Page 162 of Tempting Miles
“She’s fine, sugar,” he says, quickly grabbing my hand. “She was born at thirty-one weeks, so they want to help her lungs mature and get some more weight on her before she comes home.”
“When can I see her?” I ask the nurse, tears already slipping into my hair.
“In a few hours,” the nurse says. “As soon as you can move safely.”
Once she leaves, I turn back to Miles.
“Is she really okay?” I whisper brokenly. “I need to see her.”
“Yes, sugar. She’s a warrior, just like you,” he says, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “I’ve been with her since the moment she was born. I only stepped away for a second to check on you when you woke up.”
I blink slowly, trying to process everything.
“So who were you talking to? I thought you were holding her.”
Miles passes his callused finger over my cheeks to remove the moisture.
“I took pictures of her,” he admits quietly. “So I could still look at her even when I’m not with her.”
His eyes shine with such adoration.
“I love you, Miles. You’re already such a great fucking daddy.”
“I love you too.”
He lingers there for a moment before pulling out his phone. “Ready to meet our incredibly gorgeous and perfect daughter?”
“So ready.”
The second he turns the screen toward me, my entire world stops.
She’s so tiny.
Her eyes are shut tight, the ointment doctors put on newborns making them gleam under the hospital lights. A handful of dark hair rests on the crown of her head, and she has the cutest cupid’s bow lips I’ve ever seen in my life. She’s only wearing a diaper inside the incubator. Tiny tubes rest beneath her nose, and an IV line is taped to her impossibly small arm. But despite it all, she’s peacefully sleeping.
My heart cracks wide open at the sight of my baby girl fighting from the very first day of her life. She looks so fragile inside that machine, and for one terrifying moment, all I can think about is how unfair this is. To her. To us.
I know things could have been worse. We’re lucky she’s alive.
But I still hate that she has to start life this way.
Anger burns hot in my chest as I think about thoseShowbizassholes for barging into a private event and making me so anxious that my body gave out weeks too early.
“Trust me,” Miles says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “The doctors said she’s doing really well for thirty-one weeks. We got here in time, sugar. You both made it.”
He presses a kiss against my temple, and for the first time since my water broke at the rink, I finally allow myself to believe him.
“What happened to everybody?” I ask after several quiet minutes spent staring at the picture of our baby girl.
Miles lets out a low breath. “Well, Merlin feels responsible for those reporters showing up at the rink.” He rubs a hand over his jaw like he still can’t believe what happened. “Apparently, he’s been dating some high-profile influencer because his PR team thought he needed more attention or something. Whatever that means.”
I snort. “Ah, to be young and wild.”
Miles smirks. “Hey, you can be wild with me, anytime, anywhere.”
“You’re too much, and I love it.”
He winks.
