Broken

Chapter 33

It was later that day when Killian took out his phone. He cringed from having to do what he was about to do, all for Thea and her plan, which he couldn't deny was actually not bad. But the plan would either be a big success or an even bigger flop, but they both thought it was worth the try.

"Ok," Thea said, "Just hear me out."

"I think I already know where this is going?"

Thea frowned, her shoulders slumped,
"You do?"

Killian smiled and nodded,
"But let's hear it."

"I think we need to get your sister and my brother together."

Killian laughed,
"My sister doesn't and would never like your brother."

"Same goes for my brother."

"Then why are we even talking about this?"

"Because I'm not saying we should get them to hook up, or whatever you Americans say." Thea said, "I'm just saying we should get them to meet and let them discover that they really aren't that different from each other."

"And then what?"

"And then, hopefully, they can have each other to talk to and get off our backs."

"That's more your brother than my sister."

"I know." Thea said, "But this is more about them having someone to talk to than it is about them..."

Killian gave her a look.

"Fine. My brother ...leaving us alone."

Killian nodded thinking that it couldn't hurt to try to get them together. He knew Makenna wouldn't open up to anyone. But from the little he had heard about Atlas, if she saw someone else, namely Atlas, going through something similar to what she was going through, then maybe she just might open up.

"It's worth a shot."

Thea beamed at him,
"Great." She said, "Now we just have to try and convince them about each other."

"What do you mean?"

"We have to make them see the other isn't so bad and is probably going through something and just hint at their similarities, without being too obvious that we know something."

"Uh, oh-kay." Killian was confused but at the same time, he understood what she was getting at. "This honestly isn't a guy's job."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I would either blow this or Mac would figure out something is up."

"Well, try not to." Thea said, "Let's just figure out what you're going to say to her."

Killian dialled Makenna's number and let out a long breath as it rang.

"What do you want?" Makenna answered on the fifth ring,

"I'm just checking in." He said slowly, "I-I saw you brought the car."

"Like I always do." Makenna leaned her back against the wall behind her,

The music was loud but not too loud that she couldn't hear her brother over the phone.

"Of course," Killian said, "How did your thing go?"

Makenna frowned,
"What thing?"

"You know, the thing you always go to."

Mac and Killian had an understanding, and he'd never asked her about her whereabouts before.

"Killian, what do you want?"

"Nothing, I'm just...dad and mum asked about you again, that's all." Killian shook his head in pain knowing he was going off script because he was nervous about Makenna picking up on his plan.

"Well, they know not to worry about me."

"Yea, but well, they're parents, they can't help it."

Makenna frowned,
"What is up with you?"

"Oh, nothing." Killian let out a sigh, "Just, Thea's having a tough time."

"Oh-kay." Makenna dragged,

"With her brother I mean. We're fine, I mean she and I are fine. She's just worried about her brother."

Makenna wondered why Killian was talking to her about not just Thea but Atlas but she said nothing because she wanted to know if Atlas had started doing something to jeopardize her brother's relationship with his sister.

"Oh?"

"Yea, she hinted that something happened to him back home, which was why he transferred here."

Makenna blinked her feelings towards Atlas changed in an instant. Well not exactly changed if she thought about it.

The first day she'd met him at Metro coffee, she had not only been indifferent but truth be told, a little bit curious. Then at the party, that night, she'd gone from slightly curious to 'I don't care who you are but don't mess with me' and then just now, she'd gone from that to being a lot more curious than she was before. His eyes, she thought, were what drew her in and made her want to know what was behind his glassy gaze. She'd ignored it for a time and now, hearing Killian just made her want to know everything there was to know about Atlas.

"She couldn't exactly tell me anything because he wouldn't even talk to her about it."

"Wh-what happened?"

"That's the thing, I don't know. Thea won't say." Killian smiled to himself that Makenna was actually going with it, "But she thinks whatever happened has got something to do with why he's trying to break us up."

Makenna frowned as she racked her brain for something, anything that could've happened but she wasn't surprised when nothing came to mind.

"Mac?" Killian called her when he didn't hear anything except the music playing in the background,

"Yea, yea, I'm here." Makenna shook it off, "Is this why you called me? To tell me to let him do whatever he wants to do with you and Thea's relationship just because he's going through something on his own?"

"Uh," Killian had not expected it to go downhill, "No?"

"Then why exactly did you call me, Killian?"

"Uh, wasn't sure how to handle things, with Thea I mean." Killian lied through clenched teeth and closed his eyes and let out an inaudible sigh,

"Well, what would you want her to do if the roles were reversed?"

Killian thought about that for a second,
"Wow, that was easy."

Makenna smiled to herself knowing he couldn't see her,
"Now, get off my phone."

"Gladly, bye."

Makenna hung up without saying goodbye. She stared at her phone for a second before she slipped it into her back pocket.

Makenna thought back to earlier in the day when she was headed to her first class and had shifted her gaze and met his already waiting ones. That moment had made her heart pop; and by pop, she meant her heart was beating the regular way until she met his gaze. Only then did it beat so hard she felt it ricochet through her entire body for a couple of beats, and then it went back to beating the regular way.

But it was just because she hadn't been expecting to run into him and had caught her by surprise. Also, maybe those eyes had little to do with it.

"Mac!"

Makenna turned to find Hee calling for her, she pushed off the wall and went to join them.