Don't - Mark Tuan Fanfic (Third Book for 'Can't')

Mark III

I couldn't really describe the relief I'm feeling right now. Despite the other worries that were bothering me earlier, just the sight of Cristina erases them all for the mean time. Even if that junkie tags along, that doesn't really matter for now. As long as I know she's safe ....

Even if she's still accusing me of sleeping with Sandra, and wouldn't listen to my explanation; even if she wouldn't want me to go near her, or touch her - all I care about now is that she's here.

"Cris. Are you even listening to me?" I ask, stopping myself from taking another step to close the gap between us. She's looking out the window, her back on me. "Cris?" My arms instinctively go around her when she almost falls. "What's wrong? What is it?" I ask.

I can see her face from the side. It looks like all the blood has been drained out of her face. Her eyes wide and her body begins to tremble. "K ... Karen."

Karen? Her friend? I furrow my brows and turn my gaze away from her and to where her shaky finger is pointing. "SHIT!" I must have the same look as Cris' now when I finally see what she's seeing. "You stay here." I tell her and immediately call the men downstairs. But, of course, she won't listen. She still follows me down, even running ahead of us to go out the back door. "Stay close to me." I grab her hand when I catch up with her outside.

"Where is she?" A guy asks when we reach the place we think we saw the girl earlier.

"She was just right there." Cris says, pointing at a now empty bench. "Mark." She turns to me, her expression indescribable. "You saw her. She was just there."

"I know." I answer. I couldn't believe it either. It didn't even take five minutes for us to come down here from the room we were in earlier. Just like what Cris said, I saw her right at this bench. "Search everywhere." I order. How is Karen here anyway? I thought she was in the US?

"Mark. What's happening?" Cris' tears are flowing again. "Where is she?"

I don't know what to say. The girl I saw earlier was lifeless, her body covered in blood. Unless someone moved her, I don't think she'd be able to get up on her own. What if it's just a hoax? What if what Cris told me before about seeing Trey was true? What if they're just trying to scare her? "Are you sure it's her? Was that really your friend?" I ask her, just making sure.

"Yes. I would know her, wouldn't I?" She shouts at me.

My eyes couldn't be mistaken, too. I haven't been with Karen long enough to be able to identify her that far, but I'm sure Cris would. "I'm sorry." I immediately say, rubbing her arms as I see her trembling. "C'mon, let's go inside."

"Mark." She clings onto my hand and I turn around to face her again. "I'm ... I'm not sure."

"What?"

"I don't know if it's her." She looks confused, so am I. "I didn't ... I didn't see her face. Her clothes ... It's hers. Her hair, too. But ... I don't know." She cries.

I pull her into my embrace and let her cry on my chest. "It might not be her, right?" I say, giving her some comfort although I'm not sure if it'd help at all.

"The hotel." She says suddenly, making me look at her questioningly. "I have to go to the hotel." She pushes herself away from me. "I have to make sure ... I ..."

"Ok." I hold her shoulders. "We'll go check." I assure her. "But, Cris. I promised your dad I'd take you out of here." It's getting even more and more dangerous for her to be here.

The junkie comes down the stairs when we get inside. He looks baffled as to what is going on. I almost actually forgot he was with us. "What's going on?" He keeps on asking, but no one seems to want to answer him as he gets passed by on our way to the front.