After Before and After

Phase 4: Chapter 28

Ralph Langley wasn't usually a stupid boy. He wasn't accustomed to doing stupid things, especially not in dire situations in which his life and that of those around him were all under a microscope of legal scrutiny. But the night of December 12 was the night Ralph Langley snapped, the night he caved, the night he admitted that he would never be able to keep this charade alive for as long as those around him would expect him to. He was so weak, and he knew he was weak, that it was far too early into the trial for him to be so weak, but that failed to change a thing. If he couldn't keep torturing himself like this for the rest of the trial, why bother enduring the torture at all?

This particular late-night moment of weakness led the emotionally exhausted boy through an evening of poor decisions that ended with him at the door of hotel room number 521. Perhaps, he could've been stronger for at least another night if the cards hadn't fallen into his hands the way they had. The way they had fallen had coincidentally put himself on the elevator at the very moment Paige Merridew was passing by in the hallway. Another guest happened to be getting on the elevator from the third floor as Ralph travelled in pursuit of the fifth. Seeing Paige pass by on the third told Ralph one very interesting thing; she must've been staying in Evan's room that night. This insinuation along with the knowledge that Evan Merridew wasn't even in Savannah led Ralph to a conclusion that made him even weaker.

Ralph's head was now completely absent from the picture. Had it been in the picture, he probably would've realized what a terrible idea this was. It was now 2237 hours, shortly after he had left both his parents sound asleep in room 513 down the hall and around the corner. Had Ralph's head been even semi-present in this moment, he might've hesitated. After all, Ralph was a hesitator most of the time, constantly second guessing himself in pursuit of what was best, what was logical, what was right. But tonight, with his head somewhere else, Ralph Langley did not hesitate. He banged on the door.

Words nor thoughts could express how horrifically beautiful Jack Merridew appeared to be when he answered the door. His bruised eye, now free of makeup, was dark and swollen. His oversized, red sports car themed t-shirt was crinkled and stained with sweat. His blond hair was standing up in more than one direction. If he was wearing any bottoms at all, they were hidden by the length of the extra large shirt. His tired eyes abruptly widened at the sight of Ralph standing in front of him. Jack's attire suggested he wasn't expecting company of any value. His expression suggested he definitely wasn't expecting that company to be Ralph's.

"Ralph? What the hell are you do—"

Still running on something other than brain power, Ralph aggressively clutched Jack's waist, pulling his hips forcefully against his own. Bringing one of his hands up behind Jack's neck, he smashed his lips against the blond's like he was starving and desperate. The animalistic tendencies he was exhibiting in no way aligned with Ralph as Jack knew him. For the first time in their physical relationship, Ralph didn't give Jack any time to process what was happening before it happened. The door remained open as Ralph held and kissed Jack like it would be the last thing he ever got to do. In the immediate moment, Jack too let his body's involuntary response take over his mind. He became turned on so abruptly, he forgot to think at all.

Jack's moment of weakness lasted far less time than Ralph's did. After a minute of embracing Ralph and allowing his raging hormones to have what they so clearly wanted, Jack snapped out of it and let reality come flooding back to him. He forced space between himself and Ralph, secretly surprised by how hard it was to do so. Ralph's determination was nearly unstoppable, it was too un-Ralph-like for Jack to process in this particular moment.

"Ralph!" Jack snapped, succeeding on his third attempt to push them apart, putting an arms length of distance between them. "Ralph, stop" he insisted as he tried to catch his breath.