482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiIVV3Tfcw
"What happened to John?" he asked. Then he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm sorry."482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YZ2PiooOw
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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."482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmO9cAO1bo
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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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHryxSkwmq
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUQgxCDVUy
"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."482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneJVdhGEC1
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiVApgva0F
"Thank you," I said softly.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pSbwYDOea
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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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eeysuog8C
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFA8owrmAs
"We're getting close," he said, looking back at me as he started to walk again. "Are you gonna be okay?"482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡml9hsSHaVV
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBBGMLiQFW
"I'll be fine." I wasn't but he didn't need to know that.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXUDqRJz7G
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLbQAjiCMh
"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."482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuy0JEWo0Io
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDL2CnIavLU
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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0C1cE3KSXR
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStqlPXDrxl
"Kendall," he said, gazing at me. "Meet my sister, Abbie."482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uJXUlLVty
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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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18uHPjxTKA
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iezglgB0t
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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mXgS9Pw4r
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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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eKqXDy2TT
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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."482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHE6to8dxz
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJ7z21ibtS
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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOloxtglRM
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL844Ir38OF
"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."482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcEDYqAOgd
482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78sb2GWLpE
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.482Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5bdGgRd25