Kate had gone home and locked herself in her room. When her mother asked how the party went from the other side of the door, Kate said it had been wonderful. Laying awake, suffering from a rare insomnia attack, Kate stared at the ceiling. She thought she had made some progress tonight. Edward had seemed to come out of his defensive armor. He had even shown signs of caring about her well being. But just as suddenly as he had shown feelings, he had gone back into hiding when she touched him.

Kate turned on her side, staring at her curtained window. She gently touched her tender arm and shook her head. She would never go near Mark again if she could help it. Sober, he was annoying. Drunk, he was a monster. Pushing all thoughts of Mark from her head, she thought about Edward again.

It was obvious that her dreams were about him. But the directions were still fuzzy. Who would take instructions from a dream, anyway? Kate felt her lids getting heavier and settled under the heavy comforter. She fell asleep thinking about ways to coax Edward out of his shell.

Kate felt like such a jerk. She had not gone to see Edward in a week. She had woken up one day and just decided to do nothing. She suspected it had to do with what happened at the party, but she just couldn't tackle the extreme feeling of idleness. She stayed in her room all day and read her journals over again. On the seventh day of being out of it, Kate seemed to snap right back into action. She woke up and got ready for a lively day.

Kate snuck out the front door before her parents could call to her for breakfast. She ran up to the hill and made it in record time. Knocking on the door, Kate realized something was different about the house. The garden looked slightly less…dead. The creaking of the door cut through the early morning silence.

"Kate."

"Edward, I'm so sorry I didn't come up here in a while. I was going through a lot of things," she said, trying to explain herself.

She stepped into the house. It too seemed more alive. Less dust, more light streaming through the broken windows. Kate turned to Edward.

"I really am sorry."

"It's alright."

Kate bit her lip and looked down at the floor. Why did she feel awkward? Nothing had changed between them since the last time they had talked.

"Edward, I want you to trust me," Kate began, deciding now was the time to break the wall between them.

"I do trust you," Edward said softly.

"Will you tell me about Kim, then?" Kate held her breath. This was it. Would he tell her about this mysterious girl or would he stall again? He looked to her, then the floor.

"I can't."

Kate let her breath out. She'd failed in her mission. A new feeling coursed through her. Frustration took over.

"Why? You said you trust me. When people trust each other, they tell each other things. Things about the past," Kate said, her voice wavering slightly.

Edward looked slightly alarmed. He shook his head. "It's too painful."

Kate stopped ranting and took a step closer to him. "My past is painful too. But I trust you enough to tell you about it. I won't do it unless you tell me about your past. Please, trust me."

Edward felt inexplicably trapped. He wanted--needed--to talk about Kim. And he trusted Kate, even cared about her a little. But he couldn't bring himself to relive that part of his life. It hurt to think of how almost everyone had turned against him, of how Kim hadn't stayed with him, of being alone again after tasting freedom.

Edward looked down and was met with Kate's desperate face. He saw something in that face. An ache similar to his own. She trusted him completely. Had Kim ever done that?

He shocked himself with that thought. Shifting from foot to foot, he struggled to make a decision. Before he could say another word, a rock crashed through a nearby window. Kim jumped, but didn't scream. Looking at Edward, she put a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

Creeping up to the window, she looked out. What she saw turned her stomach. Mark and one of his friends was standing in the garden, laughing and pointing a rose bush they'd just pulled up. Marks friend, Kate remembered his name was Jason, picked up another rock and pitched it at the already broken window upstairs. Kate heard a faint shattering. Clenching her fists, she started to march to the front door, ready to give Mark and Jason a piece of her outspoken mind.

Edward stepped her front of her. "It's ok, Kate."

She looked up at him in disbelief. "They're destroying your house, Edward! You can't just stand by and watch!"

'Why not,' Edward thought. As if reading his mind, Kate shook her head. "You have to stand up for yourself. Those guys are assholes, ok? They do stupid shit like this just to act cool and it's time they stop. If you won't end it, I will." She attempted to step around him, but he followed her action.

"This happened for awhile a long time ago. I just ignore it," Edward explained. Kate looked at him and winced when another window was smashed. She couldn't understand why he was letting his sanctuary be destroyed. Defeated, she sank down against the wall and sighed.