(BOOK 2) MARK/HOFFMAN: A Saw Fanfiction

TWENTY EIGHT

The phone call had come from Keith's new chief. Now that Mark was wanted in the entire state, all surrounding departments were also informed of any updates and were helping Metro City catch him. 

So Keith really hadn't gotten away from it. 

Abby grabbed her shirt and put it back on, wrapping her arms around her torso. Keith sat back down, taking a deep breath. 

"He said to turn on the news," Keith told her. "If you don't want me to turn it on, I won't." 

Abby shook her head. "No, it's okay. We can watch." 

Keith nodded, then grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. 

Once he got to the correct channel, he set the remote back on the coffee table and sat forward, watching intently. 

"... A terrifying trap that left one young woman dead..." 

Abby only half listened to the news, the other half of her attention going to Keith. She kept glancing at him, guilt over what she'd just done but unsure if she should actually feel that way. On one hand, she still was leaning toward not staying with Mark because he killed three people. On the other hand, his last conversation with her had shown that he still did care about her. 

She knew it was crazy, but she still didn't want to hurt him. She still loved him. 

Mark's face flashing across the tv screen brought her back into present time. Her stomach dropped. Every time she saw him she felt sadness. 

"... if you see or hear anything about Mark Hoffman, please contact authorities immediately." 

Before she knew it, Keith had turned the TV off. He sat back, putting his hands on either side of his head and groaning. 

"God..."

Abby looked at him, tears stinging her eyes. She'd sobered up quickly after seeing Mark's face. 

"Are you okay?" Keith asked, sitting up and meeting her eyes. 

Abby shrugged, not knowing what to say. "I don't know." She managed to hold her tears back. 

Keith looked down. "I'm sorry for... you know..." 

"No, don't be," Abby immediately replied. "I started it." 

"Still, I could have declined." Keith shook his head, glancing back up at her. "I'm sorry." 

Abby sighed. "Please don't be. We both wanted it." 

There was an awkward silence as they both sat there, unsure of how to proceed. Abby wiped a stray tear away and took a deep breath. They met eyes, then, as if reading each other's minds, they both laughed. 

"I certainly didn't expect that to happen," Keith said, his cheeks flushed from embarrassment. Abby ran a hand through her hair and grinned. 

"Me neither. I don't know what came over me." 

"Well," Keith started, standing up to grab his shirt. "While it was very enjoyable, I understand if it doesn't happen again. If you want we can just forget that it ever happened." 

Abby watched him button his shirt back up. She was torn, but she knew that right now, she just couldn't do it. She loved Mark. She had to get some sort of closure before she made a decision. 

"I need to get past this," Abby said. "But for now, it's best that we just not go any further." 

Keith nodded. "Understood." 

Abby stood, looking up at Keith. "I'm really sorry." 

"Don't be. Things happen." 

She stood up on her tip toes and gave him a soft peck on the cheek. "Thank you for helping me. It really does mean a lot."