Makenna couldn't explain what she felt, not even to herself. She had never been high but she assumed it would feel something like what she was feeling. Everything that went down on Saturday had been replaying in her head and she was unable to push it away. It has affected her day at Hidden Beach on Sunday. She remembered how hard she'd fought the urge countless times to reach for her phone to ask Thea for his number. When she'd finally gotten into the book she was reading, she pictured him in every scene as the male lead.

What the heck is wrong with me?
She asked herself yet again,

"Mac,"

Makenna quickly snapped out of her head and looked up at Vanessa who had a suspicious look on her face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Vanessa asked her for the umpteenth time today,

"Not this again,"

"No, I'm really getting worried now. No kidding." Vanessa did look worried, "You've been zoning out a lot,"

Makenna subconsciously filled in the plus sign she had scribbled on her notebook. It was then that Vanessa glanced down and it didn't take long for her to do the Math. She looked at Makenna with a smile that said 'Say no more'.

Makenna noticed the smile and it was her turn to be curious,
"What?"

Vanessa shrugged, saying nothing.

"Don't give me that look! What is it?"

"Let's just say I've put two and two together, or in your case, M and A." Vanessa pointed at what Makenna had scribbled.

To Makenna's credit, her expression gave nothing away.
"I have no idea what you mean."

"Sure, you don't."

"What are you talking about?"

"Isn't A the initial of someone we know?"

"What? No." Makenna feigned shock, "M. A. Makenna Adams"

Vanessa narrowed her eyes,
"I see what you did there. Nice save."

"I have no idea what you mean."

"You seem to be having less of an idea recently."

"Oh, that's your initials."

Makenna turned her head to find Will making his way around the table from behind her. She felt her heart skip a beat because she knew Atlas wasn't far behind if he wasn't here already. Will took the spot next to Vanessa.

"Thank you." Makenna said to him and looked at Vanessa, "How does he know and you don't?"

Vanessa turned to Will,
"How do you know her surname starts with an A?"

Will frowned and looked at Makenna,
"It does?"

Vanessa chuckled and Makenna frowned.
"Then why did you say it's my initials?"

"I meant both of yours." Will said, "Makenna and Atlas."

Just then Atlas showed up and took the spot next to Makenna. She did everything in her power not to look up at him.
"What about Makenna and I?"

"She scribbled both your initials."

"They're my initials." She felt Atlas' gaze on her face,

Atlas glanced at the page with the two letters and smiled to himself.

"Right." Vanessa and Will both said and nodded, clearly not believing her,

Makenna sighed,
"I can't argue this with you."

"If you did, you'd lose," Atlas said,

Makenna looked at him then and desperately wanted to ask whose side he was on, but she zipped it, not wanting to add fuel to the fire.

However, Atlas saw the look in her eyes,
"But for the record, I'm with Mac." He said to Vanessa and Will, "Why would she scribble my initials?"

"Same reason she wouldn't scribble ours," Will said,

"I don't even want to know what that means," Makenna turned the page of her notebook to a fresh page wanting to escape the moment,

The moment passed and they were all buried in their books when Atlas leaned close to her and whispered,
"I like that little heart you put close to my initials."

Makenna felt her face burn red hot and she clenched her fist to stop herself from smiling the way she wanted to. If she did, she'd be caught.

Common sense told Makenna to get up and go because his presence was distracting her from studying, but she liked that he was close. She'd wanted to be in the same room as him ever since dinner on Saturday, and here he was.

On Sunday, she had the urge to call him and ask him to come over, but common sense told her that she'd regret it. Hidden Beach was her haven and she didn't want to do something brainish like invite him into her space just because. Common sense knew that anything could happen down the line and her space would no longer be hers if she invited him.

And there she was, pulled in opposite directions between common sense and feeling - her brain and her heart.

Atlas' hand brushed her hand and Makenna's gaze drilled holes into the spot he'd touched. She didn't understand how something innocent could sound all the alarm bells in her head. That too, with a guy she'd kissed a few times. She should already be comfortable with him.

"Are you alright?"

Makenna looked up at him and nodded absentmindedly,
"Hm-hmm."

"Are you sure?" He frowned, "You look like you're plotting an escape."

"Oh, no. I just...have a lot on my mind."

Atlas studied her face for a moment,
"Do you want to talk about it?"

Makenna wondered what that would look like. Him sitting across from her and talking to him about her problem - him.

"We can grab a coffee after this,"

Makenna felt her heart soar as she took a moment to find the words,
"Sure."

Atlas' eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as he smiled,
"Great."

Goodness gorgeousness.
Makenna thought when he smiled.

"Great." She parroted, looking into his eyes,

She found it really hard to pull herself together and focus on what she was studying. But once she got into the rhythm, it was smooth sailing. Atlas made himself known now and again by breathing and existing. But she thought it was good practice to sit close to him. She figured that whatever happened to her whenever he was around would quickly get old. She wouldn't have to be on hyper-alert every time he was near.

But suddenly, it hit her.

Did Atlas just ask me out on a date?
She started to panic, just a bit.

There was no need to worry too much about it because he hadn't specified. But it seemed that way.

Makenna glanced at him and wondered.