Spotlight Girl //a Jeremy Jordan Fanfic//

Eleven: Breaking the News

Jeremy's POV

Jamie offered to sit outside while I went in and talked to Ashley. A small part of me was disappointed, because I needed support in there as I delivered this news, but an even bigger part of me was relieved. I didn't want to overwhelm the both of them at once.

Ashley's voice echoes from the kitchen as soon as I shut the door.

"Hey hun, is that you?"

Taking a deep breath, I shrug my jacket from off my shoulders and place my keys in the glass dish by the front door. Hanging up the jacket on a free coat peg in the entry way, I rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"Hey babe." I greeted, kissing her on the cheek. I could tell she knew something was up.

I flipped the switch on the coffee maker and leaned against the counter. Ashley furrowed a brow at me and took a bite out of her bagel, not once breaking her gaze from me.

"You're back early...no matinee today?" She asked, taking a carton of orange juice out of the fridge and a glass from the cabinet.

Gripping the counter, I swallow the dry lump in my throat and cough a few times. "Um, yeah, sort of," I grumble as the coffeemaker beeps and I pour a cup hastily, needing to occupy my mind and my hands. "it's just...something happened yesterday, something I truly wasn't expecting..." I trail off, tapping the side of my mug rhythmically.

"I honestly don't know how to say this and I'm not sure how you're gonna take it, it just came up without warning and I was gonna tell you last night--" My throat suddenly felt really dry. Gripping the mug in one hand I downed the cup, the liquid hot as it poured down my throat and scolded my tongue.

 Coughing a little as I came up for air, Ashley was by my side in a seconded, patting my back reassuringly. "Woah there, slow down, take a breather."

Doing as she says, I take a few deep breaths and take a few gulps of the water from a bottle she got from the fridge.

"I just wanna say," I begin again, "I love you so much and you have every right to be mad...damn I did not realise this was gonna be so hard!" I ramble, tears welling up in my eyes as Ashley continued to rub circles into my back.

"Okay, I think we should try this again from the beginning." She suggested, settling down next to me, her hand still firmly on my back, supporting me the whole time.

After another few swigs of the water I sat back and told her everything. From my email exchange with Julia to  the night on the beach to the final email Julia sent before cutting off contact with me altogether.

"I hadn't even thought about it in years," I explained, looking up at Ashley who was still listening intently. "Then the other night, me and Shoshana were in charge of karaoke  at the theatre and this girl's name was pulled out of the bag and she came up and sung She Used To Be Mine and...it was like I was back on that cold, windy beach, listening to Julia sing as she played her Ukulele." I smiled at the memory, looking back up at Ashley again and meet her kind and understanding eyes.

"So, I asked for someone to bring her backstage and we talked for a while and..." I finish, trailing off at the end as I see the realisation dawn on Ashley's face.

"Oh..." She says quietly,  leaning back in her chair. "I see...so that night on the beach-"

"Yup." I interrupt, knowing exactly what she was going to ask.

Nodding her head solemnly she drinks the rest of her orange juice and takes a deep breath.

"Okay, well, that is a lot to take in and unpack," Ashley mumbled, raking her fingers through her hair. "But from what I can tell, this Julia girl was obviously a big part of your life and...you two knew each other way before we ever met so, how can I be mad at you?"