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.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVbZGNRXem
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44t4c9qvO4
"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?"496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhT39fOWbR
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGY4SdEP0wT
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?"496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzSKj1D6zS
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYUMQrlVmM
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafbKBvhach
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisb1kE9RZ1
"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?"496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtl63tfdOX3
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrqvn15qaK
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFRMYluug1
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtM2Vlw55zf
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lBWO75WSV
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj6fUVJM1e
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?"496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMeqCVMj6x
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHZbv5xT72
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleUPkA62M2
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1M9zisOiYk
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXb7i8HyJyL
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6woJtG43PC
"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."496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmahK1fav1
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WSoBhbRzO
I stiffened.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4xpLXzjTL
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfh2ge6BVl
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkAB44yrFc
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnORBcje8L
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYB50bCJ6jb
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoP7jCJKcO
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.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1rjFhMaUf
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5SJQFWPtB
"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."496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3dcSflxJS
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejoDeQ1M8f
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DouirmCGq
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FQpNLp65S
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcPxMRWQEb
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2Mydy1248
"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."496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQeMpMb3W6
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwmeSNTlqk
"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.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMYHP3u7Fy
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhKVmEgQHS
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.496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFz3b2BIhIi
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPab4CbD7L
"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."496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9aa0oMcjI
496Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfi0nawDZY
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.