463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgi23fjTKL
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAWkH9amX4
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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."463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4GXuxVUO6
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4JWQEctq0
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShnpwQ7eWV
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaSBDl8Ib8
"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."463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUw5ADa8Jc
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG9dAdjkCP
"Thank you," I said softly.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GGr78sFoi
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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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJCWOej9WM
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK84iFAXh7c
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjD7XP4ad7
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYdjL929HT
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCHiS3k0D3
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbkyPcapXY
"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."463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1YaopBFjK
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0VbsQ6fXE
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDw7aAkvEh
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"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO7h49n8tt
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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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TdDWny2uc
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlg6GsN3mGT
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaykfMD37Ao
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPoIAFtAUC
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18YFtbuKzX
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"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."463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdXArUcBf2
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7meWtKQjim
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4eZCLkoIj
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJPCYLKBDY
"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."463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJYbNrccVi
463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsK08l3EnR
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.463Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm593iPx8v4