Page 83 of The Hotel Room

“The other half feels...trapped. Like this baby means I’ll never be free of James, no matter what he’s done. And Ihatemyself for even thinking that.”

Leah’s brows pulled together, her voice gentler now.

“You’re not a bad person for feeling that, Kate. You’re processing everything. It’sa lot. And James—” She hesitated, her voice hardening slightly. “James really hurt you. Of course you’re conflicted.”

Kate shook her head, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.

“I still love him,” she said in a whisper. “Ihatethat I do. But I still love him.” Her voice cracked, and a hot flush burned up her neck, spreading to her cheeks as the words tumbled out—mortifying to even admit to herself, let alone say out loud. “He’s there for every appointment, every little thing. It’s like he’s trying so hard to make this right, but I can’t stop seeing—”

She broke off, pressing her hand hard against her chest like she could push the pain back down, blinking rapidly as the tears blurred her vision.

Leah’s face darkened with quiet understanding.

“You can’t stop seeing him with her.”

Kate nodded, biting her lip, her voice barely a whisper.

Leah’s hand tightened over hers, but she didn’t rush in with platitudes. Didn’t try to fix it.

Kate’s mind drifted to how different this pregnancy felt compared to Noah’s. Back then, she’d been glowing with anticipation, full of love and hope as they had said their vows with a growing belly beneath her wedding dress. She’d thought they were building something unbreakable.

Their marriage had been just beginning, full of promise and possibility. Now, as she carried another life, it felt as though their marriage was unraveling, each thread fraying under the weight of what had been broken. The contrast was almost too much to bear—what had once been a celebration of their future now felt overshadowed by uncertainty and pain.

Finally, when Kate had calmed enough to breathe again, Leah spoke softly.

“So...what do you want? Right now. Not the future. Not what you think youshouldfeel. What do you wanttoday?”

Kate blinked, the question catching her off guard.

What did she want?

The anger. The grief. The ache for the life they’d built.

It was all still there.

But beneath it—softer, quieter—was something else.

“I want to feel safe again,” she whispered. “I want to stop questioning if I was wrong to trust him. And I want this baby to feel loved. Not tangled in this mess I can’t untangle.”

Leah nodded slowly, the warmth in her eyes unwavering.

“Then that’s enough for now. One step at a time. You don’t have to decide the rest today, Kate. You just have to be honest with yourself. And youare—whether you see it or not.”

Kate exhaled shakily, leaning into her sister’s steady presence, her heart aching but just a little lighter.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

James

The therapy office felt colder today. Or maybe it was just him. The quiet hum of the air conditioning pressed against the walls, and the worn leather couch beneath him felt too stiff, too unyielding. James sat with his fists pressed to his knees, trying to keep his breathing steady, but the tension in his chest wouldn’t leave.

Dr. Adler sat across from him, calm as always, her notepad balanced on her lap. Waiting. She never pushed. Just let the silence settle long enough to get under his skin until the words started spilling out on their own.

“I don’t know what else to say,” he said admitted, voice rough. “I’ve told you everything. I’m owning it. I cheated because I was curious. Because I’d never been with anyone else.”

His voice hardened on the last part, as if he could force the explanation to feel sufficient.

Dr. Adler didn’t flinch, her pen pausing only briefly. “James, we’ve talked about the surface reasons before. I understand why you feel they explain your choice. But today, I want you to go deeper.”

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