Broken

Chapter 6

A good day?

Makenna asked herself a few moments later when she looked up at the person who'd just walked in through the Metro Coffee doors.

She kept her gaze on him as his eyes scanned the café and finally landed on her. She shot him her best smile before he made a beeline towards her.

"Really?" He asked as he took the seat across from her,

"Coffee?" She asked with the sweet smile still on her face,

"Kenna, I can't believe you told mum and dad."

"First, mum and dad are excited and second, it's Mac."

"Exactly my point, they're more excited about it than I am, which is not great." Killian said, "Second, I don't care."

Makenna leaned into the table and placed her arms on top, her smile gone as she glared at her brother,
"You call me Kenna one more time and I'll send your new girlfriend every embarrassing picture I have of you."

Killian blinked once, then twice,
"So, Mac," He leaned forward mirroring her posture, "Back to mum and dad."

Makenna tried to hold back her smile but it slipped just a little as she leaned back into her seat,
"Yes, please, I'm all ears."

"You're going to have to find a way to un-tell them."

"And what happens when you have to bring your girlfriend home for visits?"

"They'll find out then."

"Killian, I don't know why you want to hide this from mum and dad."

"You mean the way you hide stuff from your friends, if you can even call them that."

Makenna's fingers drummed on the table with a death-glare directed at her beloved brother she was seconds from beating up in the middle of Metro Coffee.

"Not the same thing, sorry." Killian leaned back into his seat, putting some distance between both of them, enough to make his escape if she decided to launch herself over the table and at him.

Even though Killian had taken back what he said, he was unable to take back the glimpse of truth Makenna had gotten from hearing those words from none other than her brother, someone who knew her very well. The truth barely got past the fear that started to make its way up disguised as bile, but it finally settled in her gut like a stomach bug.

"I'm sorry I told mum and dad," She finally said, "It wasn't my place to tell but I just got excited for you."

Killian stared at his sister, the sweet smile and the light in her eyes was something he hardly saw and if his first and new relationship was the reason he got to see the very rare side of her he hadn't seen in years, then he was fine with it.

Killian nodded accepting her apology,
"I'm glad my relationship is making headlines at home."

"Mostly gossip materials. At least, until you finally talk to them about it."

The silence lasted for a brief moment.

"Would you like to meet her?"

Makenna smiled,
"Are you sure you want her to meet me?"

"Of course, you're my sister." Killian had a look on his face that said she was stupid for asking him that.

"Alright," Makenna pushed her smile from her face, "Just let me know when and where."

Killian got up with a smile,
"Bye."

Makenna watched her brother walk away and out of Metro coffee as she grabbed her vanilla latte and took a sip.

Thea placed her drink on the table and smiled at her brother who sat across from her,
"What do you think?"

Atlas tried the get the content of his drink down his throat as he placed his cup on the table. Somedays he got lucky with his surprise drink order, other days, not so much.
"Too sweet."

Thea chuckled,
"I don't know why you order a different drink every time until you've tasted everything on the menu."

"How would I know which is my favourite if I haven't tried everything?"

"True but very risky."

"It's not for the faint-hearted."

"Or the sugar conscious."

Atlas smiled as he lifted his cup and took another sip with his face slightly scrunched up.

"It hurts my stomach to watch you." Thea looked away from him and sipped on her drink,

"Thanks for bringing me here, Thee."

"You've got just me to show you around for now, until you find someone else, which I'm certain would be very easy."

"Why do you say that?"

"Quoting my friends from school; 'Have you seen your brother'?"

Atlas laughed at her mimicry and Thea smiled.

"I'm glad you're here."

Atlas blinked at her, keeping his eyes closed for a second longer than a normal blink, something Thea used to do to him when she was little.
"I'm glad I'm here too."

"Have you spoken to dad?" Thea looked away avoiding his gaze,

Atlas's jaw clenched and he tried to take a deep breath in as the last real conversation he had with his father came to mind.

It had been a few days after the accident when he had finally come around after slipping in and out of consciousness. He'd woken up to find his dad seated at the end of his bed, his head buried in his hands that rested on his legs. Every part of his body hurt but his hand which was in a cast hurt worse than anywhere else.

"Dad?" His voice came out low and croaky and his throat felt dry,

Nicolas Zervas straightened and found his son awake, he immediately swallowed the lump that had been lodged in his throat for days and got up as he exhaled heavily. The two men stared at each other for a moment longer than comfortable.

"Em?"

"She didn't make it."

Atlas looked away from his father not wanting him to see the tears that were starting to make its way to his eyes. He inhaled a shaky breath and exhaled slowly, the shock from the accident finally coming down on him in waves of emotions, his body shook.

"I can't believe you." Nicolas sounded raged, "Do you know how much trouble you've put not just yourself but the company in?"

The company?
Atlas wondered how his father could think about the company at a moment like that but he wasn't surprised.

"This is the last time I'm getting you out of a mess you made." Nicolas grabbed his suit jacket, "Next time you decide to get behind a wheel, make sure no one else is in it with you."

Atlas shut his eyes as his father slammed the door shut behind him and he felt a strange pain in his heart like it was being held in someone's tight grip, probably his father's. He'd tried to ward off the sob that threatened to escape but he was too weak to hold back and he finally relinquished the last of his control and let the sob out.

Atlas sighed and looked up at Thea,
"How's Pierre?"

The smile that lit up his sister's face was all he needed to lift his spirits and he listened to her because she had a lot to say.