Broken

Chapter 59

Atlas watched Makenna walk away until she wasn't in view anymore. He stood there for a moment, his brain replaying the scene that had just played out in front of him. He swallowed and mentally shook the image away as he turned around and headed back the same way he'd come. He grabbed something from one of the shelves he walked past as he headed towards the checkout counter.

"I saw you grab something."

Atlas heard before he saw the scene unfold at the checkout counter came into view when he walked past the shelves.

Makenna, who had taken the long way to reach the counter, stopped and stared at the man behind the checkout counter, her hands in the pocket of her sweatshirt. She noted that the man was a worker, a new face, who clearly didn't know her.

"Did you seriously think I was going to steal it?" She asked,

The man stared at her with a blank expression and remained quiet, clearly obvious he was thinking just that.
"No."

Makenna didn't buy it, nor did Atlas as he joined her at the counter. Makenna didn't need to turn around to know that he was standing behind her. She pulled out the cash from her pocket, along with the M&M, and handed both to the man. He scanned the chocolate and returned it, along with her change.

Makenna looked into his eyes and slowly reached for her M&M and change. She smiled to herself when she saw the bob in his throat. She was making him feel uncomfortable and she liked it.
"Have a goodnight." She walked away and headed out of the store.

Atlas walked out of the store after he paid for his items and stopped when he reached the pavement. He looked right, then left before he caught Makenna heading in the direction of his apartment. He headed after her, picking up speed to caught up with her. When he got closer, he noticed her headphone was on, so he was careful not to go close to her. Keeping his distance away from her, he walked around her until he was walking backwards facing her.

Makenna stopped when she caught sight of Atlas in her peripheral. He stopped as soon as she did, standing a few feet away from her. They each waited for the other to do something or say something when Atlas finally pointed his finger to his ear and at her.

Makenna exhaled, annoyed as she took off her headphones,
"What now?"

"I just wanted to give you this." Atlas reached out with something in his hand,

Makenna looked from his face to his hand and saw the snickers bar. She slowly looked up to meet his gaze with a questioning look.

"I thought you'd want it."

Makenna's first thought was to take the chocolate only to hurl it back at him. Her second thought was to throw questions at him about why he thinks she can't get her own chocolate by herself. But she took a second to inhale deeply telling herself there was no reason to ruin a perfectly good night. It would have been better if she hadn't encountered Atlas.

"You thought wrong." Makenna side-stepped him and kept walking,

Atlas thought it was insane that for a second, he thought she would accept it with a thank you. But was soon thinking clearly as he caught up with her. She was pulling on her headphones when he spoke.

"You don't want this."

Makenna's grip tightened on her headphone before she let it fall around her neck, still hanging on to it.
"That sentence would be correct." She looked at him, "Congratulations."

"You spent a long while debating your choice. I thought..."

"You thought wrong." She said but soon realized what he'd insinuated, "And you should probably curb your stalker-ish side."

Atlas smiled to himself but was still completely confused.
"I don't understand."

He regretted voicing his confusion as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"It's called self-control," Makenna said, "Next time when you feel like approaching me, you should exercise it."

Atlas smiled now and Makenna quickly looked away like she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing.

"C'mon Mac, that's not how you talk to a friend."

Makenna came to a screeching halt and she looked at him,
"We are not friends."

"I hear you, mate." Atlas liked the frustration he was starting to hear in her voice,

Makenna was getting frustrated and she was on her way to feeling like punching someone. Intentionally, this time.
"What is your problem?" She looked down the way they'd come, "And why are you following me?"

"First, I'm not following you. We happen to be heading in the same direction. Second, I think you're the one who has a problem with our friendship."

"There is no friendship." Her voice was a tad high,

Atlas looked at her with a smile like he was trying to pacify a kid,
"See?"

Makenna couldn't remember when someone had made her want to yank at her hair, grunt, stomp her feet, or scream. But Atlas has just succeeded in making her want to do all four.

Atlas held back the laugh that was bubbling up. He could almost see the fumes coming out of her ears. She looked absolutely adorable.

Makenna used up all her control to stop herself from physically showing her frustration. She just clenched her jaw and walked away.

"Mac," Atlas called as he walked behind her, "I was only teasing."

Makenna kept walking trying to see past the red and push away all the feelings that Atlas was sparking in her.

"Alright, I apologize." He kept walking behind her,

"Apologies mean nothing." She didn't hear anything from him for a moment but soon he was walking beside her.

It was dark but the streetlight was bright enough to see the look in his eyes,
"You're right."

The red in her vision cleared as her frustration blew away with the cool night breeze.

I'm not getting in the middle of this.
She reminded herself as she looked away.

It is none of my business.
She told herself.

They walked a few quiet steps,
"Nice night." Atlas said, noticing for the first time the stars that shone bright,

She thought so too but preferred to stay quiet. And he couldn't help the thoughts that crept into his mind.

"It's nights like this that feels like you're blindfolded no matter how bright the stars are." He said without thinking,

Makenna came to a standstill as the meaning behind his words resonated with her. Atlas came to a stop when he realized she had stopped. He stopped and looked at her with a questioning gaze. Makenna was lost as she stared straight ahead at nothing specific with scenes of that night flashing in her mind.

"Mac?"

Thankfully, Atlas' voice pierced through the loop. She looked at him and they stood there looking at each other. She was about to shut everything out and numb herself to her feelings like clockwork. But there was something about being surrounded by darkness that made her feel safe to open up and let him catch a glimpse of the darkness on the inside.

Atlas was surprised at the vulnerability he saw in her eyes. He, for a second, thought that she was going to burst out laughing but she didn't.

"This is why we can't be friends."

She was barely audible and he would have missed it if the breeze hadn't carried the words in his direction before it blew away.

When Makenna walked away from him that night, he didn't attempt to follow her. It didn't look like she wanted him to, and he honestly wasn't ready to acknowledge the presence of the wall she had just revealed to him.