Started With A Rumor

Making Amends

Jeremy's POV

As Sarah left my apartment, I felt defeated. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to figure out what to do. Sarah is never going to believe me now. She is going to think I'm just doing it for publicity.

Before I could spiral anymore, I grabbed my jacket, left my apartment anded up in front of a different apartment. "Jeremy!" Tyler said as he opened the door. "Congratulations on the engagement."

"Not funny," I said as he opened the door for me to walk in.

"I'm sorry. So what happened? I'm guessing you telling her and her having the same feelings and you two living happily ever after didn't happen?"

"What do you think?" I scoffed, sitting on a bar stool.

"What happened man?" He asked sitting next to me.

"I screwed up. I was an asshole. I was me."

"Jeremy," he sighed.

"No. Don't feel bad. Don't tell me everything is going to be okay because it's not. Why did I let it go this far? Why didn't I tell her the minute the feelings became real?"

**********

I bit my lip as an assistant checked my mike. "They are ready for you, Mr. Jordan." Said another stagehand. I nodded as I followed him.

"He used to be Hollywood's favorite badboy and now he is a part of Hollywood's favorite couple. Mr. Jeremy Jordan." I walked into the camera angle as the interviewer, Kyle Yardley, introduced me.

"It's good to see you again, Jeremy." Kyle said as he shook my hand.

"Good to see you too Kyle."

"So, we just found out about your engagement, literally a few hours ago and now you say you have some juicy information for us."

"Yes," I said clearing my throat and wiping my hands on my jeans. "It's about Sarah and I."

"Oh," Kyle said in a singsongy voice. "You're not expecting an addition to your little power couple are you?"

"What? No. What are you. . . Sarah isn't pregnant. The truth is, we aren't engaged. It was a rumor that I shouldn't have helped spread. The thing is, Sarah and I never were a couple. My manager thought I needed to improve my image and Sarah has always been loved by the public. So, we talked to her and she agreed to help. But I took it too far and it wasn't fair to her."

"Wow," Kyle laughed. "That is. . . Wow."

"She isn't to blame. She was just being a nice person and it's my fault things got so out of hand. We had agreed that if she ever got uncomfortable, she could walk away. But I didn't stick to that and I was a jerk. She deserves better. She deserves to be happy."

"Well well. Do my ears deceive me or is this fake relationship more than it seems?" He crossed his arms and sat back in his chair, waiting for me to respond. Instead I just looked down at my hands in my lap.

"Did this fake relationship lead to real feelings along the way?" He pressed.

"I. . .I don't know," I shrugged, finally looking up.

I smiled and let out a soft chuckle as an image of Sarah came into my mind. I thought back to every conversation we had. Every fake date we went on. Every time I made her laugh and every time she made me laugh. "I think I do."

"My next question is a little more serious. Does she know?"

"No, she doesn't." I said slowly.

"Well, maybe things will change. Maybe things were real for her too."

"Yeah," I said with a soft sigh. "Maybe."

My life was full of "maybes" and "what ifs" right now.