One week later, Sutton was losing her damn mind.“How are you doing today, Miss Warner?” the nurse chirped as she passed by.“Still trapped in this hospital, no offense,” Sutton muttered with a smile that was at least 20% sincere. “But thank you for asking. Do we know when the doctor is likely to release me?”The nurse chuckled. “Bedrest’s been lifted. That counts as parole. The doctor should be around at 11am or so.”“No,” Sutton called after her softly. “Parole at least means you get to go home.” 11am or so could mean more like 1 or 2pm. One thing Sutton had found out since being here, doctors had their own timetable.In truth, things were improving.Her pain had eased, the bruising was fading, and though her energy wasn’t all there yet… she could stand. Walk without help. Use the bathroom without help, praising whatever gods saw fit to deliver small mercies. They hadn’t needed to take her stitches out because the doctor had used dissolvable ones that take from three to six weeks to
Luca didn’t move for a full hour after Sutton drifted back to sleep. She had gone to sleep soon after coming back from meeting the press. He really should go and see his father. He had been getting regular updates from his brother and had gone to see his father last night, but he had been asleep.Her hand was still curled loosely in his, her breathing soft and even, and it was the only sound he wanted to hear for the rest of his life.He sat on the side of her bed and just watched her.Her lashes fluttered once, but she didn’t wake. Her mouth was slightly parted, and her hand would occasionally shift on the blanket, twitching. In sleep, she looked like herself again, only she was no longer pregnant.And for the hundredth time, Luca felt it like a punch to the ribs: He could’ve lost her and their son Miles.He hated to think what could have happened if the messenger had pushed her into traffic instead of just onto the footpath. He was still pissed that the police were unable to charge
Her sisters and Roman had left before the fireworks. Sutton was glad Keira had been fuming mad. It was late morning by the time the hospital chief of staff left the room.Or rather, backed out with a pale face and a panicked promise to “get to the bottom of this.” Luca hadn’t raised his voice; he hadn’t needed to. His tone had been low and cold and lethal, making sure every word landed.“If I find out that even one person… nurse, administrator, janitor sold Sutton’s information to the press, not only will we sue for every fucking dollar of damages, I will make sure they never speak to anyone ever again,” he told them.Then, when the man fumbled some excuse about patient access and systems vulnerabilities, Luca simply said “You'd better find out who leaked her story before I do. Because it’s your hospital, the cost won’t just be financial. I’ll make sure you can’t even get a job washing toilets. Do I make myself clear?”And that was it. The door clicked shut. The chief shuffled away.S
It was barely 7 a.m. when Sutton’s phone buzzed on the tray beside her hospital bed.She hadn’t slept the whole night. Even though she was on pain meds, every time she shifted in her sleep, the pain woke her.Luca was asleep in the chair beside her, long legs stretched out, head tilted toward her but not quite resting. He’d refused to leave, and sometime after midnight, one of the overnight nurses had pulled in a cot, only for him to ignore it in favor of staying closer.The phone buzzed again. Then again. Wishing now they hadn’t charged it last night, but it could be one of her sisters. Though she didn’t think they would call at this time in the morning.Sutton rubbed her face with one hand and grabbed it with the other, careful not to wake him. Her fingers were stiff, but she managed to swipe the screen open.UNKNOWN CALLERShe hesitated for a moment but answered.“Hello?”There was a pause. Then a voice, ever so eager.“Sutton Warner, or should I say Audrey? This is Lilly Day from
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 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 tha
He sat in a hard plastic chair beside her bed, elbow resting on the edge of the mattress, his fingers wrapped around her wrist as if it were made of delicate glass. It was morning, and he hadn’t slept at all. Roman had dropped clothes off, and the nurses had let him use the shower in Sutton’s private room they had moved her to around eleven last night.Luca hadn’t left her for more than a few minutes; he couldn’t. He was so worried that if he turned his back on her for even one second, she might disappear. He could not lose her again. Even though he hadn’t realized he was in love with her the first time, he had still felt the loss of her when she had left. It was only then that he started to understand what she had truly meant to him. It hadn’t been a lightbulb moment at first; he had told himself it was the baby. But he had only been fooling himself.Sutton stirred; at first, it was just a twitch of her fingers. Then, there was a deep indrawn breath.Luca leaned closer. He watched as