Broken

Chapter 48

Makenna barged into her room and slammed the door behind her so hard that it echoed through the walls. She placed her books on her table which involved more slamming. Then she grabbed her headphones and fell into bed connecting them to her phone. Her head hit her pillow just as the music started playing; she let out a slow breath as she tried to fill her head with the music instead of thoughts that had followed her from where she left Atlas.

With the music playing, it was easier to capture her thoughts before they took root. Picturing the lyrics of the song in her head and focusing really hard on it until it became easier. She simply relaxed and let the music just flow through her, not having to worry about capturing her thoughts anymore because the music had replaced the thoughts.

Makenna stared at her ceiling and her eyelids fell shut with an exhale drowning the world with the music. She was three minutes into the song, the end very close, when Hee walked into the room and began talking to her as she went to get changed. Makenna knew when Hee came in but she had no idea Hee was having a conversation with her, so she kept listening to her music until Hee screamed her name.

Makenna took off her headphones and sat up, her arm braced on the bed, supporting her weight.

"You didn't hear a word of what I said, did you?"

"Not a one."

"Oh well, that's good I guess." Hee looked lost in thought for a moment,

"Well?" Makenna asked when she remained quiet,

"Oh," Hee shifted her gaze to her again, "We're going out tonight."

"Not today."

"C'mon, it's one of those frat parties, you know how much fun those are."

If you don't count the frat boys constantly hitting on you.
She thought.

"I've got an assignment due on Monday."

It wasn't a lie.
Makenna thought. She did have an assignment due on Monday. But the second Monday from today.

"Ugh, there's still a few hours before the party and you've got all of tomorrow, whatever it is you do on Sundays."

Makenna thought about it.

If she stayed back in her room, she wouldn't have a lot to do and then there would be so much time she feared she would let the thoughts take over. The party would be a good distraction until she could at least forget her conversation with Atlas and get past the fear of darkness returning.

Makenna looked at Hee and smiled,
"Let's party."

"Yes!" Hee pumped her fist.

Atlas couldn't believe he'd let Will talk him into going to a party, another frat party. His first one had just been a way to dip his toe into new waters and it had been the worst mistake, well, except for the part where he got to have a conversation with the girl in the dark, the American girl.

Oh well, he wasn't sure he could call her 'American girl' because he'd called Makenna American girl quite a few times and the phrase belonged to her now. Something about using it for someone else didn't feel right, but he quickly brushed it away so he didn't dwell on it.

The girl in the dark is a pretty good phrase for...well, the girl in the dark.

The girl in the dark.
He thought with a smile. He liked it.

"What are you smiling about?"

Atlas turned to Will as he filled up their red cups, the music and noise around him growing until it was all he could hear as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"Something silly; unimportant."

"If you say so." Will handed him one of the cups as they stood side by side and watched everyone else,

"So, tell me again, why am I here?"

"You're my wingman."

"Right." Atlas paused, "Exactly what does that entail?"

Will shifted his gaze from his search and fixed them on Atlas,
"What?"

Atlas looked at him innocently,
"My job as your wingman, can you run it by me?"

"You don't know how to be a wingman?"

"Not a clue."

"You don't have guy friends in London?"

"I do, a lot actually."

"You've never been a wingman?"

"I don't think so."

"What did I bring you here for then?"

Will looked disoriented for a moment which Atlas seemed to enjoy,
"I can't believe I talked you into coming for absolutely no reason."

Atlas smiled at his friend's pain and a laugh bubbled inside him as he looked away. Will looked at him,
"You think this is funny?"

"Best part of tonight so far." Atlas smiled and glanced at Will,

Will saw the humour written all over his face and he shook his head, letting out a sigh of relief,
"You were messing with me."

"Took you long enough."

Will sipped on his drink.

"But I might be rusty."

"That's alright, we've got all night." Will said in a southern accent Atlas found funny,

A few drinks in and a few conversations and wing manning later, Atlas was about done with the party, more than ready to get back to his apartment when Will cursed beside him.

"Here we go." Will said,

"What is it?"

"Your four o'clock."

Atlas turned and scanned the room hoping to notice who or what Will wanted him to see. The second his eyes landed on her, he found himself inhaling sharply and exhaling slowly.

What was it that made him tense up around her?

She was with a couple of her friends he'd seen her hang with at Metro coffee. But his gaze was focused on her and he couldn't take them off her to look at the other faces around her. Finally, he plucked his gaze away from her, which was harder to do than he thought.

Atlas told himself he was simply intrigued by her and he wanted to get to know her to get over his curiosity which would solve the problem of being drawn to her because she was a mystery.

He had a weakness for solving things. Once he was given a challenge, he couldn't help but try his best to figure it out. He was that way in his personal and professional life. The only reason he had gone from not wanting anything to do with his father's business to actually enjoying it was for that reason. For the reason that there were challenges he encountered at the company that lit a spark in him. So, he'd gone from not wanting to work for his father because of the detest he had for him to enjoying the work. Not because he had stopped detesting his father, but because he had found his purpose.

He wondered if Makenna was simply that. A puzzle he wanted to solve.