Page 33 of Pregnant in the Italian's Palazzo

‘I meant the baby’s father?’ the doctor said, unaware of the sudden tension.

‘That would be me,’ Nysio said.

‘The...baby? Aria is having a baby?’ Priya eyed him in shock.

Nysio ignored her. ‘Is Aria okay?’

‘Ms Dane is suffering from acute anaemia and low blood pressure, not uncommon in the first trimester. Her iron levels are incredibly low so we will be admitting her overnight for observation. She lost consciousness for a short time, as you witnessed today. She’s going to need an iron infusion, but I believe that, once she’s had it, she’ll be fine as long as she’s careful.’

Nysio felt relief flood him, his fists loosening by his sides. ‘And the baby...’

The doctor removed a sonogram from his clip chart, holding out the blurry black and white image. ‘It’s still early, but from what I can tell, the pregnancy is at about nine weeks gestation and both babies are developing nicely according to the dates.’

‘Both...babies?’ Nysio froze, his hand seeming to reach out of its own volition, grabbing the sonogram from the doctor’s hands. He absorbed the news, relief flooding him that Aria was going to be all right. But there were two babies. Two.

The doctor had him sign a few forms before saying they could go in and see Aria once the nurses had finished the infusion. Nysio still stood there, staring down at the two barely visible white shadows on the small sonogram in his hands. He traced one finger across each blob, amazed at the fierce urge to protect them with all of his might. He would protect their mother too, he silently vowed. Even from himself.

After a couple of minutes of tense silence, the nurse emerged and ushered them into the private room. Aria lay propped up on pillows in the large white bed, tubes in her arms connecting her to various medical devices that surrounded her. Nysio felt a lump in his throat, as Priya rushed forward and gently embraced her friend.

After a moment of inaudible sobbing, the women separated and Priya shook her head sharply. ‘I can’t believe you kept this big a secret from me.’

Eros stepped forward from where he had been hovering in the doorway, and Nysio felt enormous gratitude towards his brother as he gently suggested to his wife that they leave Aria to rest. Nysio simply nodded once, a silent thanks to the family member he’d never believed he would have. The family member that Aria had given him really, through her encouragement to reconnect with both his brothers ever since she’d found out about them.

And then they were gone, and the room was finally silent except for the soft beeping of the machines she was hooked into. He looked at her then, really looked at her. She looked so pale and exhausted in the hospital bed, her hands clutching the blankets as though she held on for dear life.

‘I’m sorry about all of the drama,’ she said, twisting the hospital bracelet on her wrist. ‘You heard the doctor, the babies are fine, there’s two of them... And I just need some extra iron... Probably because there’s two of them, did I mention that there’s two?’

Nysio tried to smile, but felt an uncomfortable lump growing in his throat as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. ‘I guess that answers my next question, if you were surprised.’

‘I was so scared.’ Her voice cracked. ‘I’d been working too hard on my plans for the line, forgetting to take my vitamins and then there was all the sex... I was so sure that there was something terribly wrong.’

‘Time has never moved slower than that half-hour today as I tried to get you here.’ He shook his head. ‘I thought...’

‘I know,’ Aria whispered. ‘I thought the worst too. I had been getting the migraines and dizzy spells all week. I should have got checked sooner. I’m just not quite used to being cared for quite so much.’

‘Well, you should be,’ he said soberly. ‘You have two babies to grow now, which means you need to be watched more closely. You’re going to need to take it easy for a while.’

Aria sat upon the bed, twisting the cover in one hand. ‘I know. I realise now that I hadn’t fully accepted the pregnancy. I was distracting myself with all the wrong kind of worries. Rather than worrying about myself and the physical challenge of growing a child inside me.’

‘Two children,’ Nysio said pointedly.

‘Yeah...’ Aria shook her head. ‘I think I’m still processing that part, to be honest. Are you as terrified as I am?’

Nysio was quiet. He stood up, walking over to the large window and bracing his hands on the ledge. ‘I think today has made it more real for me too. Of the plans we need to make and decide upon. Now that we know the pregnancy will need extra care.’

‘Yes... I know.’

‘Right now, you need to rest.’ Nysio placed his hand over hers and felt his heart squeeze when she gripped onto him so tightly. He wanted nothing more than to hold her tight enough that she could never get free again. He wanted to wrap her in luxury and care and attention, and stand in front of anyone who intended her harm. He wanted to give her everything. But she didn’t want it from him.

‘They said that you can leave by tomorrow, but I called Priya to see if you could stay with her.’ He removed his hand, shoving his fists into his pockets to force himself not to reach out again. ‘I assumed you’d want your space to make your plans.’

Nysio hardly noticed his surroundings as he walked out of the hospital room and left three quarters of his heart behind him. The terrible reality had already begun to dawn on him that the most selfish thing that he could possibly do would be to keep her and their children by his side. Aria was not built to live in his cage. She was too vibrant, too full of life and love to be imprisoned in the world into which he had been born. All along he had told himself he needed to keep her, to convince her to parent their children together and do the best for the Bacchetti legacy.

The thought of letting her go killed him, but he would do it if it meant seeing her smiling and happy. He could be selfless for her. He could show her his love that way...because he knew with certainty that he must be in love. Nothing else could possibly hurt this much. He sat in his car, feeling the silence cocoon him, but it gave him no comfort as it usually did. He had grown to adore all the noise and movement and unpredictability that came with loving Aria Dane.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THENEXTTWENTY-FOURhours passed quickly as the hospital staff performed numerous checks to make sure that it was okay for Aria to be discharged from their care.

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