"So, all this time, I thought I was protecting you. But you were protecting me." Mitch says.

Scott nods his head as he lays on Mitch's bedroom floor.

"That's all I ever wanted to do, since I first saw you." Scott says.

"So, why'd you keep it a secret?" Mitch asks.

He walks towards Scott and sits down on the floor next to him.

Scott laughs kind of.

"Hi. I'm Scott. I'm dead. Wanna hook up?" Scott says.

Mitch giggles as Scott just stares at him.

"I don't think so." Scott says.

Scott then takes a deck of cards out from under Mitch's bed and starts to shuffle them.

Mitch holds his knees to his chest and starts to rock himself a little.

"I still don't remember dying." He says.

"Do you?" Mitch asks.

"Nope." Scott says.

Scott begins to deal the cards between he and Mitch.

"What happens now?" Mitch asks.

"You draw a card and then discard." Scott says with a small smile.

Mitch sighs and chuckles.

"No, I mean, like, how's it going to be?" Mitch asks.

"Just like this. Like it's always been." Scott says.

Mitch looks down at his cards breaking eye contact with Scott.

"It's you and me. Together for always." Scott continues.

Mitch looks back up at him as Scott gives him a small almost creepy kind of smile.

He smiles a little then looks back down at his cards.

**

The door buzzes open as the guard lets Rick into a room to talk with someone who is there to visit him.

To his surprise, he sees Connie setting on the other side of the glass waiting for him to sit down.

Rick smiles at Connie and walks over to the phone to sit down and talk.

They both pick up the phone at the same time as Connie's looks turn into anger.

"Hello, Connie. Thanks for coming to see me." Rick says.

"What do you want?" Connie spats.

"Just wanted to see you. One last time. I wanted to take the image of you with me into my captivity." Rick says.

Connie laughs.

"Well, take a good look. It's the last time you're ever gonna see me." Connie says with such hate in her eyes.

Rick sighs.

"I know. They're sending me out of state to serve my sentence. Indiana." Rick scoffs.

"Though, I understand that the penitentiary there has a very fine theater program." He continues.

"Well, You'll finally have that captive audience you've always dreamed of." Connie says.

Rick sighs.

"Aren't you going to ask my why, Connie?"

"Why what?"

"Why did I confess to a crime we both know I didn't commit?"

"I have long stopped asking why the mad do mad things. But if you thought you were protecting me, then you're a bigger fool than I ever took you for." Connie says.

"No! I have no illusion that you need protecting. From me, or any man. No. This is about me." Rick says.

Connie stares at him as she lets a single tear drop from he cheek.

"I need to pay for my crimes, Connie. All of them." Rick continues.

"Well, it looks like you're gonna get your wish. You're gonna die in here. You know that, don't you?" Connie asks.

Rick nods and gives her a smile.

"I don't mind. I can take it. I can endure it all if you'll just say those words." Rick says.

He then puts his hand up to the glass and signals for Connie to do the same.

All he wants to hear after almost twenty years is something she has never really told anyone.

Not even her own children.

Connie just looks down at his hand on the glass and back up at Rick's smiling face.

"I know you loved me once, Connie. Just say it. Then I can face whatever may come." Rick says with hope.

Connie sighs loudly and puts her hand up to his hand on the glass.

She quickly then takes it away and hangs up the phone.

Connie gives Rick a smirk as he just looks defeated yet again and watches her leave.

Kinda short chapter I know, but hopefully I will stick to my plan in giving you guys daily updates again...its been waaayyy too long since I've done that :)