The Girl in the Locket

Chapter Seventeen

Present day

Amber left the hotel room, her towel under one arm, she was going down to the pool for a quick swim. It had been late once they had gotten in and eaten from the airport last night. Amber had wanted to look for Sydney first thing this morning, but before the day begun and the hotel began to stir to life she decided she would go and swim to take her mind off of waiting. Marie had left fifteen minutes earlier eager to get out of the hotel room and check out the spa. Amber walked the corridor down to the pool, she briefly saw another person enter the changing room ahead of her, and she looked down to the pool to see Marie doing laps under the water. Amber quickly took her clothes off and put her towel down by the side of the pool before she dipped in as Marie swam up beside her through the water, pretending to bite her bottom.

"Hey" Amber argued playfully, pulling her up from under the water.

"Sorry, couldn't help it...it looked peachy." Marie laughed.

Marie nervously glanced at the changing room door and tried to keep Ambers eyes on her by talking to her about today's plan. "I think I'm going to sit in the lobby. If Sydney is here she's going to have to come through there eventually and I'll see her before she leaves."

"I know, but what if she doesn't want to be found Amber" Marie stated.

"I just need to see her okay?! I just need to talk to her" Amber replied, getting frustrated by Marie's lack of empathy so far.

Marie stood, frozen to the spot. Her stomach tied in knots watching Sydney walk out of the changing rooms behind Amber, her hand lifting to wave toward them. Marie instinctively raised her hand to wave back, but quickly dropped it back into the water when Amber noted it and turned.

Amber caught the side of the girls face as she turned back to walk away through the door. "Is that her" she asked, raising her voice.

Amber made her way quickly to the side of the pool, with Marie in hot pursuit. "No Amber not now"

Amber leapt out of the pool, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it round her waist whilst running through the swing doors, dripping wet she ran to the end of the corridor her eyes wide with anticipation, the adrenaline running through her veins. Eyes were all on Amber as she walked into the foyer, her eyes searching wildly for the figure in the crowd she had longed to find. She heard the ring of the elevator to the left of her and turned to watch the girl from the pool walk straight into it.

The girl turned and pressed a button and the doors began to slowly close in front of her. Amber's eyes gravitated through the crowd to catch sight of her face, and then in a split second, the girl looked up and into the foyer, and Amber looked straight into her eyes.

A contented smile appeared on the girls full lips, and her hand reached up and ran through her long wet hair. Amber noted the tattoo on the girls wrist, and as the doors closed completely shut she felt herself call her name. "Sydney" she cried, running towards the elevator, but it was already going up between the higher floors.

Marie ran up behind Amber, now dressed with wet hair from the pool. She grabbed Amber and turned her towards her. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Amber just stood there, a blank look on her face, before she finally looked back at Marie. A fire was now burning in her belly. "Why did you wave at her?" She asked.

"I spoke with her in the pool. I didn't realise it was her I promise" She lied.

"You spoke with her? What did she say?"

"Not much. She was here with her husband on a trip from America is all?"

"Is that all she said" Amber questioned.

"Well that, and that her names Sam now"

"Sam?" Amber repeated, her face screwed up in confusion.

"Yeah, Sam" Marie confirmed, almost pleased with the reaction she saw in Ambers eyes.

"And she's married?" Amber confirmed, as her eyes were blinking back tears. She sat down on the chair by the elevator. Marie leant down on her knees to comfort her.

"To a guy? She's married to a guy?" Amber asked. "Not that it matters who" she whispered to herself. Amber sat there full of confusion until a thought lit up her eyes. "But you said her names now Sam right?"

"Right" Marie confirmed.

"Then perhaps it's true...She doesn't know who she is. Perhaps she has amnesia? Something like that. I mean you do see it on TV. Maybe she just needs to see me to remember" Amber stood now, pushing at the elevator buttons hurriedly.

"What are you doing?!" Marie asked.

"I have to find her room" Amber declared.

"No, no don't do this. Listen I don't think she just upped and forgot herself. I think she changed her name so nobody would find her, and she began this new life"

Amber stopped pressing the buttons and turned on Marie "That's not true Marie. You didn't even know her, and don't talk about her like that. She would never have done that to me. She loved me...and we had just got married for gods sake. It's not like she had plans without me. She got hit and thrown from a boat into the fucking ocean" Amber was exhausted from Marie's accusations. She walked into the open elevator that had previously taken Sydney to her floor.

Marie walked in behind her, feeling deflated. Amber stood quietly, and as the elevator jolted upwards her nose began to twitch. Marie watched her as her frown slowly turned into a smile. "What's up?" she asked her.

"Can you smell that?" Amber asked.

Marie lifted her nose. "The perfume?"

"It's Sydney's signature scent" Amber whispered.

Marie watched Ambers face light up, and she felt anxious for this to be over. She could end this now with the knowledge of Sydney's children. Marie knew that would mean the end of all of this for Amber, but she didn't want to tell her. Marie didn't want to be the one that broke Amber's heart or killed her fantasy of finding Sydney and getting her back. She would sit back and have to watch her figure this out alone, and then when it all collapsed she knew she would be going home with her. Amber could finally grieve her and get on with her life. Marie wanted to be that person that she finally moved on with.