Shell Of A Man

1 - Let Me Go

PRESENT:

It was a day like any other – ordinary. It was bright and early in the morning. And, the court, like the rest of the LA, was busting with people. Everyone, trying to reach somewhere to get their day started.

One such soul was Jason Smith, barging through the halls to make it to the court on time. He bumped into several people, even almost fell on his face. But luck was on his side 'cause he was at the door the moment his case was announced.

Out of breath, he walked into the court. He didn't even bother about who was or wasn't in the court as he rummaged through his office bag to find the documents of that particular case. Due to a shortage of people at his clinic, he was swarmed with cases. He had more on his plate than he could handle.

When the poor guy did look up, he stopped dead in his tracks. Not in a million years, he expected to see the sight that was in front of him – Raymond Holt. It was the first time he had seen the man in eleven years. Who once used to be a skinny little thing now stood like a Greek god in front of him.

Jason could easily make out the well-defined muscles beneath the layers of a navy blue suit, a color he once loved on the man. The blonde waves that used to be tied up in a bun were now short and styled in a tapered cut. The jawline, which used to be smooth, was now razor sharp and hidden under a stubble. The only thing that had not changed were those stormy blue orbs.

The moment Jason's eyes met Ray's, he got lost in the storm as he did all those years ago. His throat dried up, and his palms got sweaty. His heart picked up the pace as all the feelings he once harbored for the man, the love, the rage, and everything else in between, came rushing back. He was spellbound. He didn't know where to look, what to feel, or what to say. He even forgot that he was in a courtroom and had to walk up to the desk in front.

On the other side of this dilemma was Ray. He, like Jason, didn't expect this either. Honoring Jason's words, Ray never looked for him. Since the letter said nothing about social media, he tried that for years but, nothing ever came up, so he eventually gave up. There hadn't been a day in his life when he didn't think about Jason, but what he saw in front of him was the last thing he would have expected.

The chocolaty skin that once glowed was now all dry and wrinkly. The gleaming eyes now had dark circles under them. The afro waves in which Ray could once get his hands tangled were now all gone, replaced by a buzz cut. The man had also lost so much weight. You could say he was almost skinny. Ray couldn't believe his eyes. He wondered, how could someone who used to be so much into taking care of his health lose all of his muscles? His heart ached to see the poor health of the man he still loved.

Ray wanted to hug him, kiss him, to say he's sorry, but before he could even open his mouth, Jason walked past him. Ray's breath got shallow, and he could feel himself getting fidgety as he dealt with what felt like rejection. He got back to his desk once the judge asked the counsels to make an appearance.

"Jason Smith, LA Legal Assistance, for the defendant, Your Honor. Ms. Boden went into labor early this morning, and hence, I'll be taking over the case."

"Raymond Holt, Espinoza McLaren, for the plaintiff, Your Honor. Mr. Clark is away on a family emergency. I'll be replacing him," said Ray.

Hearing each other's voices after so long made both of their knees weak. Hence, Jason, with all his might, was trying not to look at Ray. He was always the resisting type. While Ray couldn't take his eyes off Jason. He was loving the butterflies in his stomach. The thought that he could finally apologize and get back together excited him.