BOOK 4
°•°Mature Content°•°
(THE ESPOSITO FAMILY)
**Il suo zaffiro (His Sapphire)**
Sapphire, a striking young woman with deep blue eyes and cascading black hair, lives a life of hardship on the streets, unseen and unloved. At 21, she navigates her...
I was finally home and hoping Sapphire wasn't asleep. I needed to talk to her about the pregnancy, to understand how she felt. I had too many questions swirling in my head, and I needed answers now. After slipping off my shoes and placing them to the side, I walked into the living room, hearing the faint hum of the television, which meant Sapphire was likely awake. I scanned the room, and there she was—sleeping on the sofa, TV still on.
She looked peaceful, but at the same time, she seemed uncomfortable. I walked over to her and knelt down to her level, taking a moment to just look at her. How did I let someone like her slip through my fingers?
My eyes traveled down to her baby bump, and a heavy sigh left my lips. Her baby bump was perfect, and though I had always sworn off having kids, I couldn't help but wish—just a little—that the baby was mine. But then the thought hit me again: Baby? Her bump seemed too big for just one baby.
Without thinking, I placed my hand gently on her stomach. I didn't know why I did it, but it felt like the right thing. I glanced at her face, hoping she wouldn't wake up. I started drawing light circles on her stomach, and then something incredible happened—the baby moved. I felt a small push right where I touched, and I couldn't help but smile in shock. The baby was reacting to me. I lightly tapped again, and the baby responded the same way, making me chuckle softly.
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"Sweet thing," I whispered, standing up carefully so I wouldn't wake her. But just as I was about to turn away, her soft voice stopped me.
"Logan?"
I turned back to face her, meeting her sleepy eyes. "Where have you been?" she asked, her voice laced with concern, her nose scrunching as she sat up, catching a whiff of something.
"Were you at the bar?" she asked, frowning, and I nodded, feeling a bit guilty.
"Yeah, I was. Just needed to clear my head," I replied, my voice low. She sighed softly, then patted the space on the couch next to her, silently inviting me to sit. I hesitated but eventually sat down beside her. She turned her body toward me, looking directly into my eyes, her expression filled with sadness and confusion.
"Logan, I need to ask you something," she said, and I nodded for her to continue. "The way you've been acting toward me...it feels like you're only doing it because you feel obligated. We haven't had a real conversation since we got here."
"No, that's not it at all," I quickly denied, but she gave me a sad, knowing smile.
"I have something to ask you too," I added, my voice faltering as I looked away. I couldn't bring myself to meet her eyes as I prepared for what I had to say next.
I stared at the floor, the weight of what I was about to say pressing on my chest. I had avoided this conversation for too long, let it hang over me like a shadow. I was never good at confronting things head-on, especially not when it involved something as...complicated as this.
