After Before and After

Conclusion: Chapter 16

Ralph Langley stood with wide eyes and a fallen jaw as he oggled the other occupant of the apartment Jack snuck off to. Nothing made sense. He thought whatever was on the other side of the door would give him answers, not more questions.

Before Ralph could remember how to think a coherent thought, Jack came up behind the other person, his eyes falling on Ralph as he approached.

"Ralph! What the hell are you doing here? Did... did you follow me?" Jack demanded with dismay.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here, Jack? What are you doing sneaking off to be with her of all people!" he shot back with the same amount of heat Jack gave him.

Rebecka Brenner dropped her head to divert the awkwardness. She seemed to have no words for Ralph, nor did she even acknowledge that he was here. Jack turned to look at her too now, the two of them standing side by side, disturbingly identical, Ralph thought, obviously related.

"I'm sorry about this. Can you give me a minute?" Jack gently asked the woman.

"Sure, of course" she nodded weakly before sinking back into the depth of the apartment. Ralph continued to stare past Jack at her until she disappeared around a corner.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Jack demanded to know a second time. He stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door behind him, forcing Ralph to take a couple steps back.

"You first" Ralph crossed his arms over his chest as he insisted, a terribly angered look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you" Jack lamely and vaguely said with a tired sigh.

"Didn't tell me what exactly?" Ralph snarled. "Where even are we, Jack? Is this shitty apartment where you've been going for the last month and a half?"

"Look" Jack calmly began. "I was gonna tell you---"

"When?" Ralph shouted bitterly. "It's been weeks, Jack! Weeks! You ditched me on the night of the anniversary of the plane crash for this? For a woman who abandoned you for twelve fucking years and then showed up again just in time to make the morning news? Are you fucking kidding me, Jack? I feel like I don't even know you!"

"Would you just stop!" Jack shouted back, finally matching Ralph's angered tone. "Jesus Christ, Ralph, you're acting like I cheated on you!"

Ralph's face shifted very obviously then; the anger disappearing like it was a magician's act. And a beat later, Jack's shifted too as he figured him out.

"You really thought..." the blond began to say much less aggressively now, but trailed off.

Ralph's eyes pooled with tears as Jack's face dropped, staring at him with sympathy instead of anger now. Jack reached his arms out to the other, but Ralph stepped back dramatically.

"Ralph, I... I didn't know. I'm sorry" Jack softly pleaded, his eyes watering now too.

"You didn't know?" Ralph snapped, his tone hurt and mad as the tears fell from his eyes. "I didn't know, Jack! I didn't know what the hell was going on with you or why you were blowing me off all the time... what was I supposed to think?"

"I-I don't know. I never thought about that" Jack lamely but truthfully admitted.

"Yeah, 'cause all you ever think about is yourself" Ralph shot back as he cried.

"Ralph" Jack stepped forward to try and take the other's hands again, but Ralph aggressively pulled away, tripping back into the railing.

"Don't touch me!" Ralph cried, his face hot and red with heat and emotion. He was too worked up, too tired, too ready to burst to keep having this conversation. Ralph conjured the strength to head back down the metal stairs and storm back to the twins' car without looking back.