Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Sutton hadn’t stood on her own yet, but with Luca’s arm tucked under hers and a nurse steadying her opposite side, she made the slow, careful walk down the short hallway toward the NICU, that was after a very necessary trip to the bathroom.

It was humbling how broken her body felt. Every shift of weight ached. Her hip radiated something sharp if she turned even a degree too far, and the stitches pulled at her stomach.

She wasn’t thinking about her injuries. She was thinking about him. The tiny baby who had come twelve weeks too early. Their son.

Luca hadn’t said much during the walk. His hand I never left hers, letting her pace herself.

The NICU doors opened with a soft click, controlled and climate–sealed. Monitors beeped at intervals throughout the room. Every crib was spaced out intentionally, and tiny lives lived between glass and plastic domes.

They moved to the second incubator near the end of the row.

Inside, beneath a tangle of tubes and wires thin as threads, a baby smaller than Sutton had ever imagined lay curled up. A knitted blue cap covered most of his dark hair. His eyelids fluttered. His chest rose in soft jerks.

Sutton didn’t realize she was crying again until a tear hit her collarbone.

Luca stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder, one arm around her waist.

She whispered, “He’s… so small.”

“He’s a De Santis,” Luca said gently, eyes still locked on the incubator. “He’s a fighter. He’ll grow into the power trip later.”

Sutton laughed; it was painful, and she winced.

Luca asked when he felt her stiffen. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Sutton said, wiping her cheek. “Laughing just hurts.”

Then she looked again.

Their baby. Pink and translucent. She’d carried him for twenty–eight weeks. And should have carried him longer. But it wasn’t meant to be. He was here weeks before his expected birthday.

“Can I… touch him?” She asked the nurse standing near the monitor.

“You can,” the nurse said warmly. “Try for his hand or foot first. Skin–to–skin will come later, maybe in a couple of days. For now, we keep his temperature stable.”

Sutton nodded, putting her hand inside the incubator, reached slowly, her hand trembling, and gently brushed her knuckle against the soft heel of his foot.

His toes twitched.

“Oh,” Sutton breathed. The sound cracked. She so wanted to hold him, to feed him, but she couldn’t yet. They had her expressing milk so that wh could feed him, her milk would be there and ready.

he

came in, his hand wrapped around my finger. It was like he was telling me

She was afraid she might cry again if she opened

didn’t speak for a while, just

“Do

didn’t look away from the

going to say… Miles,”

Luca blinked.

“Miles?”

probably ridiculous. He is sort of responsible for us being

said nothing

Then he nodded, contemplative.

don’t hate it,” he

turned to look at him,

somehow.

again, carefully

“You’re not kidding.”

“Nope.”

her head and smiled softly. “That’s kind of sweet. In a weird,

the crib but reached out, his fingers brushing her hip

said. “Plus, he is a reminder of our

for a few more minutes, just

his name out

“Miles.”

It felt right.

moment. “Sorry, folks, family’s in the recovery room

said, “No, it’s okay; we can come

body beyond tired, her family was a force of nature, and they hadn’t seen her conscious since the accident.

of wildflowers on a side table. Roman was standing

brother Antonio and his wife Bella. She could see Bella was very uncomfortable. She would think she was the reason that Sutton and Luca hadn’t been together, but it hadn’t

blame.

gave Sutton a hug, careful not to hurt her. Standing back, she grinned at Sutton. “I didn’t wanna hit you with jokes until we were sure you weren’t going

that. Sister of

now that you’re technically not dying…” Keira waved a hand vaguely over Sutton’s post–op body. “Jesus, you look like last

Everyone burst into laughter.

it felt

cracked

Keira said a second later, softer now. “We were so- ‘She

Sutton didn’t make her.

reached out and took her sister’s hand

“Hey,” Sutton asked, shifting her

Everyone turned toward her.