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"The Walmart was in Broken Bluff, Kansas It was a small town, the kind where everybody knew everybody Nobody had ever heard of nize the wohborhoods They figured that the woman wasn't from the area The store was only a few miles from the interstate, so she could’ve been fro, not even what her na her They ran my picture on the local news, but no one canized me"

I didn't knohat to say to hi for hihtly to be closer to Jude I wanted him to feel me there next to him so he kneasn't alone

"The story had a silver lining," Jude continued "Lots of people expressed interest in adoptingh all the potential applicants who’d asked to adopt ot to the foster hoave me this car"

Jude took out the black car and set it on the nightstand “I don't reood cook and she would bake lots of cookies and stuff for me and the other foster kids she took care of At the ti I’d been with her, but I do reetshe was sorry I didn't knohat she was sorry for She toldthe lady who caot me if they found me a family and that hy I had to leave Mrs Klein’s house They hadn't, but she promised me they would”

Jude carefully set the black car on the nightstand “The next faot into trouble a lot"

"Jude, did they hurt you?" I asked because I had to know Rage si their hands on Jude

ToHis fingers closed around my hand as he said, "No They didn't hurt me None of the people who took me in ever laid a hand on me I swear, Nikolai"

I let out a breath and intertwinedJude, but I hadn't ever considered that he’d been doing the same to me

"What happened with the O’Briens?" I asked

“I was really scared that if I didn't behave myself, they’d tell my new family how bad I was” Jude paused for a painful , “I tried, Nikolai I really did"

"I know you did, sweetheart," I said I lifted his hand toour joined hands again

“Mrs O'Brien worked a lot, so it was usually just me and Mr O'Brien He was a lot older than his wife He had a lot of health problems and was in a wheelchair, so he spentwith hi that could hold er periods of time But as much as I liked it, I couldn’t sit perfectly still no matter how hard I tried I didn’t want to pick at the tears in the fabric of the couch and I didn’t want to bang ainst the couch I told Mr O'Brien I was sorry but no ave me, I just couldn't behave It was like the way it ith Mrs Klein One day ave me the General Lee," Jude said as he used one hand to pull the orange car out of the bag He set it down next to the other two cars

“I was sad I couldn't stay with the O'Briens any longer, but my social worker told roup hoh foster homes available I liked the Johnsons a lot and they seeed me a lot and toldand that ere going to be a faave me this" Jude took out the fourth car