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

Chapter 17

*** TREY ***

"Hey, Trey!" they both greeted me with wide smiles as I opened the door. I couldn't help but laugh at the way their voices harmonized, sounding almost identical.

"Hey, why do you two sound like twins?" I grinned, stepping aside to let them in.

"Because we're soul twins, Trey," Dri answered confidently, flashing a cheeky smile that mirrored her mother's.

"Good one, Dri," India said with a chuckle, reaching down to help her daughter shrug off her little pink coat. I watched as she unbuttoned it with practiced hands, her expression soft as she smiled down at Dri.

"You're such a smart ass, you know that?" I chuckled, reaching down to ruffle Dri's hair as she handed me her coat.

India slipped off her own coat, revealing a simple but elegant white cashmere sweater that hugged her figure perfectly, paired with dark gray jeans and gray ankle boots. She hung both coats in the closet by the door and stepped further into the house, looking around with a nostalgic expression.

"It still looks the same," she said, her gaze drifting over the living room, taking in the familiar furniture, the art on the walls, and the soft lighting. Her eyes finally landed back on me, and she tucked her hands into her back pockets.

"Yeah, I like it just like this. Nothing's really changed," I replied, shrugging. "Thought about updating it, but... I don't know. Feels right like this."

She tilted her head, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I thought you would've sold it by now, actually."

"I couldn't do it," I replied, glancing around the room. "We bought it together, and it felt unfair to let it go without you knowing. Besides, I use it when I need to get away from things. It's like a quiet retreat."

"I see." She nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at Dri, who was already kicking off her shoes and making herself at home, running toward the living room with her doll clutched in her hand.

"I think it would be nice to spend Sundays here with Adrianna," I said, my voice softer. "You know, if that's okay with you."

India considered it, her gaze drifting back to me. "That's fine with me. We can make it our little tradition."

Dri beamed up at us, clearly happy with the arrangement. "So what are we gonna do today?" she asked, her excitement bubbling over.

"Anything you want, princess," I replied, grinning as I followed her into the living room, where she'd already started setting up her coloring books and markers on the coffee table.

(Four Hours Later)

"Hey, I'm back!" India called out as she entered the house, balancing several bags in her arms.

"Hey, that was quick. Let me give you a hand," I said, getting up from where Dri and I were sitting, engrossed in coloring a particularly complicated drawing of a castle. Walking over to her, I took a few bags and carried them to the kitchen, placing them on the counter.

We had all gotten hungry but, as usual, there wasn't a single decent thing in the house to eat. Grocery shopping had never been a priority for me, and it showed. I'd offered to go pick up some food, but India had insisted on doing it herself.

"So, I got Adrianna a kid's meal," she said, unpacking one of the bags. "And I got you a double cheeseburger with bacon, some chicken wings, extra fries, and a Sprite." She placed each item on the counter with a small smile.

I felt a surge of gratitude as I looked at the spread. "Can't believe you remembered," I murmured, a smile tugging at my lips. There was something comforting in the fact that she still knew all my preferences by heart.