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."

Makenna blinked,
"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Hearing that sentence felt like Déjà vu and a memory popped into his mind.
"I don't know what you're talking about. You're seeing things that aren't there."

They got into a staring contest as Atlas' mind wandered to the first conversation they had at Bostwick café when Thea had bailed on him. Makenna had said the exact same thing.

Had she lied to me then as well?
Atlas couldn't help but think it was a possibility. Especially seeing her breakdown last night.

Granted, he had come on too strong that day and he hadn't known her well enough. But he'd hoped her expression would have at least given something away. Now it made sense in regards to why he thought everything he knew about her was just in his head.

How many lies did she have to tell to perfect the art of lying?
He wondered if it was something that came naturally or something she'd had to teach herself.

"I think you do."

Makenna leaned back and glared at him, looking annoyed,
"Stop trying to psychoanalyse me."

Atlas felt like he'd been doused with cold water. He needed to retreat.
"I'm sorry."

He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end and he hated that he was doing it to her.
"It wasn't my intention."

Makenna was surprised that she was still seated. If it were anyone else, she would've walked away as soon as she felt like she was being picked apart. But hearing the concern in his voice at the mention of Thea kept her seated.

Makenna decided to let it go,
"In the short while I've known Thea, I think it's safe to say that she has a mind of her own." Makenna looked at him, "She might need a nudge, but she doesn't need you to jump in on her behalf."

Atlas couldn't help but admire the way the colours of her eyes seem to look brighter in the morning sunlight.
"You're right."

From the blank look on her face, Makenna didn't seem to care about being right.

"If it's something she wants, she can talk to Sean."

Atlas frowned and blinked,
"Who's Sean?"

"The trainer." Makenna said, "He taught me everything I know. Thea would be better off learning directly from him."

"But it's not Sean Thea is comfortable with."

Makenna let out an inaudible sigh and Atlas watched as her shoulders rose and fell in clear discomfort.

"How about I teach Thea instead?" Atlas tried a different approach,

Makenna looked at him with a deep frown,
"Why do you need my help when you're an option?"

"Because I'll be teaching her what you teach me."

Makenna stared at him like he was insane.
"What sort of roundabout way is that?"

"Seeing as how you have a problem with teaching Thea, you can teach me."

"Thea is not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"I'm just not the right person to help you with this."

"And I think you're selling yourself short." Atlas admitted as he shifted his gaze to something across the street, "Thea would rather it be you than this...Sean guy."

Makenna hated that she was considering the whole thing.

Atlas frowned as he stopped his dominant thoughts from taking over. He sighed softly,
"I don't want to think about what would've happened if Thea had been alone at that party."

Makenna looked away and closed her eyes tightly as the nightmare played in her head again. She took a steadying breath as Thea and Rachel's cry for help tormented her.

Maybe Rachel would be alive if she knew how to protect herself.
Makenna thought. But Rachel hadn't been the only one who'd been lost to the evil in the world.

"Fine." Makenna snapped her eyes open and agreed before she changed her mind.

Atlas had a smile on his face when she turned to look at him.

"I'm not doing this for Thea, least of all you."

"I couldn't dream it was."

"Good." Makenna said, "Have her reach out if she's in."