Page 67 of The Hotel Room

James nodded, his throat working as he swallowed hard.

“I wanted—” He stopped, scrubbing a hand over his face, as if trying to hold himself together. But his voice broke anyway.

“I wanted to give you something that’s just yours. No expectations. No strings. Just...yours. Because you deserve this, Kate. You deserve to have a space where you can create. To be more than a wife. More than a mother.”

Her heart twisted painfully.

The words felt sincere. So sincere.

And yet, the ache beneath them—

“Why now, James?” she whispered. “Why this?”

His breath hitched. And for the first time since the betrayal, she saw himcrack—truly crack—beneath the guilt.

“Because I know what I did.” His voice trembled, his eyes glassy. “I know how badly I hurt you. And I can’t—Iwon’tmake excuses for it. I was stupid. I was selfish. And I hate myself for it. But, Kate—”

His hand reached for hers, hesitated, then dropped to his side.

“Please believe me when I say I never stopped loving you. Not for a second. Ifailedyou, but I never stopped. And I swear to you, I will love you for the rest of my life, whether you take me back or not. I will never stop trying to be better for you. For our kids. For this baby.”

Her breath caught at the mention of the baby, her palm unconsciously brushing over the small swell beneath her sweater.

James’s face crumpled, and suddenly, the composure he’d held onto broke completely.

“I know we’ll need to turn the guest room into a nursery.” His voice shook. “And I know you’ve been sleeping there because being in our room—being near me—hurts too much. But, Kate...please.”

He inhaled a ragged breath, tears spilling now, unchecked.

“Please come back to our room. If you can’t be there with me—I understand. I swear I do. I can move out if that’s what you need. I’ll leave the house entirely if it makes you feel safer. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just—” His voice broke completely, barely a whisper. “I don’t want you to feel alone in this pregnancy. I want to be here for you. I want to be the man you deserve.”

Kate’s heartached.

She felt frozen in place, torn between the undeniable love she still felt for him and the endless ache of his betrayal.

Becausethiswas the man she’d fallen in love with all those years ago—the one who had held her hand when she was terrified during Noah’s birth, the one who had whispered soft words against her temple when Lily wouldn’t stop crying at night.

This man, standing in front of her, was still the father of her children. Still the man who knew how she took her tea. Who had been her best friend.

But he was also the man who had broken her heart in the most personal, devastating way possible.

And the pain of it wasstillthere.

How can you love someone this deeply...and still not trust them?

She wanted to believe him. God, shewantedto.

But what if she wasn’t enough for him?

What if, in a year—or five—he felt restless again?

What if he did this to heragain?

Tears welled in her own eyes as she whispered, “James...Ilovedyou so completely. I gave you everything I had. And you—you threw it away. I trusted you with my heart. And I don’t know how to trust you with it again.”

His face crumpled, agony etched into every line.

“I know,” he choked. “I know. And I don’t deserve it yet. But I swear to you, I will spend the rest of my life proving I can be better. Whether you come back to me or not.”

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