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

Chapter 14

$$$ INDIA $$$

It's been a month since the fiasco with Adrianna and the clinic. Grey, along with Trey, decided to take legal action and sued the clinic for a massive sum. Grey was determined to hold them accountable, eventually managing to shut the place down entirely. Yet, the whole process was anything but smooth. Trey and Grey clashed at every step, and as usual, Trey instigated most of the tension. He constantly argued that Grey had no place in the case, reiterating that Adrianna wasn't his child and that Grey's involvement was unnecessary. Trey seemed to overlook one crucial detail: Grey is a part of my life and, by extension, a part of Adrianna's life. He has been by my side since before all this turmoil, and he loves her as though she were his own. This situation impacts him, too, no matter how much Trey tries to dismiss his role.

Despite their differences, the one thing Trey and Grey managed to agree on was establishing a trust fund for Adrianna. All the money from the settlement would go straight into an account for her future. At the end of it all, I thought we might finally find some peace. Trey and I have been at the hospital for the past month, staying close to Adrianna as she recovered. Each day, Trey would go to court in the mornings and come back to the hospital in the evenings. Since the court proceedings ended, he's been here round-the-clock, almost as if he's afraid to leave her side. While we're both here physically, emotionally, there's been nothing but silence between us. We hardly exchange a word, which makes the tension between us feel even heavier. It's becoming unbearably frustrating.

I couldn't hold back any longer and finally broke the silence. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper but loud enough for him to hear. I sat curled up on the couch near the window, hugging my knees to my chest as I looked at him. He didn't respond, his gaze fixed on his phone screen as if he hadn't heard me.

I took a deep breath and continued, "Tremaine, we're going to be in each other's lives for at least the next twelve years, whether we like it or not. We need to figure out a way to make this work for Adrianna. We should come up with a fair schedule, so we both have time with her."

Without looking up, Trey replied, "That's easy. I'll have her during the week, and you can take her on weekends."

I stared at him in disbelief. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious," he said, his tone flat and unyielding.

"Where do you get off thinking you can just take my child away from me like that?" My voice was rising, my frustration bubbling over.

"She's my child too, India," he shot back.

"Oh, now she's your child?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Since when? You only started acting like a father recently."

"And whose fault is that?" he snapped.

"No one's," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "There was no way I could have known she was yours. Don't try to pin that on me."

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Look, you've had more time with her, so I'm just trying to make up for lost time. That's all."

"But taking time away from me won't help, Trey. You're only going to hurt her by depriving us both of a balanced relationship."

He paused, considering my words. "Then what do you suggest?"

"I'm more than okay with you spending as much time with her as possible," I said, softening my tone. "But we're both busy people, Trey. I'm not comfortable with her being on tour with you, either. Your lifestyle on tour can be... well, it's a lot."

He nodded in agreement, acknowledging the truth in my words.

"Let's split the week," I proposed. "Three days for you, three days for me. That way, neither of us is being shortchanged."

"And the extra day?" he asked, his voice tinged with skepticism.

"I want her to have that one day where both of her parents are together, available to her. We can make it a day where we do something as a family. I think it's important for her to feel like we're both there for her, even if we aren't together anymore."

Trey nodded in reluctant agreement, but he went quiet again, his expression unreadable. I could still sense his anger, simmering beneath the surface. It was an anger that had lingered between us for almost a year now, refusing to dissipate.

"Trey, why are you still mad at me?" I asked softly, searching his face for any hint of an answer. "It's been nearly a year."

He stayed silent, refusing to meet my gaze.

"Trey?" I repeated, hoping he would finally open up.

Still nothing.

"Trey!" I called out, louder this time.

His head shot up, and he looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of frustration and sadness. "I love you, India," he said, his voice barely audible. "I've always loved you. Then you disappeared for days, and when you finally came back... you were pregnant." He clenched his fists, his voice thick with emotion. "I was angry, India. I'm still angry!"

I felt a pang in my chest, the hurt in his voice cutting deep. "You can't be serious, Trey. You have a wife," I said, my own voice beginning to shake. "You told me over and over that you couldn't leave her. And then, yes, I got pregnant—by my husband. How can you be upset about that?"

Trey's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.

"It's one or the other, Trey," I continued, fighting back tears. "I gave you options. I waited for you, hoping you'd choose me. But you chose her. You chose to stay in your marriage. So you don't get to be angry at me for choosing my husband."

A silence stretched between us, heavy and filled with all the words we'd left unspoken for too long. I felt tears welling up, but I blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. We stood there, locked in a silent stare, each of us clinging to our pride and our pain.

The moment was interrupted by a soft knock on the door, breaking the tension. The door opened, and Grey stepped in, looking concerned. I quickly wiped away a stray tear, forcing a smile as I turned to him.

"Hey, sweetheart," I greeted him warmly, hoping he wouldn't notice the remnants of our argument.

"Is everything okay?" Grey asked, his eyes darting between Trey and me. "Is Adrianna okay?"

"Yes, she's fine," I assured him, placing my hands gently on his cheeks, offering him a reassuring smile. "We're both fine."

He looked at me intently, as if searching my face for any signs of distress. "Are you sure?" he asked, placing his hands over mine, his gaze softening.

"Positive," I whispered, trying to convey my gratitude for his support.

After a moment, Grey seemed satisfied. "I brought Ivy," he said with a smile. "She and Gloria are waiting outside. I thought she'd want to see her mom."

My heart lifted at the mention of my little girl. "I missed my angel," I said, my voice filled with warmth.

"She missed you too," Grey replied, offering me his hand. "Come on, let's go see her."

I glanced back at Trey, lingering in the room with that familiar storm cloud in his eyes. For a brief moment, I thought he might say something, maybe even apologize, but he remained silent. I gave him a small nod, silently promising that we'd revisit this conversation later. Then, with one last look, I left with Grey.

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XoXo Lilly