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

Chapter 15

*** TREY ***

"Did I miss Dr. Livingston?" India asked, bustling through the hospital room door. She had a diaper bag slung over one shoulder, a tote bag and a coffee in one hand, and a car seat with her baby, Ivy, in the other.

"Yeah, he just left. Here, let me help you with those," I offered, taking the coffee and bag and placing them on the small table by the bed.

"What did he say?" she asked, her voice filled with a mixture of hope and worry.

"He said everything looks good so far. We're just waiting on her to wake up now," I replied, glancing back at Adrianna, my daughter. She had been taken out of her coma three days ago, and while her vitals were stable, she still hadn't woken up. Dr. Livingston was optimistic, though, saying the swelling in her brain had gone down. Now, all we were doing was waiting for my little girl to open her eyes.

"That's wonderful," India said, a genuine smile of relief crossing her face. She placed Ivy's car seat down and pulled out a small container. "Oh, by the way, I made you some breakfast," she said, handing me the coffee and a neatly prepared plate with omelets, pancakes, raspberry lemon muffins, and a bowl of homemade granola.

I raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised. "You made me breakfast?"

"Yep," she said with a playful pop of the 'p' as she handed over the plate. I took a bite, and my taste buds were instantly delighted by the flavors. India was a fantastic cook, a refreshing change from what I was used to with Sharon.

I took a moment to savor the meal before India spoke again. "I'm going to pop to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

As soon as she left the room, her baby Ivy began to fuss. I could hear her soft cries from her car seat, but I didn't go over to soothe her. The truth was, seeing Ivy was hard for me. It stirred up emotions I hadn't fully processed—part jealousy, part sadness. I wanted a life where India was having my children, not someone else's. It hurt to admit that out loud, even to myself. India returned a couple of minutes later and immediately scooped Ivy up, cradling her gently.

"Hey, baby. Mommy's here," she cooed, rocking Ivy until she quieted down. I waited until Ivy was settled before speaking.

"What, your husband couldn't take care of her today?" I asked, my tone sharper than intended.

India glanced at me, unfazed. "He's out of town on business."

"And no babysitter?" I countered.

"I only trust one of our housekeepers with Ivy, and she's out sick."

"Right," I muttered, trying to sound neutral.

She caught my tone and sighed, her expression shifting to one of irritation. "Is there a problem with her being here, Trey?"

"I didn't say anything," I replied, looking away.

"Well, you're acting like there is," she retorted, her patience clearly wearing thin.

"Look, I'm not going to argue with you today," I said, picking up my phone and heading for the door. I needed a minute to cool down, to not let my lingering resentment spill out in front of her.

INDIA

I glanced down at Ivy, her tiny fingers curling around mine as she looked up at me with bright, curious eyes. I smiled, gently tickling her toes, and she gurgled happily, her giggles filling the quiet hospital room. I had just gotten off the phone with Grey, my husband, who was away on business but calling to check on me and, of course, Adrianna.

"Well, damn, I can't wait until you get home either," I murmured, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks as Grey listed off all the things he wanted to do once he was back. But just then, a soft beeping caught my attention. I turned toward Adrianna's hospital bed and froze. She looked peaceful as she lay there, but something had changed. The monitor beeped again, and I saw her fingers twitch.