Make Me Stay

Chapter Sixteen

Aaron, being the confident, yet nervous man that he is, stutters to explain the situation to Atlantis. He is the CEO of AndersMoore, but only as of recent. Aaron's father recently retired from the business after placing the eight of the company on Aaron's shoulders. He didn't want the stress of running a internationally successful business, but he knew that his father would never sell. So in proposition, Aaron said that he wanted time away from the cameras and everything, to write and be himself. And he did that. He took up a job as a ordinary taxi driver and loved life simply. After meeting Atlantis for the first time, Aaron had gone back to the life of being a CEO, knowing full well that he would ever see the young girl again.
Atlantis was furious that Aaron never even thought to tell her of this. It was true that he wanted to be a writer, to inspire, but that would never happen. After yelling at Aaron for a sold three minutes, she packed her things.
"Atlantis, darling please." Aaron tries to stop her from packing but it doesn't work. Eventually all of her belongings are in her suitcase and she is rushing out of the hotel to hail a taxi. Aaron chases after her, but none of his efforts to make her stay work as she gets in a taxi and doesn't watch him as it drives to the airport. It was a quick decision, to run out of the hotel, but in Atlantis' mind it's the right one. After everything Aaron had told her, she can say that she doesn't even know who he is.
So she sits in the back seat of the taxi, bent over with her head in her hands, not caring what the driver thinks. Her anxiety spikes and her bragging is quick as she takes in the way her world has flipped in less than a hour. Upon arriving at the airport, Atlantis pays the driver and walks into the large building to see if she can get on a flight.
Just her luck, one seat is available to the Richmond airport, the seat that the young girl quickly buys. Her heart races and the anxiety that has plagued her since the taxi took off spikes some more. Thoughts plague her fragile mind and she's sits, her thoughts consuming her.
Did Aaron tell her all those lies because she isn't good enough for him? Because he didn't want her to use him? Though she never would.
Atlantis begins to question if his love is even genuine and she feels as though she wants to slam her head into a wall.
Uneasily making her way to a bathroom, she looks at her reflection in the mirror and internally gasps at what stares back at her. Atlantis' hair is a mess she her cheeks are tear stained, her make up running. Oh she could only imagine what security said as she went through customs, but didn't say.
As quickly as possible, she cleans herself up to look half decent, and then goes to wait for the airplane to come in so the passengers can board. Never in the young girls mind would she have thought that she would ended up here after she left home. Running from a man who could possibly love her but also very possibly, couldn't.
Nearly eleven hours later, Atlantis is standing in front of the hotel that she called home for such a long while before her adventure with Aaron. It looks as though nothing has changed, but look aren't everything and she know that things have changed since her departure. Clutching her over weight luggage bag, she walks into the hotel. The man at the front desk, the same one that had been here when she lived at the hotel, looks up at her and gives her a toothy grin.
"Oh look who has come back from her little adventure! The same room?" He holds out the key and she smiles.
"Would you like me to pay now?" The man, Stephan, raises his eyebrow.
"Oh darling, you look like you have been through a lot. You are family here, so come whenever you are ready. Get some rest honey." With a small smile, Atlantis drags her suitcase to the hotel room on the third floor that used to be her home, and will be again. With a click, the door opens and Atlantis pushes open the door. Everything is as normal, cleaner than it was when she left, of course, but the same nonetheless. With a sigh, she kicks off her shoes and drops her coat to the floor, closing the door behind her. As she walks further into the room, she notices something, or someone, that doesn't belong.
Aaron sits in the chair near the window, looking out at the vast landscape of city. When the young girl clears her throat, he snaps his heads in her direction and gives her a sad smile.
"What are you doing here, Aaron?" Atlantis crosses her arms, wincing at the pain on her wrists, fresh wounds that she can't tell if she regrets or not.
"I'm here to apologize I-"
"How did you get here?" Aaron runs a hand through his hair and Atlantis can't help but notice how casual her looks. Aaron sports a normal pair of jeans a grey t-shirt, his suits and fedora once again abandoned.
"Private jet." Atlantis rolls her eyes and huffs out some air, walking into the room with her suitcase rolling behind her.
"Well get out, I don't want to speak to you." Her tone is harsh, but she knows she means it. She doesn't want to speak to him at the moment in time.
"I won't. Not until you hear me out." Atlantis snickers and Aaron moves closer to her, a serious look on his face.
"I'll hear you out then, but I can't say I will believe any words that come from your lying mouth." A hurt look crosses Aaron's beautiful face and he looks to the floor before speaking.
"I love you, with all of my heart darling I promise," he raises his soft eyes to her cold ones. "I never intended to hurt you, I just was never able to figure out a way to tell you who I was and in no way did I want you to find out that way." He huffs and shakes his hand as though he wants to punch something.
"You are all my happiness and these past few months have been everything to me." Atlantis moves a piece of hair from her face, putting her weight on her right leg.
"And what are you trying to say?" She crosses her arms. Aaron steps forward, closing the gap between the two and places his hands on her shoulders. Atlantis doesn't flinch away.
"Don't leave me, please. I'm begging you. I was a coward for never telling you something that is so easy to say, so please forgive me?" Atlantis had never been one to hold a grudge or hate someone for a long period of time. Her feeling for Aaron seem to get in the way as she drops her head and then peers up to look at him, a small smile on her face.
"I can't stay mad at you, it just doesn't happen."

Do you guys think she forgave him to easy?
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