Page 15 of The Hotel Room

“Kate, I—I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But youdid.” Her voice cracked, the pain breaking through every fragile barrier she’d tried to hold.

His face twisted, and he set his jaw.

“Kate, you have to stop acting like this. I didn’t stop loving you. It was justone time. It was barely even 10 minutes, really. You’re blowing this up like it cancels everything we’ve built together. I didn’t even finish!”

She staggered back, blinking hard, her pulse pounding in her temples.

His brows drew together and he reached for her, fingers grazing the air between them like he could somehow pull her back.

Kate flinched away, her entire body recoiling from his touch as if it burned.

Without a word, she turned sharply, crossing the room with trembling hands, snatching up her overnight bag from where it sat. The same bag she’d packed so carefully—full of hope, full ofhim.

Now it felt like a cruel joke.

And this time—when she walked toward the door, her knuckles white where she clutched her bag—he didn’t try to stop her.

He just watched her go.

CHAPTER SIX

Kate

The scent of Leah’s vanilla candle filled the small guest room, thick and cloying, making it hard for Kate to breathe. Or maybe it wasn’t the candle. Maybe it was everything else—the way her chest felt tight, hollow, like she was bracing for something she couldn’t fully process yet.

The suitcase sat open on the bed, clothes haphazardly folded, more shoved in than packed. The kids’ things were mixed with hers—Lily’s hoodie, Noah’s earbuds tangled in a mess of shirts and socks. Nothing felt organized. Nothing felt right.

It had been three days since she’d left the house. Since the hotel room. Since James.

The memory was raw, too sharp to let in fully. So she focused on the present, on the small tasks, as if staying busy might keep her from falling apart completely.

Outside the closed door, she could hear Leah in the kitchen with the kids, her voice calm, steady. At least someone had it together.

Kate inhaled shakily, folding one of Lily’s shirts just as the door creaked open.

“Mom?”

Lily stood there, small and uncertain. Her hair was a little tangled, cheeks flushed pink from helping Leah unpack groceries.

Kate forced a smile she didn’t feel. “Hey, sweetheart.”

Lily hovered in the doorway, her brows drawn together in that way she got when she was confused but didn’t know how to ask.

“Is Dad coming here too?”

The question hit like a physical blow.

Kate’s throat closed for a heartbeat, the words getting stuck. She forced herself to keep folding, smoothing the soft fabric of Lily’s shirt as if it mattered.

“No, honey. Your dad’s staying at home for now.”

Lily frowned. “But…why?”

Kate’s vision blurred as she crouched to eye level, pressing a hand gently to her daughter’s cheek.

“It’s…complicated, Lils.” Her voice cracked. “Your father and I just need some space right now. But we both love you. That’s never going to change, okay?”

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