444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Rh9kQUxvm
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHlyfkIXbd
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"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."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjuI5mdMuu
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYdO3yCjZ4
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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigqUtPSkv9
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhgRTql1Ak
"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."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWQFv1Svr0
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡediANT40tg
"Thank you," I said softly.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoL0pcoiCtp
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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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82twQODEFE
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj2oRwEyUE
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7QoHBXw6s
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"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi7sRPTVzt
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YkSQVbsug
"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."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfyiMXJyY2
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjxOC20HdO
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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLS9DkSncy
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTOf1JMypq
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0qrgkp4ZD
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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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHN10QRy38b
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfjD7vQlZm
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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrHY21ZsrD
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4GtPbsVT0
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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTEDMbTUqS
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkwah0c1HO
"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."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQ0kKCkmwO
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv15vmoK07a
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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaf80Xctsln
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7xCLBGTG7
"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."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsPmV6IDo0
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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.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3nuv1Io30