Louis POV
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Taking one look at the front desk clerk's face as I pulled Jo behind me through the hotel lobby doors, and I wanted to turn right around. A reaction was the last thing we needed right now, and I'm sure that was exactly what was reading on my tired face as I stopped in front of the desk because she quickly became business.
With an inch of relief, I proceeded to quietly ask for a one-bed room for a single night. My attention was so zeroed in on Jo's subconscious squeezing of my hand that I almost missed the clerk asking for payment.
After sliding my card and ID over, I brought an arm over my wife's shoulder and tugged her into me, kissing the side of her head in silent reassurance. She turned into me.
There was a great chance of this little trip being ratted off to the paps if they hadn't already caught wind—what with her immediate recognition, but I couldn't find it in me to be as worried about it as I should've been. Still, I looked at her as she entered information in the computer.
My hand was reopening my wallet I already had out. "This doesn't need to make it to the media if we can help it. Okay?"
She nodded, taking it. There was no further discussion as I looked away and rested my chin back on Jo's head, and she looked back to the computer.
"Remember when Carter was born," Jo whispered, looking up, "and he hated me?"
"He didn't hate you, Jo. He was a baby. Didn't even know what hate was."
"You know what I mean," she mumbled, cutting our gaze short again by looking away.
"Room 183, odds are to the right," the clerk spoke, sliding the key over.
I took it, thanking her. Adjusting the backpack on my back, I picked up our joint duffle bag with one hand and intertwined with Jo's with the other.
The tread to the room was silent, which I'm sure we could blame onto Josie mentally going into overdrive as soon as we pulled out of our driveway.
"Louis, what if he hates me?"
My forehead wrinkled as I continued looking at the door numbers as we passed, "Carter doesn't hate you, Jo."
"No, Benny."
I pursed my lips, glancing at her before stopping at our room door. I unlocked it and nudged her inside, closing it before opening my mouth again.
"First of all, his name will most definitely not be Benny if I have anything to say about it, and I do." I paused, "Second, why on earth would he hate you?"
She sat on the bed, looking truly distraught. "Because I'll be the evil stepmother, Lou. She'll program it into his head."
I set down the bags. "That's ridiculous, baby. I won't let that happen. You'll spend as much time with him as I will. He'll learn to love you just as I have."
She continued on as if she hadn't heard me, "I won't be able to take it. Him coming to the house everyday and hating me, thinking I'm some kind of evil... thing," she scrubbed her face, sadly. "I want to hate him so freaking much, but I can't. He's just a baby. And he's.. he's going to be a part of you. So he's going to be a part of me."
