished I hadn't opened my mouth.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylMPJIXc3s
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsEOor4rr6
"I have dreams almost every night about killing people, only they aren't my dreams, and now I'm afraid you're going to die, too."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIXDFtVvjv
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37963MJHJZ
Before he could reply, I stood up and ran out. But something stopped me halfway out of the shop. The window, there was something taped to it. I wiped my eyes and looked at the white piece of paper. The words MISSING PERSON were typed in big, bold letters on the top of the page, and underneath was a picture. A picture of someone I knew.