The Hotel Room: His Broken Vows

Chapter Twenty - Kate

CHAPTER TWENTY

Kate

Kate lay awake in the guest room, the pale glow of the alarm clock casting faint numbers against the wall—2:14 a.m.

She shifted, grimacing as a dull ache radiated low in her back. The familiar discomfort had been creeping in more often lately—the same body aches she remembered from her other pregnancies. But tonight, it was worse.

Her hips felt tight, restless. Her breasts tender against the sheets.

And worst of all, the low hum of heat simmering just beneath the discomfort, making her skin feel too sensitive, too aware of the empty space beside her.

She pressed her hands over her face, exhaling sharply.

Damn hormones.

It wasn’t just the ache. It was everything .

The way her body felt unsettled. The tingling, the need for touch—both to soothe the tension and to satisfy a deeper craving she hadn’t felt this intensely in...God, how long?

And the worst part?

She knew exactly what would ease it.

James.

James, with his steady hands, the way he used to press his palm against her lower back and knead the ache away with the perfect amount of pressure. The way he’d drawn her into his arms during her last pregnancy, skin to skin, whispering promises against her temple that had made her feel so completely loved .

And yes— God —the sex.

He had known her body in ways no one else ever could.

But now—

Now, the bed felt too cold.

Too empty.

Kate rolled carefully onto her other side, wincing as her body protested the movement.

The ache wasn’t just physical.

It was the hollow, gut-wrenching awareness of how alone she felt.

She hated how much she missed him. She hated the fact that her body, her heart, still longed for the man who had hurt her so deeply.

You’re stronger than this. You don’t need him.

Plenty of women did this alone. Raised children without a man there to rub their back or kiss their forehead or make them feel desired when their body felt foreign and swollen and uncomfortable.

She wasn’t weak.

And yet—

Her throat tightened, a lump forming that had nothing to do with the physical pain pressing against her ribs.

Because no matter how much she told herself she could do this without him—

She missed him. Not the James who had broken her heart in that hotel room. Not the James who had taken her trust and shattered it.

But the James she’d believed in for seventeen years.

Her husband .

The man who had held her through Noah’s birth, pressing kisses to her damp forehead, whispering how proud he was of her.

The man who had spooned her during Lily’s pregnancy when her back pain had gotten unbearable, massaging her until she fell asleep, making her feel safe.

She wanted that man back.

But he was gone. Or maybe he was never who she thought he was.

Kate’s eyes squeezed shut as her chest twisted painfully.

She felt weak. Exposed. And worse, betrayed by her own body for still craving the warmth of his arms.

Because no matter how hard she tried to convince herself she could keep him at a distance—

Part of her still ached for him.

══════════════════

The sound of the dishwasher’s low hum filled the kitchen, steady and mechanical, a contrast to the storm brewing in the room.

Kate stood at the sink, drying the last of the plates with slow, careful motions, trying to ignore the tension crackling behind her.

Noah sat at the table, arms crossed, his phone facedown beside his untouched dinner plate. His face was set in that familiar teenage scowl—one she’d been seeing far too often lately.

It hadn’t helped that James had been disappearing into the old shed every evening. Coming in late from work and heading straight outside, staying for hours. Sometimes, she’d hear the faint thud of tools, but mostly, it was silence.

And it bothered her.

What was he even doing out there? Was he just avoiding her?

Kate tried to shake the thought off as she folded the damp dish towel, but the ache lingered.

The tension at home was unbearable lately, and it wasn’t just between her and James. Noah was shutting down too.

“Noah,” she said softly, still not turning from the sink. “Finish your food, please.”

His chair scraped back an inch. “I’m not hungry.”

Kate forced a breath, steady but tight.

“Then sit with us anyway. We’re a family. We eat together.”

Noah snorted under his breath. “Yeah? Sure feels like a family lately.”

The sarcasm hit like a slap. Kate gripped the edge of the counter, staring hard at the sink as her heart twisted.

He doesn’t know. He doesn’t understand why I can’t just forgive his dad.

The truth was too damaging, too adult. And yet, the longer this strained silence stretched, the more Noah turned his frustration against her.

Kate inhaled slowly, turning to face him.

“I know things have been tense,” she said carefully. “But that’s not a reason to be disrespectful. I’m trying, Noah. We’re all trying.”

Noah’s jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists on the table.

“If you were trying , you’d stop punishing Dad.”

The words pierced deep, sharp and unrelenting.

Kate’s stomach flipped, heat rising behind her eyes.

Punishing?

She pressed her lips together, struggling to keep her voice calm.

“This isn’t about punishing anyone—”

“Yes, it is!” Noah’s voice cracked, louder now. “He’s here every night! He’s been working out in that stupid shed for hours —he’s trying to make things better, and you’re just—” His voice broke. “You’re the one who won’t let things go.”

Kate blinked, her breath catching. Her hands trembled at her sides, but before she could respond, Noah was already pushing back from the table.

“I’m going to Emily’s for dinner.”

Kate straightened, voice tight. “Noah—wait. Will Emily be coming here for dinner sometime this week? I’d love to have her over again.”

Noah shot her a glare, face twisted in frustration.

“Why? So you can interrogate her again? God, Mom, not everything has to be about you.”

The words hit like a punch to the chest.

Kate felt the sting rise behind her eyes, but before she could speak—

“ Noah. ”

James’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

He stood in the doorway, his face tight, jaw set in a way Kate recognized instantly—the rare, unmistakable look of authority.

Noah stilled.

James crossed the room, voice steady but unyielding.

“You do not speak to your mother like that. Ever. Do you hear me?”

Noah’s face flushed, but his glare shifted to the floor.

“She’s not being fair,” he muttered under his breath.

James’s eyes darkened.

“You don’t get to decide that. She’s your mother. And she’s doing her best.” His voice dropped lower, a protective edge Kate hadn’t heard from him in a long time. “Now apologize.”

Noah’s lips parted—like he might argue—but after a tense beat, he mumbled, “Sorry.”

It was half-hearted, but it was something.

Kate nodded, voice softer. “Thank you.”

Noah didn’t stay. He disappeared out the door, leaving the echo of his retreating footsteps in his wake.

The silence that followed felt heavier than before.

Kate braced herself against the counter, exhaling shakily.

James stayed where he was, watching her carefully.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

Kate shook her head. “He’s just—hurting. Confused.” Her voice cracked. “I don’t think he’ll ever look at me the same way again.”

James stepped closer, hesitant but determined.

“He doesn’t know the truth. He just...he sees us struggling and thinks you’re the one keeping us apart.”

Kate nodded, her voice quieter. “I know. But what am I supposed to say? ‘Hey, Noah, your dad broke my heart and shattered everything I thought we had?’”

Her voice broke at the end, despite her best efforts.

And for once, James didn’t try to defend himself.

Instead, he swallowed hard, his hand flexing at his side like he wanted to reach for her—but didn’t.

“I’m not hiding from you, Kate,” he said quietly. “I know it feels like I have been. And I know I don’t deserve your trust. But I’m—” His voice caught, raw in a way that made her chest tighten. “I’m doing something. And it’s for you. For us.”

Kate folded her arms tightly across her chest, holding herself together.

James shook his head, the pain in his eyes almost unbearable to look at. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m trying to figure out how to show you...what you mean to me. Not with words. Not with promises. Just—something real.”

Kate blinked, trying to hold back the sting behind her eyes.

The betrayal still sat heavy, unyielding, but—

This? This man in front of her?

The man she had loved for so long—

He felt like a contradiction she couldn’t make sense of.

James exhaled shakily, then, with quiet determination, met her gaze.

“Come with me.”

Without another word, James led her toward the door.

══════════════════

James led her out to the garden. His hand hovered near the small of her back, not quite touching but close enough that Kate felt the heat of it.

Things between them had been so carefully distant for weeks, like walking on eggshells—close enough to function as co-parents, yet so far from the intimacy they once shared.

And yet, there was something different in his expression tonight.

Raw. Vulnerable.

When he stopped in front of the shed, her first thought was confusion. The small building had always been a forgotten corner of the property, filled with old boxes and unused tools. But now, it looked...different.

The door was freshly painted, the trim neat.

James turned to her, his face pale and drawn, the tension in his jaw obvious.

“I—” He exhaled shakily, voice trembling in a way that caught her completely off guard.

“Just...let me show you.”

He opened the door.

Kate’s breath caught.

The space was transformed.

Sunlight filtered in through a massive window, nearly floor-to-ceiling, casting a warm glow across the newly finished wood floor. There was an easel, simple but sturdy, set near the light. A drafting table rested against the back wall, carefully sanded smooth, waiting.

It wasn’t complete. The shelves were empty. The walls unpainted.

Kate pressed a hand to her chest, words failing her as the realization settled deep in her bones.

“You—” Her voice cracked. “You did this for me?”

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 him crack —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—I won’t make 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. I failed you, 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 heart ached .

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

Because this was 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 was still there.

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

She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to.

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 her again ?

Tears welled in her own eyes as she whispered, “James...I loved you 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.”

Silence stretched between them, raw and heavy.

Kate looked around the studio again, taking in the sunlight streaming through the glass he’d installed just for her. The empty shelves waiting for her choices.

It wasn’t perfect.

But it felt real .

And in that moment, as James wiped his face with the back of his sleeve, broken and vulnerable, she realized something.

He wasn’t asking for forgiveness.

Not yet.

He was offering something else.

Space.

A chance to heal.

And just like that, Kate felt a little closer to believing that healing might be possible.

Not today.

But maybe someday.

And for now—

That was enough.