Chasing Tide (A Merman's Tale And The Human Who Desired Him)

ALMOST.

Chapter: 85.
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Maria parked her car in front of the familiar hotel. It was a hidden location outside of the city, but it had enough history to have stayed there for at least thirty years. The building was dark and dusty, its bricks grey and aged with age spots here and there. Some of them were even falling apart. She stepped out of the car and looked around. There weren't many people walking about the parking lot, all she could see were the usual homeless people that would find themselves at the hotel every night to wait until they found somewhere else to sleep or until they died from starvation. They wouldn't last more than six months after leaving the area.

Why the man always seems to prefer this location beats her. Although she appreciates that he cares enough for their secrets to be kept hidden, this place always had her heart in her sleeves. The hotel might look like it was about to fall apart any second but for the past months she's visited, it stood still, undisturbed, it was also a place where you could spend your days away without having to worry about cameras, reporters, or any who might be so agog into digging up your dirt. She took deep breaths as she walked towards the door; it had been two weeks since she last went to the place and the anxiety that plagued her from the moment she stepped through the door almost made her run back to her car and call the whole thing off.

Almost.

But she knew better, she needed to do this for herself, for her daughter, and for what she stands to gain. Although she wouldn't say she isn't surprised by the action behind Lorenzo's blackmails yet she trusted the man. They love each other after all so what could possibly go wrong besides he only told her he needed money. That's why he's doing it. Now, she wouldn't have had any problems offering if she had a penny to her name but since she had more than enough jewels to trade she might as well.

After taking a few steps into the lobby, she felt calm, her heart began to slow down while her breath stopped. Everything seemed brighter, happier, and just a tad bit warmer in the place.

She entered the familiar welcoming lobby, greeted by the same old man at the reception desk who smiled at her before she took a seat in one of the chairs. A few minutes later another man arrived, he was in his late twenties, with wayward brown locks and a scar on his left cheek, his face showing slight shock when he saw Maria sitting there, but then he hid it behind a polite smile once again. Same expression, same reaction. "Hello Mrs. Clayton!" he called, nodding slightly towards her and heading over in the other direction. She could have sworn she had run into him a few times during the course of her visit to this hotel but then again he might just be one of those people who simply needed a place to get away. He knew her name. She hasn't gotten around to asking him how but since she's seen him here often, it's very likely that he may have had a conversation with the older man at the reception.

A man in his early thirties appeared from the stairs leading up to the upper floor and sat next to her. He wore blue jeans with a button-down shirt tucked in underneath a long green coat, his fingers twiddled against each other as he waited patiently. The man next to her smiled softly at her and she returned the gesture.

What was keeping Lorenzo? She wondered after taking a glance at the clock on the wall, she noticed how late it already was. She didn't intend to stay this late, she had planned to return home tonight, she's been spending a lot of nights outside her home and he had assured her he would be here waiting for her. She figured something might have kept him so she had no other choice but to wait. A short while later the old man working the desk approached her and with a warm smile on his lips, he placed a paper bag in front of her, "Here are your room keys."

Figuring that Lorenzo might be running a little bit late and it wouldn't be the first time she would be waiting for him in their room instead. She reached for the paper bag. "Thank you, sir." She said politely, looking him straight in the eye as he handed her the paper bag with the key card in it. She thanked the man once more who smiled at her one last time and headed for the staircase leading to the upper floors. When she reached the top of the stairs she was met with a set of wooden doors with white letters printed on them. Walking down the hall she passed six doors before she got to the one she needed. She pressed the keycard to the first letter in the center of the door and turned the handle, pushing the heavy door open, she was met with a rather large room. It was clean and bright, with a large window to allow her to take a deep breath of fresh air.

To her right was a huge king-sized bed, and to the left of the room was an en suite bathroom with the biggest shower. She especially loves the bathroom, it was big enough to bathe her entire family in and the perfect size for the tub. The entire left side of the room consisted of a double sink with matching drawers and a vanity table with lots of supplies neatly stacked on top and a small kitchenette with a fridge, a microwave, and some cupboards. She moved through the room quietly not wanting to disturb anything.

When she got to the corner of the room she spotted a tall closet filled with clothes, mostly men's clothing all belonging to Lorenzo. Her eyes fell upon a box at the very end of the room and she walked towards it, she hadn't seen that there before so it piqued her interest just immediately. Once she was face to face with the box she went on her knees and opened it. Inside there was a thick folder full of photographs and documents. After flipping through documents filled with pieces of information on different families which she found rather weird she came across one specific picture.

It was all too strange.