452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjSlVFlb9s
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTt8Y5Bh8XC
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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."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpr6cxwjIf
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPSZpJdwJY
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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0t13MC3wL
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqcKrnaVyB
"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."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQwN5OzeRp
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rIAC9Z8El
"Thank you," I said softly.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPljpwOCLL0
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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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQZCYuSp58
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbifTB5UbX
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHBzpinRTp
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBfQGTwYvK
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqe6Clw8PhL
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"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."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk6oCK9Qrx
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcavMOCRDv
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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMgqsykmue
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14RrwmB46n
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XE56LZe8M
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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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdmujea7eB
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLD0hg2vALh
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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlIDXpP6tR
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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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMhxVbJeJo
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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."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB47CHgpifM
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAfevnwEvJ
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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCJD2gZwzZ
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ59fnjS4W4
"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."452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36Sosjpw5L
452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7oF9ifOE2
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.452Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92RojmGdFy