Broken

Chapter 80

Atlas and Makenna came up to a street bench and Makenna went to sit without a word. Atlas followed suit and leaned back into the bench as he watched Makenna get comfortable. She placed her gym bag between them and took out the content of the brown bag. She took a bite of the croissant.

Makenna literally had to bite her tongue to keep from sighing as the first bite almost melted in her mouth.

"I hope you're not expecting payment for this or the latte."

"And if I say 'I am'?"

Makenna looked at him,
"I'll order this for you next time."

"You can order anything you want," He said with a shrug, "As long as I foot the bill."

Makenna searched his eyes trying to find the humour in them. But his piercing gaze and straight face told her he was serious.

"You said you need my help," Makenna looked away, "I'm letting you know now that I'm not the best, or the last person anyone should be asking for any sort of help from."

Atlas kept his gaze on her,
"You don't even know what I need help with."

"Whatever it is, I'm not your girl."

"But I'm choosing to make you my girl."

Rather than look at him, like she wanted to, Makenna took another bite,
"I'm listening."

Atlas liked the solemn way she said it, it was cute. A far cry from the girl he'd gotten a front-row seat to last night.
"It's Thea."

Makenna looked at Atlas and waited.

"After last night, she's a bit shaken up."

Atlas watched Makenna's jaw clench as she looked away.
"I think it would be good for her to have a way to protect herself from that ever happening again."

Atlas bringing it up brought the memories of her nightmare to the forefront of her mind.
"Can you teach her?"

Makenna scoffed as she looked at him again.
"You want me to teach Thea self-defence?"

"Pretty much."

Makenna was confused,
"I honestly thought you'd rather I stay away from Thea."

"Before last night, yes." Atlas said truthfully, "But after seeing the way you stepped in to protect her, I think you actually care about her."

There it was.
Makenna thought.

His first mistake.
She searched his gaze with a knowing smile.

"That's where you're wrong."

Atlas frowned.

"I wasn't protecting Thea." She said, "I was putting a pervert in his place."

Atlas searched her eyes,
"And if it were someone else?"

"I would've done the same thing."

Atlas tried to find a tell in her gaze or expression, but there were none. He was shocked at how easily she'd straight up lied to his face. He would never have been able to tell if he hadn't been there that night. If he hadn't seen her before it all went down. The concerned look on her face and the way she was constantly distracted from the conversation with her friends.

Atlas smiled.

"What?" Makenna hated that smile. It was like he knew something she didn't.

"You don't need to pretend with me."

Makenna was taken aback,
"Excuse me?"

"You don't have to pretend that you don't care about anyone or anything."