Beyond the Gates Recap Jan 13: Ashley and Grayson Hit It Off Instantly

In the Beyond the Gates recap for Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Anita found out about Dani’s test results, Nicole drowned her sorrows, and Ashley had a date.

Beyond the Gates Recap

At the station, Jacob was distracted and confessed to Elon that he had a lot on his mind. He shared about Anita’s cancer and Dani’s test.

Elon asked how Naomi was handling, but Jacob reminded him that she was a Dupree, and he was the one feeling all the feels. 

Elon told Jacob to take the day off, go see Naomi, and come with him and his mom to church on Sunday.

Anita and Vernon came home from chemo, and it didn’t take long for her to figure out that he was withholding the test results. Vernon reluctantly told her that Dani tested positive, and she wanted to go see her immediately.

At Dani’s, Andre comforted his wife. They were about to make love, but the doorbell rang. Andre went to answer the door, but was adjusting his pants when he walked into the living room and found Vernon and Anita there.

Anita brushed by him to go see her daughter, and Vernon laughed that you can’t stop a determined Dupree. Andre asked Vernon what he could do for Vernon.

Vernon wanted to have a father-in-law-to-son-in-law chat. Vernon told Andre that not only did he have to worry about Dani’s demons, but he had to watch out for Bill as well. Andre said he had it covered and nothing was more important than Dani.

Upstairs, Anita hugged Dani. They sat down, and Anita told Dani that she never thought she could pass on something that would hurt her. Dani said she felt the same way about Chelsea and Naomi.

Anita and Dani came back down and told Vernon and Andre how confident and determined they were that cancer would be no match for them.

Carlton met Nicole at Uptown, who made him sweat before telling him the test results. Nicole had some drinks and told Carlton about the expectations she’d put on herself to be the family fixer. Faced with something she couldn’t fix, Nicole was angry.

Carlton told her to be real with him. Nicole admitted she was terrified. Carlton offered to bring her home so she could continue to be real with him and not show the world.

At Nicole’s, Carlton suggested that she stop drinking, but she went off on him about needing a night to let loose and not worry about how things looked for once.

Nicole snapped that if he couldn’t handle it, he could leave, and she’d see him when she returned to her factory settings — if she still wanted to go out with him. Carlton stopped and said he wouldn’t dream of leaving.

Nicole wanted to dance and tried to be sexy with Carlton, but he pulled back, angering her again. Carlton said he didn’t want to be a figure in her night off; he wanted to be her reality.

When Nicole eventually passed out on the couch, Carlton put a blanket on her, kissed her head, and let her snuggle up to him.

At the hospital, Nicole teased Ashley about her upcoming date with her coworker, Grayson. She was happy that Ashley was ready to move on from Derek.

When Grayson came to the nurses’ station, Ashley thanked him for helping get Naomi and Chelsea in for tests sooner and told him that she wanted to be there for her friend. 

Grayson understood if Ashley wanted to change their plans, but she said she was hoping to see Naomi and bring him along.

Grayson, Ashley, and Naomi went to Uptown, and Jacob met them there. Naomi suggested that Grayson and Ashley get a drink at the bar while she got a table.

Jacob and Naomi watched the pair at the bar, who were flirting as they got to know one another better. When Grayson went in for a kiss, Ashley pulled back, embarrassed that they had spectators. Ashley suggested they go back to her place instead.

Jacob tried talking to Naomi about her testing and wondered if this was some sort of distraction. She was adamant that she was just there for her friend.

Ashley and Grayson came over, and Naomi introduced Jacob. They announced they were leaving. Naomi was pretty pleased with herself and took credit for being a matchmaker, although they had the date planned on their own.

Meanwhile, Chelsea was with Madison and told her that she was scared. They talked about being more spontaneous and taking more risks. Chelsea wanted Madison along for the ride, but she didn’t seem enthused.

Can’t wait to see what happens? Get Beyond the Gates spoilers first at The Soap Scene.