Page 22 of The Hotel Room

It was just sex.

A stupid, meaningless hookup.

He’d used that app Nick was always raving about, the one for “no strings attached” encounters. It was practically built for this sort of thing. Everyone understood the rules—clean, simple, anonymous.

And he’d been curious.

That was all.

Any man would feel the same, right? Married ateighteen, one sexual partner his entire life—who wouldn’t wonder what else was out there?

It just...happened. The app had been too easy.

And it wasn’t like he was ever going to see her again.

It was one night. One time.

So why was Kate making it feel like that one time thing was more important than their decades together, their family, their entire life?

James exhaled sharply, dropping the fork with a clatter, his appetite gone.

She’s being dramatic.

Blowing this way out of proportion.

They had alifetogether. Seventeen years of marriage. Two kids. A house. She wasn’t supposed to walk out overthis.

And taking the kids with her? That was just...

Wrong.

He was their father. He had arightto see them. To be in their lives. To tuck Lily in at night, to ask Noah how his grades were doing. To be part of his own family, not exiled from it like some villain in a story where he wasn’t even allowed to defend himself.

Kate was punishing him. For what? For being curious about what he’d missed out on? A stupid, meaningless night?

She was still the woman he’d built his life around. His first love. The mother of his children.

But they’d been kids themselves. They hadn’t known anything but each other.

He raked a hand through his hair, glaring down at the half-eaten dinner like it personally offended him.

Kate was overreacting. It wasn’t like he’d stopped loving her.

She had to see that eventually. She’d cool down. Realize what they had was bigger than one mistake.

She’d come home. Shecouldn’tleave him. Not really.

James leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, jaw tightening.

The truth was, Kate needed him.

Shereliedon him.

He paid the mortgage. The utilities. The groceries. He was the one who kept this house standing, who made sure the bills were paid on time, who provided for the life they’d built.

Kate hadn’t worked a day since Noah was born. She didn’t have her own income. She couldn’taffordto leave.

Not unless she wanted to drag the kids through a nasty divorce. Did she really think she could provide the same life on her own? The house, the school tuition, the vacations?

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