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.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdt9xxECMn
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9t8tcdPfrZ
"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?"523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaimIFjQfK
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6sUNQIJxx
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?"523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHXaBsH3pZ
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wsJMZovmo
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Q2U8GyiVa
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWJJhwX3Ss
"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?"523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UO7UvowT2
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp1rPHz5V0
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYoHrGiKLK
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesnVm9FmE1
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ga0XRM1ND
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡib3ExdA6mu
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?"523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHPliJjLJ5
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDzxlTdjyZ
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCz8Hpj0lT
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfLo3ly77T
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXWTre4G1I
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajgiDPkl8s
"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."523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OdFMnz902
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElT63F9ndt
I stiffened.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRMRaPobTX
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoiWWFWUA0
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuiymd59RL
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR4Jk9EjW2
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FbLgfX0Mr
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PgqRd5B2A
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.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaY3FZA3nad
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q2gyCtzo4
"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."523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyj90P0KxAC
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQjjP9qj6R
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9YaVVibeH
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yU6A6pUTz
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPaPDQznEd
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmN0AOIF2LF
"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."523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKlDScwc51
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvadv89Qc2
"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.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlFZCQGgdH
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nQmYtXpVO
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.523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyPyCAih0A
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmMaurrF4X
"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."523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZBrhvtBSi
523Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAImU6GSc5
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.