Matt texted Lennon, telling her that Kade had been removed from her apartment and her blanket and pillow would be returned, cleaned, the next day. Lennon let that be the only time she thought of Kade. She focused on her music the whole day and returned to her apartment exhausted. She was thinking only of her bed as she climbed the stairs. She was pulling out her keys when she looked up and found Kade, outside her door.

He looked awful. He had a baseball cap pulled low but she could see his face looked pale and there were circles under his eyes. They silently stared at each other for a moment. Lennon was unsure what to do. She figured Matt would issue an apology for Kade, they would give her a few days to get over it and then expect them to go on like nothing had happened.

"You should leave," she said, walking determinedly to her door.

"Lennon," he said softly.

"I'm serious Kade," she said, looking him directly in the eyes. "Go."

"We need to talk."

"Talk? You wanna talk?" she asked.

She nodded her head, trying to contain her frustration.

"What about the last three weeks? I was around then but you never wanted to talk! Actually you talked to everyone but me. Now I don't want to talk and you do. It sucks doesn't it, when someone won't talk to you."

"Give me a chance to explain," he said.

His voice remained quiet as Lennon could feel herself getting worked up. All her frustration from the last few weeks was ready to explode. She looked at him and saw his eyes looked sad, everything about him looked sad but she didn't care.

"No," she said.

"I'm sorry. I know what I did last night was unacceptable. I promise it will never happen again."

"Those sounds an awful lot like Matt's words. Next time, let him deliver his own message," she said, looking at him coolly.

"Is that honestly what you believe?" He asked sharply. "Matt didn't send me. In fact, he told me to stay away from you. Give you a few days to let the whole thing blow over but I couldn't."

Lennon scoffed and crossed her arms.

"I don't expect you to understand the way I have acted the last three weeks but I want you to know I am truly sorry for them," Kade said.

"You crossed a line. You were drunk and you kissed me! I was told that part of your life was over."

"I'm disgusted with myself. You've been nothing but amazing through this whole process. I was awful last night. I am so sorry for it all. The kisses, the way I treated you. Please, forgive me."

A car door slammed shut and Lennon looked over to see someone walking in their direction. She unlocked her door without saying anything. She turned back and glared at him. He looked back, his expression pleading.

"You can come in but this is nowhere close to being over," she said.

The last thing they needed was a public fight.

He stepped just inside the door and closed it. Lennon crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. Kade stood awkwardly, his hands in his pockets.

"Talk," she commanded.

"Lennon, I am so sorry about last night. I was stupid. I shouldn't have been drinking."

"Then why were you?"

"I was stressed and I couldn't handle being back in LA pretending life was ok."

"What do you mean?"

"My grandpa isn't doing good."

"And? Am I suppose to care now?"

He gave her a startled look.

"I know that makes me sound cruel but I did care," she said. "I cared at your birthday. I cared when you got back from Boston. Even after a week of not talking, I was still ready to care but you didn't let me. You shut me out."

"I'm not very good with letting people in," he said. "I don't share my life with anyone."

"I'm not just anyone," Lennon said. "You can't treat me like your LA friends you keep at arms lengths. I get that we aren't close but we're wrapped up in each other's lives. How am I suppose to act like your girlfriend when I don't even know whats going on?"

Kade looked lost for words.

"We're in this together. We setup guidelines," Lennon said. "You could have asked for space without explaining anything and I would have given it."

"I know."

"Do you?

"I do."

"Then why?"

"Because I go to sleep every night worried I'll wake up to a message telling me my grandpa is gone!" he said loudly. "I don't want to answer my family's calls because I'm scared of what they'll say. And I have to be here. Attending parties. Laughing like I don't have a care in the world, when all I want is to be back in Boston with my family."

Kade dropped Lennon's gaze, his whole body sagging under the weight he carried. Lennon quietly studied him for a moment. She felt her anger melting away into sympathy. Looking at the pain in his face, her own memories of the months leading up to her mother's death flashed through her mind. The dread of going to sleep each night not knowing if her mom would make it to the next day was so familiar to her.

"Is that why you were drinking last night?" she asked softly.

Shame was written clear across his face when he looked up.

"Yeah. I didn't think I could attend one more stupid party without going crazy. I thought a drink could help. I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have had a single drop. And I can't express how sorry I am about last night. I am so ashamed I treated you like that. That I brought up Hunter after you trusted me enough to tell me about your past."

Lennon was quiet as she pondered over his words. Images of Kade on the night of his birthday came back to her. The pain of wanting to be with his family but needing to stay in LA.

"Lennon, I know I don't deserve it but could you ever forgive me?"

Lennon's arms dropped to her side as her anger disappeared.

"You screwed up," she said.

"I know I did."

"But everyone screws up at times."

She gave him a small smile. He returned it with a hopeful look.

"I forgive you," she said.

"Lennon, I can't begin to - ,"

"Listen Kade," she interrupted. "This can't happen again. If you need space, tell me. We're partners and if this is going to work, we have to communicate with each other."

Lennon wasn't going to hold Kade's behavior from the night before against him, but she didn't plan on walking into another situation like that.

"I understand," he said.

"You're in a hard situation. I understand that. Just let me know whats going on. Now, how is your family doing?" she asked.

"They're doing alright under the circumstances. Thanks for hearing me out."

"Kade," she said softly. "I know you didn't think you could tell me, but I understand what you're going through. Your reality was the same as mine for the months my mom had cancer."

Something broke in Kade and he sank down onto the couch.

"Lennon..." his voice broke off.

Lennon joined him on the couch.

"How did you cope?" he asked.

"One day at time and leaning on those closest to you. I wouldn't have made it through without Charlotte."

Kade gave a sad nod.

"But here in LA?" he asked.

"Did you ever think I could have been a helping hand if you had let me? You didn't have to face all those parties alone."

"I never considered it."

"Well, the offer's there."

He gave her a studied look, some of the sadness leaving his eyes.

"How can you forgive me?" Kade asked.

"Because I get what pain will do to you. It wears you down. You feel isolated but you don't have to be."

"Thank you," he said.

Lennon smiled.

"You're welcome. Now, are you hungry?" she asked.

Kade smiled and nodded.

**********************************************************************

Hullo-ullo!

So as I have said, the leaves are starting to change and now it's becoming...SWEATER WEATHER!! Am I the one only excited for this? I hope not, sweater weather is the best time ever! I love sweaters, I recently got one that's red and has reindeer on it. That's right, come November 1st I'm putting that bad boy on and wearing it till New Years. (Yes, thank you I know I'm odd, no need to make comments. Though I will accept votes, follows and comments on the story ;)

Remember you are awesome and no one will ever change that! You are you and that's all anyone should ask you to be!