Page 19 of The Hotel Room

Lily nodded again, this time with a little more brightness.

But as Kate pulled away from the curb, the empty seat beside her, the weight in her chest felt heavier than ever.

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“Have a good day, baby,” Kate whispered, bending to press a kiss to Lily’s cheek.

The middle school parking lot was bustling with the usual chaos of drop-off—cars inching forward in a long, snaking line, backpacks swinging from tiny shoulders as kids streamed toward the front doors in packs.

“Hey, pumpkin.”

James.

He was standing just behind them, hands in the pockets of his coat, his gaze soft as he knelt to Lily’s level.

Lily lit up, her worry melting as she leaned into his hug. “Daddy!”

James hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head with a tenderness that twisted in Kate’s chest.

Kate hadn’t seen him in three days. Hadn’t answered his calls. Hadn’t responded to the endless stream of texts he kept sending.

But now—here he was. Kate shifted her weight, heart pounding as she watched the way his hands curled protectively around their daughter’s back. How natural it looked. Howright.

And yet—

He had broken this.

The bell rang, breaking the silence. Lily pulled back, smiling just a little as she waved toward the door.

“I gotta go!”

Kate managed a small wave, watching as her daughter disappeared inside, leaving her alone with James.

James straightened, his gaze hardening as it shifted from tenderness to something else—something raw anddemanding.

“We need to talk.”

Kate folded her arms across her chest, every muscle in her body tightening. “I have nothing to say to you, James.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.” His voice was quiet but sharp, the control barely held together. “You’ve been avoiding me for days. Ignoring my calls. Not letting me see my kids. I deserve—”

“Deserve?” The word flew out before she could stop it, hot and bitter.

James flinched, his lips pressing into a thin line.

“Yes,” he ground out. “Idodeserve to see my children. They need stability, Kate. And you taking them away from their home like this? It's not fair to them.”

Kate shook her head, heat prickling beneath her skin. “You’re the one who—”

“Who made a mistake?” He cut her off, stepping closer, voice low and hard. “IknowI did, Kate. But you can’t keep punishing me instead of trying to fix this.”

Her pulse hammered in her ears, a bitter laugh escaping her lips before she could stop it.

“Fixthis? You slept with another woman! You made that choice, James. And now you’re standing here acting like I’m the one causing all this pain? Like Iforcedyou to betray me?”

His face twisted, the calm facade finally cracking.

“We wereeighteen, Kate. You got pregnant. We got married. It all happened so fast. I didn’t even know who I was yet. It’s like I was trapped—”

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