Chapter 25

A T I Y A

Atiya ran her fingers through her hair as she walked down the stairs. She hoped it wouldn't take so long. She checked her watch and stifled her moans. She kept Aquila waiting for over half an hour. Besides, they were late. April seemed to be emailing about this every 5 minutes. She didn't mean to wait that long. After she sprayed her face with cold water a few times and filled her bag halfway with her cosmetics, she felt that she had become somewhat more human. But she still had to rummage through her overcrowded closet. She eventually settled on a red, knee-length dress with capped sleeves. She changed the scoop neckline. Maybe she should have kept wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts. But she was miserable and needed a lucky dress to pick her up. She had not yet fully recovered from her not-so-pleasant interactions with Aquila ' mother. It took her days before she finally accepted that she would never see him again. She was still dancing with Aquila when April informed her that she had to put on big girl panties and get over whatever happened. To her relief Aquila didn't seem to understand what her mother said. Atiya thought to talk to him, but she didn't. She knew what it was like for her relatives to be embarrassed. Besides, he was here. Maybe he didn't feel the same way his mother did. To cap off an already miserable week, her father's remains arrived and all of her emotions she had been controlling flew out the window. She immediately remembered how she felt about her life. She fell out of her chair a month ago when she got a call from her funeral home telling her that her remains were not actually her father's. literally. Apparently Loretta from Brooklyn was sitting on the bookshelf the whole time. The undertaker was embarrassed and agreed to refund her cremation costs. All she had to do was mail her remains and they assured me they would send her the correct remains. She took a deep breath and pushed open the kitchen door. Aquila walked around her tiny kitchen. It didn't help that the huge stove he bought her took up more than half the space. He looked lost, but he didn't look up. Not knowing what to do, she approached him. "Are you okay?" she asked as she reached out and touched his shoulder. he stopped and stared at her. His lips parted and his eyes moved hers up and down. "I, uh, you look great," he gasped. His words sent an electric shock through her body. She smoothed the front of her dress. The sight of him staring at her both excited and frightened her. She wanted to jump out the door and into his arms at the same time. It was a strange feeling. It seemed wise for her to step back. "Thank you," she whispered, looking up at him. He didn't take his eyes off her. April 's words echoed in my head. He seemed to enjoy what he saw. she had to say something. Move the conversation forward. "You look confused. want to talk about it? So you heard my pain tonight." She smiled at him. Glad she confided in him. there was something about him he was real And it's been a long time since she dated a real person. He frowned and then shook his head. "I'm fine. I just want to move on. Are you ready?" he asked and nodded at her. She went to the coat on the wall. Before she put it on, he got on her in her fork. He took it from her and nodded. "Leave me alone," he said in a deep voice that sent shivers down her spine. It didn't help that he was standing nearby. He was two inches taller than her. She felt small when she was in his presence. Her skin tingled as he approached. She felt like every part of her was swallowed by Aquila Scott . Perfume companies need to find a way to bottle the scent of the man who has caused a strange phenomenon in the company.

They stood in silence while he put on her coat. She wanted to say something, but she kept her mouth shut because she was afraid of how it would sound. How was she supposed to survive after spending the night in his arms? She felt like she was going to melt into a puddle just inches from him. What would she do if he pulled her over? Perhaps she should fake her illness. She runs upstairs and hides under her blanket. Avoiding the pot on her counter and the deranged billionaire who seemed so in control of her emotions seemed like a wise decision. But when he put her hand on her back and led her out of the kitchen, she knew it was too late. She just had to get through the night, but then she ran away. Besides, isn't that what his mother wanted? The drive to the community center was smooth. Atiya sat next to Aquila in the limousine. She tried to take her eyes out of her window, but he kept staring at her. Her insides were a mess and her mind was a mess. She wished she was stronger. When the driver stopped at the curb, Atiya slammed the door open and got out. She needed air and space from Aquila . After her initial shock when she got so close to him, panic and fear began to creep into her consciousness. he was a millionaire He had a limousine and a driver. In Page's experience, the rich hurt the poor. And she was poor. When he stepped onto the sidewalk, she swallowed her saliva, said something to her driver, and closed her door. He straightened her up and smiled at her. Her inside changed. She braced herself. She had to brace herself. "Are you ready?" she asked. He gave her a confused look. "You're just dancing, aren't you?"