Il Suo Zaffario (His Sapphire)

Chapter 7

I sank onto the couch, feeling completely out of place as I watched the children play. A female voice called out, "Come to mommy," and I turned to see a pregnant woman beckoning to a toddler.

"Hi," I said, hoping to make some kind of connection. She looked over at me with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Isabella" she said as she approached me, holding her child on her hip.

"Have you seen Logan?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's with the boys," she said, then paused, eyeing me curiously. "Wait, are you his girlfriend?" she asked, surprise evident in her tone.

"N—" I started to answer, but her baby began to cry, cutting me off.

"Sorry, I'll be back," Isabella said, rushing off to soothe her child. I sighed, feeling even more out of place now. Everyone seemed so busy, so involved in their own lives.

I took a deep breath and decided to take charge of the situation. "Okay, everyone!" I called out, my voice louder than I intended. The children stopped what they were doing and stared at me with wide eyes. "Gather around and tell me your names," I said, trying to sound friendly.

"My name is Mia, and this is my sister Amelia and my brother Aiden," a little girl said, and I smiled at her. Another girl chimed in, "I'm Caterina, and this is my niece Asia. That's Nyla, Alec, Adam, Chloe, Jayden, Lucas, and Riley." I repeated their names in my head, trying to commit them to memory.

"My name is Sapphire," I told them, and they all smiled back at me.

"Auntie Sapphire!" they chorused, and I couldn't help but smile at how cute they were.

"Okay, everyone, we're going to do some coloring until breakfast is ready," I said, and they all nodded eagerly. Caterina handed out papers and crayons, and the kids settled down to color. I watched over them, feeling a little more at ease.

"Wow, you got them to quiet down," a voice said from behind me. I looked up, expecting to see Logan, but realized it wasn't him. It was his twin brother.

"Yeah," I mumbled, not sure what else to say as he walked over and picked up Aiden, the youngest of the group.

"You're Logan's girlfriend, huh? Finally, he's settling down. I hope he doesn't let you go. I want him to get married and have kids of his own," he said with a teasing smile, and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"I'm not his girlfriend," I corrected him quickly, but he just raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. He walked away with Aiden in his arms, leaving me to sit back down, feeling more confused than ever. This family had a way of making assumptions, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.

Why do I even bother?

The cry of a baby filled the room, pulling me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even noticed a baby was here with us. My eyes scanned the room until they landed on a bassinet in the corner. Standing up, I walked over and looked down into it, and my heart melted. She was the cutest little thing, with chubby cheeks and arms and legs that made me want to squeeze her. This family was so big, I'd lost count of how many kids were around.

Gently, I picked her up and started bouncing her lightly. "I think someone needs a diaper change," I said, smiling as she giggled, chewing on her tiny hand.

"Mia," I called, and the little girl came running over. "Can you take me to the nursery room, please?" I asked, and she nodded, grabbing my hand and leading me up the stairs and down the hall. She stopped in front of a door, and I knew this had to be the nursery.

"Thank you, Mia," I said, and she nodded before darting back down the hall. I walked into the nursery and placed the baby on the changing table. After cleaning my hands, I rummaged through the drawers to find what I needed and began changing her.

She stared up at me with big, bright blue eyes, completely entranced. I heard footsteps approaching, and I didn't need to turn around to know it was Logan—I could tell by the scent of his cologne.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice laced with a hint of attitude. He didn't answer, just moved beside me and started playing with the baby's tiny fingers and toes. She yawned and smiled up at him, showing off her little gums. I couldn't help but smile too.

"Why would you even tell your family that I'm your girlfriend?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Because I want to," he said, his tone nonchalant. I huffed in frustration. That wasn't an answer—it was just him being cocky and arrogant, as usual.

"Well, you don't own me, and I'm not a toy you can play around with whenever you feel like it," I shot back, locking eyes with him. He yawned, as if bored by the whole conversation, and looked back down at the baby. His indifference only fueled my frustration. "I want to go back to your place. I'm not hungry," I added, turning to leave.

But before I could take a step, Logan grabbed my hand and pulled me back. In one swift motion, he pushed me against the wall, catching me off guard. I gasped, my heart racing as he loomed over me, his intense gaze locking onto mine.

"You don't get it, do you?" he whispered, his voice low and rough. His hands were on either side of my head, caging me in, and the air between us felt electric.

"Get what?" I managed to breathe out, my pulse pounding in my ears.

Without warning, Logan leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was firm, possessive, and it sent a shockwave through me. For a moment, I was too stunned to respond, but then my body took over, and I found myself kissing him back, my hands clutching the fabric of his shirt.

It was like everything I'd been feeling—anger, confusion, attraction—crashed into that kiss. He tasted like danger and something else I couldn't quite place, something that made my head spin and my knees weak.

When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing heavily, our foreheads resting against each other. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me, his expression softer than I'd ever seen it.

"Now do you understand?" he murmured, his voice a mix of frustration and something deeper.

I couldn't find the words to respond, my mind still reeling from what had just happened. All I could do was nod, because for the first time, I felt like I was seeing a side of Logan that he didn't show to anyone else. A side that made me wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than I'd thought.

The baby's cry brought me back to reality, and I walked over to pick her up, bouncing her gently to soothe her. My mind still thinking about the kiss.

Logan took a step back, running a hand through his hair, clearly trying to collect himself. "I... I didn't mean for that to happen like this," he said, his usual confidence faltering. "But I can't, I—"

He stopped, as if the rest of the sentence was too difficult to get out. I could see the struggle in his eyes, the battle between the man he was and the feelings he was trying to keep at bay.

"You what?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, needing him to say it.

He opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of footsteps and a child's voice calling out interrupted him. "Uncle Logan! Aunt Sapphire! Breakfast is ready!" It was Mia, her voice ringing through the hallway.

Logan's jaw clenched, and he let out a slow breath, the moment shattered. He stepped back fully, giving me space as if he needed to regain control over himself.

"We should go," he said, his voice back to its usual steady tone, though there was an edge to it that hadn't been there before.

I nodded, feeling like something crucial had just slipped through my fingers. I picked up the baby, who was now content and sleepy, and followed Logan out of the nursery. As we made our way downstairs, I couldn't help but wonder what Logan had been about to say.

Breakfast was waiting, the table crowded with his family, and as I took a seat beside Logan, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed between us. But whether it was for better or worse, I wasn't sure yet.