Life With The Men I Love: Lies, Love and Pain

Chapter 12

*** TREY ***

"Babe, could you turn your phone off or put it on silent?" Sharon's voice broke through the ringing and vibrating that had been relentless all day. "I'm trying to watch my show." I nodded, putting my phone on silent and shoving it back into my pocket, hoping for some peace.

"Why don't you answer it, anyway? Whoever it is must have a good reason to call this much."

"It's no one," I said, brushing her off. "Just someone I really don't want to talk to right now."

"Okay then." With a shrug, she turned her attention back to her reality show, eyes glued to the screen. My phone lit up again, and I sighed. Three days of missed calls, countless voicemails, and not once had I picked up. Part of me hoped they'd get the message and leave me alone, but the persistent calling made it clear they wouldn't.

I hadn't spoken to India since she got pregnant and had her baby. She'd moved on, right? She had her husband, her kid. So why was she trying to reach me now? Each missed call seemed to chip away at the barrier I'd carefully built around my memories, memories I thought I'd buried. Just seeing her name flash across my screen brought it all back, making it harder to focus on my own life. Annoyed, I stuffed my phone deeper into my pocket, hoping to silence everything — my phone, my mind, my memories.

[One Hour Later]
I must have drifted off because I was jolted awake by loud banging on the door. I blinked groggily and looked over to see Sharon staring at the living room entrance, eyebrows raised.

"You expecting someone?" I asked, stretching and sitting up on the couch.

"No. You?"

"Nah," I replied, just as another round of banging rattled through the house.

A moment later, I heard my mother's voice through the crack of the door as the maid opened it. "Where the hell is he?" Her tone held an edge of frustration, and within seconds, she stormed into the family room, her face a mix of anger and urgency.

"Tremaine Aldon Neverson, what the hell is wrong with you?!" She spat my full name, something she only did when I was in serious trouble.

"Ma, what's the problem?" I asked, bewildered.

She fixed me with a hard stare. "I called you over fifty times!"

"My bad," I said, holding my hands up. "My phone was on silent. What's up?"

"Don't you see India's been trying to reach you?" Her voice was a mixture of exasperation and something deeper that I couldn't quite place.

"Yeah, but..."

"But nothing, boy. She's been calling you for days."

Sharon, who had been watching our conversation unfold, narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute, why is she calling you?"

Before I could respond, my mother turned to Sharon, her voice steely. "Sharon, this is none of your business."

"It is my business when my husband's ex has been calling him," Sharon retorted, crossing her arms as she shifted away from me, a flash of anger in her eyes.

"Sharon, chill," I said, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Don't tell me to chill, Trey," she snapped, sitting up and pulling her legs from where they'd been resting on my lap.

I sighed, feeling the pressure from both sides. I looked back at my mother. "So, what? India sent you to make sure I answer my phone?" I chuckled, hoping to lighten the situation, but the look on my mother's face instantly silenced me.

"Tremaine," she began, her voice suddenly soft but firm, "Adrianna is in the hospital. She's in a coma."

The words seemed to hang in the air, thick and suffocating. The shock hit me hard, as if someone had punched me square in the chest. My mind whirled, piecing together memories of Adrianna's laughter, her boundless energy, the way she'd look up to me with trust in her eyes. And now, she was lying in a hospital bed, unresponsive. My vision blurred for a second as I tried to process the news.

"And what does that have to do with him?" Sharon's voice broke through, cold and dismissive.

My mother's face hardened as she turned to Sharon, the disapproval clear in her gaze. "Can you be any more selfish?" she asked sharply. "He spent time with that little girl, formed a bond with her. India thought he should know."

Sharon's eyes flashed with irritation. "Well, now he does. Thanks for delivering the message, April."

"It's Ms. April to you," my mother shot back, her voice like ice.

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of emotions that had settled over me. Pushing off the couch, I grabbed my sneakers and slid them on, my movements automatic. I had to see Adrianna. I couldn't just sit here, not when she was lying in that hospital bed.

"What hospital?" I asked, already heading toward the door.

"The UCLA Medical Center. Come on, I'll drive you," my mother said, leading the way. As we stepped out, I could hear Sharon muttering something behind me, but I closed the door, blocking her out. Right now, nothing else mattered.