"Detective Fletcher?"

The confession box was quiet, as I let everything about the encounter with Congressman Weston spill out into the open. 

Detective Frank Fletcher was my father's best friend, and when he had found out who murdered my father, he put the man on death row. He always assumed that the man who killed my father had been hired by someone, and this made the man consider carefully.

"So... what you're saying is, is you're gonna have to comply with the Congressman's wishes, right? What of Miss Veronica?"

I gulped. "Veronica can't know about any of this, or she is dead. I can't let harm come to her, but Uncle Frank, I... I feel like-"

"Have you prayed to God about this matter?" Detective Fletcher asked. As well as a detective, he was a Priest of a Catholic Church.

"I have... but I feel as if God is distant right now. I can't decide what to do, so I'm just going to go with my instincts and protect Veronica. If I have to fall "in love" with this girl to save her life, then I will. But this one question keeps nagging at the back of my mind."

"What is it?" He asked with concern.

The one question that always nags at humanity, the one what if that can cause a courageous man to fall into fear, the one ominous feeling that has the power to destroy a human being-it clouded my mind. 

"Does my life really matter? Or am I just a speck of dirt, like the Congressman said?"

I looked through the screen in the confession box to see Detective Fletcher crying silently.

"Men... men in power will never realize the true worth of a life, especially tyrants like Reid Weston. Your life, it matters, no matter how many people tell you that you're worthless, that you're trash, in God's eyes and mine, you are an amazing person. You saved Veronica's life. You're selflessly protecting her, even when you know that death is at the end of this path. Even though I don't condone this behavior, whatever path God is letting you choose will ultimately help you hear Him and come back to Him."

"What if everything doesn't come back together again? Will things in my life stay broken forever?"

"Not forever, son. Things will heal, they just take time to. Time heals all wounds." Detective Fletcher said.

"Will you help me investigate into this further?" I asked.

"I need hard evidence, and you're gonna need a car. I have the connections, and everything else, you just need a way to reach Weston's niece's mansion. Still got money in stocks?"

I nodded, wiping the tears away from my eyes. "More than enough."

"Go to a dealership in Queens, New Jersey, even though it's Jersey, I have contacts there who can hook you up for a really good price."

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---A COUPLE DAYS LATER---

The student parking lot at NYU was packed full of cars. My 2014 Dodge Charger being one of them. I had to move a lot of money around, but better late then never to get a car.

Veronica kindly helped me get my license to drive after I turned 17- a favor she had her family call in, but I waited a couple years to get a car because I wanted my stocks to build after the recession. But, as I looked back on it while parking in an empty spot,  I saw that it was an amazing decision.

I got out of my car and pulled out the photo of Reid Weston's niece along with the letter he left for me at my apartment. I reread it as I walked.

Gideon Yates:

My niece looks a lot like Veronica. Who knows, she may look even better than her. Remember, I want you to win her heart. She already knows who you are, and she likes you a little bit, but you have never met her. She's your height, blonde, has blue eyes, and is slender. Don't disappoint me.

-Reid Weston

I looked at the photo, and noticed she did look very familiar, but couldn't remember where I recognized her from. I put the photo in my pocket.

"Okay, Weston, I'll play your game for now." I grumbled.

I continued walking up the front steps into the main hallway. A sea of faces surrounded me, and I felt my stone nerves tingle a bit.

I was a freshman in college. Alone. Starting the fall semester.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and the little part of me felt afraid. The one that I had to shove away to keep myself stone cold.

I wish Veronica were here with me, I thought.

The hallways moved while I stood still. The world moved as I trembled alone.

Someone bumped into me, and I heard their books drop. I turned around to help the person pick their stuff up.

"I'm so terribly sorry, I'm such a ditz sometimes-"

She looked up and realized who I was, and I realized who she was.

"Aren't you the girl that-"

"That you saved the other night? Yes." She put her books in her arm and extended the other one. "I'm Lucy Weston, you know, like Congressman Reid Weston's niece. It's very nice to meet you. Do you think that you could accompany me throughout the day?"

God, I hope my acting skills are on point, I thought. "I'm Gideon Yates. Here's my schedule, but I doubt that you have any classes with me."

I handed her the schedule and she smiled wildly. 

"We have all of our classes together! Isn't that great?" She said, enthusiastically.

I sighed. "I guess so. Is there like a coffee place in this school?"

She took my hand. "Come on, Gideon. I'll take you to it, okay?"

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-A COUPLE HOURS LATER-

"That will be all for today, class. You are dismissed."

The professor closed his book and walked out, followed by many other students, who were trying to make spontaneous plans with their new classmates.

My stomach grumbled as I gathered my things.

"Gideon?"

I turned around to see Lucy, who now wore black-rimmed glasses and her hair in a ponytail. "Yes, Lucy?"

She smirked. "I noticed that you're kind of hungry, am I right? Do you want to grab something to eat?"

At that moment, I suddenly missed Veronica very much. She didn't ask, she just came over and we ate and chilled out together. Reid Weston's voice echoed in my head:

"'If you don't listen to me, I'll have Veronica killed instead of you!'"

I hid the fear deep down inside of me yet again. "S-sure? Why so instantly though? Shouldn't we get to know each other first?"

"We can over dinner," she said, mysteriously, "and besides, won't this pay you back for saving my life?"