Bruised

Chapter 3

Makenna inhaled deeply as she stared at him. There was no way he was standing there inside her house. She was definitely having another nightmare like the one she had the night after their...accidental...kiss.

Yes, sure. Let's go with that.
A tiny part of her scoffed at the use of the word accidental.

No, she was not going crazy and she was going to wake up. Soon.

"Hey."

Makenna's breath quivered as she exhaled.
"Hi."

Why wasn't he attacking her?
She wondered.

"I...uh...came with Thee."

She knew Thea was coming for dinner but she knew nothing about Atlas joining them for dinner.

"I didn't know you were joining us."

"Me neither. It was last minute."

"So, you're real." She said under her breath,

Atlas frowned,
"Pardon?"

"You're...here." Makenna shook her head,

A smile tugged at his lips as he watched her adorable head shake like she was warding off thoughts in her head. He bent his head as he tucked his hands into the pocket of his jeans.

He looked up at her,
"Do you not want me to be?"

Makenna's shoulders sagged as the tension left her body that this might, after all, not be another nightmare.

Shaking her head slowly and continuously, she shrugged,
"I shouldn't have a say in what you do or don't do."

Before, her opinion about him hadn't mattered. But in that moment, he realized that what she thought was starting to matter. That scared him because it seemed like she wanted nothing to do with him.

The feeling of dread took root and he felt it deep within him. It was his wavering hope that soared one second and crashed the next. He was scared of what might come and what might not, which sounded crazy because there was nothing to be scared of.

But knowing that didn't get rid of the dread at the pit of his stomach.

Makenna had the urge to run away like a criminal fleeing when they spot a witness. It was absolutely ridiculous and she'd told herself every single time she'd avoided him at the University.

But knowing that didn't stop her from wanting to flee anyway.

"I guess not." His soft voice reached her,

Who is this girl?
Makenna asked herself,

She wasn't whoever this girl she was acting like and that made her mad herself.

"You can do whatever the heck you want." She proceeded to walk down the hall, towards him, to head to the kitchen but stopped mid-way when Killian showed up behind Atlas,

"What's going on here?"

Atlas calmly looked over his shoulder, not directly at Killian, but in his direction,
"Nothing," He shifted his gaze at Makenna and smiled, "All good."

Atlas turned around and headed back to the living area. Killian watched him leave and turned his attention back to Makenna.

"What was that about?"

"What about?"

"What I walked into?"

"You walked into me walking away."

"Yea, and a lot of tension."

Makenna angled her head at him like he was crazy.

"I thought you two were hitting it off and finally...buddies." Killian had a hard time getting the last part out,