507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu17Oj990gH
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVv04aPigGN
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0gJjVda7x
"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."507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaKsQXCiJ6
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29uhaoiXGu
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H6rnxzt5W
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3lxh7NL2H
"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."507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMYqMPIgIw
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJjsx1jyvF
"Thank you," I said softly.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFgeYMpomZ
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjaIzOtiSv
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxUsM74TQd
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOgB4yk693
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmVQAyvFmO
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tfxeJ8wJj
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd42PsfQhjl
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEF5ga14uw
"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."507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbSAnB3ytm
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Fy96MOBDt
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpZxlaE6JF
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdJSzduJna
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdamQkNe5i9
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHxobBsjyB
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB09oUY1bZ0
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWunChbCIa
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKWE66Y3xi
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkv0KLKonf
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkneqFDuPO
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXWbiQih1M
"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."507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjyFWbs411
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GEd7RpfW9
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIVaIXgudz
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeLoeucx0v
"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."507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFxaEdzyeU
507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsEBtulR8v
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.507Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSTb0hN2FF