Page 58 of The Hotel Room

James shifted, his hands clasped too tightly in his lap as the ultrasound tech called her name.

Kate gave him a quick glance, her expression unreadable, then stood.

He followed.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

James

The exam room was quiet, dimmed for the ultrasound.

The gentle whoosh of the fetal heartbeat filled the space, rhythmic and steady. James’s breath caught when he saw the screen.

Their baby.

Small. Fragile. Real.

And for a heartbeat, the ache in his chest wasn’t about guilt or regret. It was wonder.

This is our child.

But then, almost as quickly, the ache returned.

Because after the scan, when the screen blinked dark and the tech left to give them privacy, James felt the weight settle back into his chest.

Kate was quiet as she adjusted her shirt, wiping the gel from her stomach with careful, methodical motions. She didn’t meet his eyes.

And James didn’t know how to reach her.

What could he even say? That he was sorry? That he hated himself for what he’d done?

Words felt too small for what he’d broken.

So instead, as they walked back to the car, the silence stretched long and thick between them.

It wasn’t until they were halfway home that the realization hit him.

The guest room.

It would need to be a nursery.

They couldn’t keep squeezing Lily and Noah into their shared spaces. This baby would need a room of their own.

But that meant—

Would Kate come back to their bedroom?

His throat tightened at the thought, hands flexing on the steering wheel as he drove.

It wasn’t just the idea of sharing a bed. It wasn’t just the sex—though their sex had beenincredible. Passionate. Built on years, a lifetime, of connection.

It was more than that.

It washer.

Having her beside him in the quiet hours of the night.

The way her body fit against his. The warmth of her skin when she’d fall asleep tucked against his chest, her breath soft and steady.

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