JoJo's panic set in as soon as she saw him. He was the leader of the Emerald region. She took a deep breath and made her way towards him. She still had a job to do.
"Hello, what can I help you with?", she asked politely.
Shawn, his advisor turned to look at her.
"Just looking around for a bit", Shawn answered.
She smiled and nodded.
"If you need any help finding anything, my name is JoJo", she said.
They nodded and looked around. She went back behind the register and discreetly snapped several pictures of them. Checking to see if any she took got a good look of his face. Attaching them to Bray's name. Her thumb hovered over the send button for several seconds. She hadn't spoken to him in a long time. They had broken up because of his job.
She was never allowed to go anywhere without someone watching over her.
"Someone might want to hurt you because of me and what I do"
He had said. They couldn't get married or have kids either. Something she always wanted. So she walked, he had left for the day to do something he couldn't tell her about.
She packed her bag and left. She bit her lip before pressing send. Setting her phone down and watching the men. The door opened and Liam walked in laughing with his sister, Leslie. She smiled and walked over to him.
"Hey you", he said, before kissing her.
"Hey, I'll be a few more minutes, then we can go to lunch", JoJo said to him.
Liam nodded and she went to tell her coworker who was taking her place about the men in the front and to be ready for it they needed anything. Grabbing her phone, still no reply from Bray. She started to wonder if that was even his number anymore. She shrugged and pushed her phone into her purse.
She walked over to the men to let them know she was taking her lunch.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you. I'm taking my lunch break, so if you need help, my coworker will be able to help you. Her name's Eva Marie", JoJo said.
"Oh yes, thank you", Hunter said.
JoJo nodded before making her way to Liam and Leslie.
"Ready?", her fiancé asked.
She nodded and took his hand. Liam was wonderful to her, but she was starting to doubt if she really loved him. Bray had always been on her mind. Maybe she had just settled for Liam because he was willing to give her everything she wanted.
She knew she could never really love him as much as she loved Bray, but she did love Liam. Yes. Yes, she loved Liam. She shook her head and listened to Liam and Leslie's conversation.
She felt arms wrap around her. A smile forming on her face.
"Good morning beautiful", he whispered.
He kissed her cheek, his beard tickling her. She laughed softly.
"Good morning", she replied, turning to lay on her back.
He shifted between her legs, before kissing her.
"What do you want to do today?", he asked.
"You're actually going to let me go outside", she said teasingly.
He smirked.
"If you don't want too, we can stay in", he shrugged.
"No, No, No, I want too", she said.
"I thought so", he smirked.
They stood and showered, enjoying each other before getting out and having breakfast. His days off were rare. She was finishing up when his phone rang.
"Please don't be Undertaker or Kane. Please", she whispered.
His voice got closer to their room.
"I understand", she heard him say.
Her shoulders fell, knowing exactly why he was coming into the room.
"Yes, I'll be there", Bray said, looking at her in the mirror.
He hung up.
"Change of plans", he said, looking back at his phone.
"Of course", she sighed.
"My job comes first, always. I told you that when we started this. No kids, no marriage, and my work comes first", he said.
"This? Our relationship is just a this?", she said hurt.
"Don't start JoJo. I have to go, I promise to make it up to you when I get back", he said.
"Like all the other times you promised", she said.
"This time I mean it", he said.
He left the bathroom and packed a bag. He was on the phone with his brother, Bo. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as he set his bag down.
"Honk when you get here", he said, before hanging up.
He took a deep breath before walking over to JoJo. Placing his hands on the sides of her face.
"I love you. Again, I'm sorry, but I can't say no to them.", he said.
She nodded. He kissed her, hearing a honk outside, he sighed.
"I'll see you in a few days", he said.
She didn't respond. Watching him leave with his brother before going to their room and packing her bags. JoJo found a new home on Earth 25. She found a job and had a pretty nice apartment. Getting to work, she took over for one of the morning girls.
Noticing a guy looking at different items, like he couldn't make up his mind. She smiled and walked over.
"Hi, my name's JoJo. Is there anything I can help you with?", she asked.
He chuckled and nodded.
"I look that lost huh", he said.
"Oh yeah", she laughed softly.
He smiled, this woman was beautiful. Her laugh was sweet.
"I'm looking for a gift for my sister, she's some what picky so that's what makes this whole thing complicated", he said.
JoJo nodded.
"What's her personality like?", JoJo asked.
After he explained it, she nodded and grabbed the item on the top shelf.
"She'll really like this", JoJo said.
Liam took it and nodded.
"I'll take this then", he said.
JoJo nodded, happy she could help him.
"And maybe your number for a date", he said.
She blushed and smiled. Her smile disappeared. She hadn't dated anyone since Bray and she didn't know how it would go if she did. It's been almost a year.
"Sorry, do you have a boyfriend? I didn't mean to overstep", he said.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend. I did, but that ended almost a year ago. I haven't dated since", she said.
"Were you two together for a long time?", he asked.
She nodded.
"Yeah", she said sadly.
"Well, you'll never know if you don't take the chance. So what do you say? Let me be your trial run", he said.
She nodded. He took his phone out and she gave him her number.
"What are you ordering, Jo?", Liam asked.
She shook her head and sighed.
"I'm not sure if I want vegan or not", she answered.
"So many choices", he said, kissing her cheek.
She giggled and continued to look through the menu. They ordered and both Liam and Leslie called Lynn.
"We need to get her an alarm clock", JoJo said.
"Dibs on the birthday gift", Liam called quickly.
"Not fair, you didn't even give me a chance", Leslie said.
JoJo laughed at the siblings. She loved their banter and that they included her in everything they did. From the moment they met her. In this second, she regretted texting Bray and hoped that was no longer his number.
Finally Lynn ran in, bumping into Hunter and Shawn. JoJo panicked a bit. Were they following her? No, they weren't even looking in her direction.
After enjoying lunch. Liam walked her back to work. He leaned down and kissed her.
"I'll see you at home", he said.
She nodded and watched him leave before walking back into the store. She said hi to Eva Marie before going to the back. She still had five minutes to kill. Getting there, the door shut and she heard the lock turn. She turned to come face to face with Bray.
"You texted", he said.
She could feel her heart racing.
"You didn't have to come. How did you know where I was?", she said.
"I've been watching you. Making sure you were safe.", he said, looking down at her left hand.
"Well I am", she said.
"I know. Do you know where they went too?", Bray asked.
She shook her head no. She had done her part about telling him Hunter and Shawn were here. No protection in sight. He nodded.
"I'll find them", he said.
She shrugged. He closed the space between them. Cupping her chin in his hand and making her look up at him.
"That boy could never give you what I can", he said.
"That's where you're wrong. He's giving me everything you couldn't", she said, more to hurt him.
His thumb ran over her lips.
"No matter how far you think you run, I'll always be right behind you. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. You want to marry him, fine, but you will never love him the way you love me", Bray said.
He connected their lips. She fought him at first, but then gave in. He lifted her onto the counter. His phone rang and he pulled away, meeting her eyes for a few seconds before answering his phone.
"Did you find them Bo?", Bray asked.
"Yup. What do you want me to do?", Bo asked.
"Nothing. I'll be right there", Bray said, not taking his eyes off of JoJo.
He put his phone away.
"It was nice seeing you again, Jo", he said, before pushing himself away from her.
He walked out and she touched her lips. Shedding a few tears. For him, for Liam. She had just cheated on her fiancé.
Getting to the place his brother was watching Hunter and Shawn. He got in the car.
"What are they doing?", Bray asked.
"Shopping. Maybe its not what we think", Bo said.
"No. Hunter and Shawn don't go anywhere without their guards. They're up to something", Bray said.
"Like what?", Bo asked.
"If I knew that we wouldn't need to follow them", Bray said.
Bo nodded. He looked at his older brother again.
"How was it seeing her again?", he asked.
He saw the slight flinch on his brother's face. He knew Bray was in love with JoJo, even till this day. Bray had gotten excited when he saw JoJo had texted him.
"Its hard not to feel what I feel still for her", Bray said softly.
"Maybe we should stick around. You know where she is, win her back", Bo said.
Bray shook his head no.
"She has someone", Bray said.
"And since when has that stopped anyone", Bo said.
Bray knew Bo was right, but he also knew he couldn't give JoJo everything she wanted. Everything he could give her.