Page 51 of The Hotel Room

James sat beside her, flipping through a book he clearly wasn’t reading, his gaze drifting toward her every few minutes as if he was waiting for her to need something.

It was strange, how much his presence had shifted lately. Not the tense, hovering energy from when she first came back. This was softer. Quieter. Like he was figuring out how to stay without crowding her.

And that mattered more than she was ready to admit.

From the other room, Lily’s giggles rang out, followed by Noah’s mock-annoyed, “Lily, seriously, you’re gonna spill it!”

Kate glanced toward the kitchen, where both kids were working on ice cream sundaes—well,Lilywas working on hers, adding every sprinkle and topping imaginable while Noah, in full teenage exasperation, watched on.

It felt so...normal.

And yet, everything was different.

Because there was a secret between her and James now.

Two secrets.

One they were keeping because the truth would shatter their kids’ trust.

The other—

Kate pressed her hand gently against her stomach, heartbeat slowing.

This secret feltdifferent. Warmer. It didn’t feel like she was holding it alone.

James noticed the shift immediately. His eyes dropped to her hand resting on the barely-there curve of her stomach. And then, so quietly it felt more like instinct than thought, he reached out too, his hand settling over hers.

It wasn’t hesitant.

It wasn’t forced.

It felt...right.

Kate exhaled, leaning back into the cushions, her body unconsciously relaxing.

“Back still hurting?” James asked softly, his voice so low it didn’t carry toward the kitchen.

She nodded.

He didn’t ask permission. Just shifted closer, his hand moving from her stomach to her lower back, pressing gently as his thumbs worked in slow circles over the sore muscles.

The tension eased almost instantly, and Kate’s eyes fluttered shut.

“That feels amazing,” she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

James didn’t respond with words, just kept massaging carefully, his touch careful and steady.

From the kitchen, Lily was still rambling about her toppings, about how sprinkles were necessary for the aesthetic. Noah groaned, but there was no real irritation behind it—just the familiar rhythm of their sibling banter.

The sound made Kate’s chest ache in a different way.

For so long, the weight of James’s betrayal had lingered like a storm cloud, pressing between all of them.

But this secret...

This wasn’t like that.

For the first time in months, she felt like James was on her side. That they were holding something precioustogether, not keeping something damaging hidden.

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