Young Briggi Boozo As Genesis Phim >>>>> Pic Above.

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"I can't tell you how glad I am that Jovon is trying to move on again." Susan said with a groan as she eased back into one of the comfy chairs in the great room. Her long, thick dark hair lay across her shoulder in a thick braid and little silver studs winked from her ear. A wry smile curved her mouth as she ran a finger tip across her bottom lip. "He distanced himself from the family after the accident and we were all worried that he would never recover,but seeing that he brought you here... Thank you so much, Annie."

"Like I said,Susie. Jovon and I are just friends." Annie said.

Megan smiled. "So you keep insisting,but we aren't children. We know what's going on,but if you guys want to keep it a secret for now,then fine." Then the smile fell away. "Just don't go doing a secret wedding behind my back. Susie gave me a shock with hers and I don't need another."

Laughter echoed around the room. And even though Annie didn't really know the details of what happened, she grinned. The family arrived just when she,Alix and Genesis were about to go down to snatch some snacks from the kitchen; and that was after Annie got over her shock about Jovon's daughter with his ex-lover, or ex-girlfriend, or ex-wife.

While Annie was a bit angry about him neglecting to mention that little fine detail to her, she couldn't blame him. They weren't even that close to begin with. And if he hadn't suggested her going to Santiago with him, she wouldn't have discovered his daughter or his lovely family.

Alix was the one who did the introductions, and while Annie feared rejection, she was shocked when Megan hugged her and Marcello kissed her cheeks. Then she was ushered into the great room and introduced to most of the family, whom she couldn't remember most of their names. Lukas and Jovon were the only ones missing.

Megan had insisted to wait for their arrival before the maids set the table for supper. But at Marcello's insistence, the children had their dinner and were sent to bed early,leaving the adults in the great room. Susan was Jovon's oldest sister, who was married and had two children. Her husband couldn't make it because of work, she said, but he promised to arrive early the next day.

"And," Ernesto Phim, Marcello's younger brother,was saying. "I don't object to the two of you being together. I don't know what you are doing, but I want you to keep doing it."

"But-"

"No buts, Annie." Harriet Russell, Lukas' mother, cut in. "We are not asking for your explanation. We know you care for him, and we are happy that he found you. Just please don't give up on him,okay?"

Annie glanced at the hopeful expressions on their faces. If she wanted to leave Jovon before, she couldn't now. Not when so many people were counting on her. It felt good to be needed, to have people who loved you for who you are and not what they want you to be. The desire to help Jovon get over his past tripled. Annie decided right then she wouldn't let them down. Even if it meant loosing Jovon in the process, she would help him get better.

She nodded. "Okay."

"So, how's the anniversary plans going so far?" Asked Megan.

Annie shrugged. "Good. But we still haven't chosen flowers, the suits and dresses. There's also the dishes, and desserts. I suggested Live bands and Jovon wanted Opera. But he said we would go clothe shopping amongst other things while we are here."

Susan hummed. "Mother and I can help with the flowers and desserts. Alix is quite a genius when it comes to dishes. You and Jovon can do the rest. Right ma?"

Megan clapped her hands with a glee in her eyes. "Right. We would he-"

The door to the great room crashed open,cutting Megan words short. All eyes turned towards the person that stumbled through the door. Annie was up and across the room in the blink of an eye. Just as he tripped forward, she caught him and went down with him. He looked like death. His face was full of cuts and blood. His lower lip was busted at the corner. His knuckles were bloodied. His hair a mess. He was missing a shoe, and his jacket was lost too.

"Dear lord."

She heard someone say, but was too focused on the man on her frame to bother about who said it. The smell of spirits filled the room as Jovon opened and closed his mouth while burping at intervals. Marcello and Lukas' father managed to get him off her,but Annie made sure his head was resting on her jean clad lap as she pushed his hair out of his face.

"Jovon, what happened?" She asked him,ignoring the faces hovering above them in concern.

He let out a bitter laugh as tears streaked down the sides of his eyes, disappearing into his hairline. "S-she gone. A-and ish muy fort."

Annie heard Megan's strangled sob and Marcello's calm voice as he tried to calm her. She heard Susan sniffling and Alix's cries. She placed her own shaky hands on his above bloodied knuckles as she rocked back and forth. She felt useless. How was she supposed to help him heal when she didn't even know the cause of his behaviour?

Biting down on her lips, she wiped his tears with the back of her hand. "It's okay,Jovon. It's not your fault. You didn't hurt her." She was grasping at straws, but she was desperate to get him out of whatever thought he was having. "She doesn't blame you."

Jovon barked out a harsh laugh as he touched her face with his hand. "Y-you look... Her. Americus'... She wash m-m-y w...." His hand fell limply to his side as his eyes slid shut.

Annie was vaguely aware of hands lifting her up from the floor after Marcello and Lukas' father carried Jovon to his room. She followed them after getting a first aid box from the kitchen. She was on autopilot as she cleaned his bruised knuckles and busted lips. She was aware of people going and coming out of his room. Even after she finished cleaning and bandaging him, she sat on the floor beside his bed watching him sleep.

She had never seen him so defeated or drunk. Annie couldn't help but think that Revenge had something to do with it,perhaps like a warning to her not to tell Jovon or anyone. But that didn't mean she wasn't mad and hurt. Revenge was going after someone she loved.

I love him. Annie realised with a start. Although they only met each other three weeks ago, and she barely knew all of him, Annie loved him. She loved him so much it hurt. And the Revenge just made a mistake of touching Jovon.

"Annie,dear." Megan said as she joined Annie on the floor beside the bed and reached out a hand to stroke her head. "Stop crying, okay? He'll be fine."

She was crying?

Annie touched a hand to her cheeks and found that they were wet. She wasn't even aware of her own tears. "I love him so much, Megan. It hurts to see him like this." A sob burst out of her.

Megan wrapped her arms around her and brought her closer to her warmth. "Hush, My dear. It's okay. He'll be fine. He gets like that when her anniversary gets closer. But he'll be fine by morning,you'll see."

Annie buried her face into Megan's chest and let out all the tears she had been holding back since she saw those pictures. She cried for her family and loved ones. She cried for Jovon's anguish. She cried from the fear of loosing everyone she loved to a twisted anonymous person. She cried until she couldn't anymore.

"It's okay,my dear." Megan stroked a hand down her back continuously, while dropping kisses on her head at intervals. "You'll both be fine. It's only a matter of time."

Annie nodded,because she wanted to believe that things would be okay. That Jovon would love her and share all of his secrets with her. That none of her loved ones would be hurt. She wanted to believe it with her whole heart. But she knew better. She knew that Revenge was out to destroy her.

But she won't let him hurt anyone. Annie promised herself. Even if she had to die so everyone would live and be happy, so be it. But she wouldn't let him hurt anyone.

°°°

He couldn't breathe.

Fire was all around him, searing his skin, his lungs. He turned his head and reached out for Americus, needing to be a comfort for the dying woman, not thinking about his own life as it slipped away.

But when he turned his head, when he looked, it wasn't Americus' eyes staring back at him. Annie lay next to him, her eyes filled with regret, pain and guilt. She reached out to him as if he was the only one in the world who could give her relief. He tried to move his hand, tried to force his arm to extend, but he couldn't. He was paralyzed, and he watched as Annie's eyes filled with pain as life seeped out of her.

He woke with a cry, his whole body trembling. The sounds of the storm retracting.

And she was there. In the darkness she touched him and that was all it took. He remembered the dream, the utter sense of desolation he felt. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held on to her,not fully awake, nightmares chasing him.

She cupped the back of his head, palm lightly caressing, her fingers moving deeper between the strands.

Her seductive scent filled him and he breathed deep- so soft.

When she traced her thumb down his neck, letting it rest in the hollow of his neck, he felt a rippling shiver run all the way down to his bare toes.

"Are you okay?"She asked eventually, her voice low, her thumb moving in slow circles around his throat.

"Yes." He whispered. "Damn nightmares."

Annie nodded grimly. "Damn nightmares." She echoed, as if she knew exactly what he was talking about. It quirked his interest, but he didn't voice out his thoughts. "I heard you call out. Want to talk about it? That just might help."

Jovon cleared his throat. He didn't want to talk about it, but he remembered Dr. Marek saying he needed to let it out so he could get better. "I have the nightmares almost every night after she died."

While Annie wanted to ask who she was, she held her tongue afraid that he would stop if she opened her mouth.

"And by she I mean my wife... Ex-wife, Americus Phim." He took a deep breath as if remembering something painful,and Annie's heart clenched.

"You- you don't have to continue."

Jovon shook his head from it's position on her chest. "I want to. It's just..." He shook his head again. "Americus and I met in Disney world, as cliches as that sounds. I took Dylan, Susan's first son, to Disney world and we were at the popsicle stands when her own niece tried to snatch Dylan's popsicle." He laughed as if replaying the memory. Annie smiled fondly as she tried to picture two little kids fighting over a popsicle while the adults watched in surprise.

"I offered to buy her one, but the little devil kept insisting she wanted Dylan's and he ended up giving it to her. Americus apologized and bought another one for Dylan despite my refusal. And my nephew loved her. I admit that I was attracted to her too. It was hard not to. She was beautiful, lovely, caring and full of life. Americus was the most patient person I've ever met in my life." A pause. "We exchanged numbers, went on dates and I proposed to her on our trip to the Effiel tower.

"She cried and cried,until people came to ask if I had hurt her or something. She finally agreed and we got married in London at her family home just as she wished. We had Genesis a year later, and we are so happy. Everyone was so happy until that day."

"You don't have to tell me." Annie told him as she subtly wiped her own tears. She felt the front of her nightgown soaking wet and her heart clenched so tight it hurt.

He continued as if he didn't hear her. "Genesis was here after insisting that she wanted to stay during our visit here. Americus was pregnant with our son at the time. I was at work and she was at our home here in Santiago, when I received a call from her. She said she saw a man lurking about the yard of the house and was getting scared. I made her promise to call the police after disconnecting her call to me. After she hung up,I waited for minutes for her to call back and when she didn't, I called her back but it kept going to voicemail.

"I panicked and called the police but by then I was already on my way home. When I got home I saw the front door opened and rushed inside. There I found Americus on floor in the parlour with blood pooling under her head. Her eyes, a jaded green, was staring at me. She was barely alive, but still alive. I didn't smell the gas until it was too late. The next thing I know I was knocked away from her from the force of the explosion. I watched the fire consume her body, watched the life seep from her body. I felt the fire on my back,but couldn't do anything. The second explosion knocked me towards the doorway and the firefighters were only able to save me. I lost her."

Emotion twisted her gut, thickened her throat. "Sweetheart." Annie massaged his scalp, her other hand held him tightly against her.

In the wake of his purgative tears,nothing stood between them at that moment. There was only a deep-seated need, only comfort.

A/N: Sorry if things are going too fast for you , but It was done like that to shed light on what was troubling Jovon. And now that you know how do you feel?

And what do you think about Annie falling in love with Jovon?

Also, what do you think of his family?

I would really love to hear your feedbacks.