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.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWxI7nLVSM
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMUuQPy8E0
"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?"448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVm8bdb5b7
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsdqFznISh
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?"448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYsOtwpwBz
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYcfbxChZU
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pXgF38Zfz
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVgx4ti5Bp
"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?"448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZpmZczCbk
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJqyHngNb1
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ940KwdV9OQ
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Jga3f99oQ
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxbfBhUmQL
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QymcXwDuk
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?"448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1w6JHhyriq
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wcdKHOGyP
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrw34bCtm6p
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP2Ps0Qk4J
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1eotEaHS0
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyM9we1zhqF
"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."448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUEePVqZFX
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUj5aqtUMuu
I stiffened.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1DQ5bkYjY
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonvrrpM0lU
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡys6HJcfYb2
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuoLiwNb3J
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkapwKxdSli
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYVqJ6LYuB
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.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuljYXGCrNL
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNsGUi6dxB
"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."448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhzSz104Ln
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uPjlOaUuf
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9mvJvLGBw
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ632C6E1ePt
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1izmDuCfM
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmjnNuwApb
"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."448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByZyoa5iAV
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZjjIQyLh1
"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.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtPhQK2mNB
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hdwHcHhCG
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.448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOjext81FS
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrBuaMH9Sl
"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."448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDYHUGBObb
448Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCR6vJCLE5B
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.