After eight grueling hours on just day one of a two-day process, Veronica was so over being a lawyer.
Years of schooling down the drain and buckets of money gone? Well, shoot. I could always be a bookie or something. This law crap is for the birds.
The ringing of her phone snapped her out of her pitty party.
"So, how did it go?"
She grunted loudly.
"So, that good? Nice. So, you need a few beers? I can meet you..."
"Thanks, Wallace, that's nice of you, but I think I just need to go back to the hotel and sleep this one off. I've got another day of it tomorrow and if there is any hope of me not plunging myself headfirst into rush hour traffic between now and then - it would be a good idea for me to just crash."
"Are you sure? You gotta eat?"
"Thanks, Wallace, but I'm good. I'll order room service. Maybe I'll be more fun once this is all over. Plus, I'm sure you're enjoying the guy time with Piz. We can hang out Thursday when all this is done."
"Ok, well don't hesitate to call if you need me."
"Thanks, Wallace. See you later."
Wallace hung up and walked back over to Piz.
"So how'd it go?"
Wallace raised his eyebrows and gave Piz a look.
"What? I can't be concerned about her taking the bar? You know that no matter what has or will happen between us, I'll always care about Veronica."
Wallace sighed and sat back down next to his friend.
"She's beat. She's going to crash. I think it was rough."
"Supposedly New York is one of, if not the hardest bar exam in the country to pass."
"Well, if anyone can do it," Wallace interjected, "Veronica Mars can."
"No doubt," Piz agreed.
"So, enough about that subject," Wallace said, trying to change the conversation, "what are we doing tonight?"
"There's this awesome club about a two blocks from here..."
...
Hey, Veronica. I don't know if you'll read this before your test, but I just wanted to say good luck. I know you can do it, so don't convince yourself that you can't.
I will be out of touch for a few days. I'll miss my weekly call, I'm sorry. Hopefully we'll be back in range by next week. I'll send you an email as soon as I can. It's so strange because I've never had anyone I wanted to talk to before when I was out at sea, but only getting to talk to you once a week is killing me. It's not that I have that much to say, it's just that hearing your voice - knowing you're on the other end of that phone makes me happier than I've been in a very long time.
I realize how "un-Loganlike" I sound right now, but this trip out is different from any other. I have a lot on my mind now that I didn't before. When I get home, Veronica, I want us to sit down and have a talk. A really long, serious talk. About life. About us. About our future. Out here in this boat, thousands of miles away from you - all I can think about is how much I regret spending the last nine years away from you. I regret all the mistakes I made that led you away and not chasing after you. I regret so much, but I don't want to live in the past. I don't want to regret anything anymore.
I'm sorry to be so serious in an email, but I had to get it all out. Please, take care. Be careful chasing the bad guys, Veronica. Be safe. If not for yourself - for me.
I hope to talk to you soon.
Love, Logan
Veronica swallowed hard as she read Logan's email. He had poured himself out in a way she'd never known him to before. She never imagined he was capable of such. She was speechless. He really had changed a lot in the last decade. She wondered if she had changed that much. She still felt like the same old Veronica. And it bothered her. She took a shower and forgot all about room service. As she drifted off to sleep she dreamed of the ocean. And Logan.
...
Piz and Wallace were right in the middle of a very heated game of Call of Duty when a knock interrupted their reverie.
"Is that pizza already? Nice."
"I didn't order..." Piz began and stopped immediately when he opened the door.
"Hi," Veronica said, contorting her face into something almost resembling a smile.
"Lose your key?" Piz asked in an almost laugh, trying to melt some of the tension that hung thick in the air.
Wallace came up about then and realized who the unexpected guest was.
"V, hey. You done? I mean, you could have called..."
"Wallace, I was wondering if I could just have a few minutes alone with Piz?"
"Yeah, yeah. No problem. I'm going to just grab my coat here," he said, reaching around Piz for his coat hanging on the wall. "And I'm going to that coffee shop on the corner. The barista is fine."
Wallace eased passed Veronica giving her 'a look' as he made eye contact.
Veronica slowly made her way into the apartment.
"So-how was it? Wallace said yesterday was pretty rough..."
That's Piz. Sweet, innocent Piz. Making small talk to somehow make this less awkward. As if.
"It kicked my ass. Hard," Veronica smiled.
"So when will you get the results?" he asked.
"It'll be a few months." she shrugged.
"Months?" Piz enunciated carefully. "As in groups of thirty days? Multiple groups?"
"Yeah, it pretty much sucks."
"No kidding."
After staring awkwardly for several minutes, Veronica finally broke the silence.
"So, I wanted to..."
"Don't do that, Veronica. Please," Piz implored.
"Piz, I owe you an explanation," Veronica insisted.
"No you don't. I mean, I am perfectly clear about what happened. You really don't have to explain it to me."
"Piz..."
He held up his hand to stop her and continued.
"I just have one question. Just one."
Veronica nodded, as if to say, "Ask away."
"If that girl hadn't died. If he hadn't called you - would you still be here with me?"
"I can't answer that, Piz."
"Can't or won't?"
"No, I mean I really can't. I just don't know. I mean, I wouldn't have gone to Neptune to help Logan, but of course I would have gone after my dad's accident. I don't know what I would have done then."
"I guess that tells me everything I need to know..."
"Piz. I'm sorry. I..."
Piz held up a hand.
"I know, Veronica. I know. I know how sorry you are, but that really doesn't make it any easier."
He took a deep breath and sighed.
"I never should have let myself believe that this would work out. I tried to tell myself that once we were away from your past we could overcome it. I guess I was wrong."
"Piz, I thought the same thing. I thought that I could become someone new. I really thought that I could change. But I can't. I'm just me. Just the same old Veronica-and all the drama that comes with me."
Piz got closer to Veronica and touched her cheek.
"You shouldn't have to change, Veronica. You're perfect the way you are. I just wish I was the one who was perfect for you."
"I'm sorry," Veronica finally replied.
Piz dropped his hand from her cheek.
"I know, Veronica. I know."
He turned to grab his coat and walked towards the door.
"I'll get out of your way," he said as he walked out.
Great, Veronica. You've got this whole heartbreak and destruction thing down good.