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

Chapter 37

$$$ INDIA $$$

"Could you replay that for me, Justin?" I asked, already feeling the song's pull.

"Got you," he replied, and soon, the music filled the room.

The lyrics washed over me, each line cutting deeper than the last. "You're everything I thought you never were, and nothing like I thought you could've been..." It felt like the song was written just for me. I didn't want to be this broken-hearted girl, stuck in a loop of love and pain, yet here I was, wrestling with my own emotions.

As the song came to a close, Trey walked in.

"Sup," he nodded, breaking the silence.

"Hey." I gave him a small smile and looked down at my notepad, jotting down lyrics for a new song.

"Yo, India, imma step out for a minute," Justin called as he left the room, leaving Trey and me alone.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about Adrianna," Trey said, shifting uncomfortably.

I kept my eyes on the page. "What about her?"

"I don't like her calling that man of yours... pops."

"You can say 'husband,'" I replied, cutting him off.

"Whatever you wanna call him, I don't like her calling him that."

"And what do you expect me to do about it?"

"I told her to stop, but she still calls him that."

I looked up at him, exasperated. "Trey, telling her won't change anything. Grey has been in her life since she was a baby. They have their bond. He's been a father figure to her."

"I don't care," he muttered, his jaw tightening. "He's not her dad—I am."

"She knows you're her dad. She calls you that, doesn't she? But she also sees Grey as a father figure. It's just a name, Trey."

"It's more than a name to me. He's overstepping," he snapped.

"Grey stepped up when you weren't there, and that's not something I'm gonna apologize for," I said quietly. "I didn't ask him to step in, but he did. He's the reason I didn't have to raise her alone."

"Are you blaming me for not being there?" His voice grew sharper, his fists clenching.

I sighed, struggling to keep my voice calm. "I'm not blaming you. I'm saying that things happened as they did. We can't change that."

"Fine. There's no point arguing with you," he muttered, shaking his head. "You're not gonna get it."

"No, Trey, I get it," I said, a tear escaping down my cheek. "But I can't rewrite the past, and neither can you."

He was silent for a moment, and then he sat down beside me. "You okay?" he asked, surprising me. It had been so long since anyone genuinely asked me that.

I wiped my tear away. "Honestly, no, Trey. I'm not."

"You never call me Trey." He chuckled, but his eyes held concern.

"I guess things change." I tried to smile, but it faded.

"India, I know you've been struggling... I still want to help you." He looked at me earnestly. "You don't have to stay there with him. We could leave, get you somewhere safe."

I know I was now, and I should have taken it. I can't help him like I thought I could and now I'm in too deep."

"You have to help yourself first India. Just say the word and you don't have to go back there.We'll go get help"

"I can't, " I cried.

The day I left the kids at Trey's house I went to sort some things out so we could leave the state and we did. Three days later I was caught at the hotel and brought back home. I don't know why I thought he wasn't gonna find me. He has eyes and ears everywhere. The kids we're taken away from me and I was brought to the house where i saw an angry Grey. His shirt was pulled out of his dressing pants and he still had his jacket on. His hair was messy and he sniffled pinching the tip of his nose. It was obvious he was still on the crack.

"What did I tell you about leaving? " I couldn't find the words to answer him.

"I told you there was gonna be consequences to leaving didn't I?" I still didn't answer.

"Answer me!" He shouted walking closer to me hitting me to the floor.

"Ye-yes you did."

Reaching for an envelope on the coffee table he pulled out the contents then walked over to me.

"You see these, " he said stooping down in front of me. "These are what I told you would happen." Taking a closer look it was pictures of me. I looked strung out. These we're pictures taken a while back. Grey and I had a fight and I got drunk, but these also looked like I was on something more by my facial expression. There was more of me passed out with liquor bottles around me. Those we're definitely set up cause I don't do liquor like that. They looked pretty convincing though.

"After the court see this they would definitely think your an unfit mother. Plus a testimony from a respectable man like me well be the cherry on top."

"Grey no I'm sorry. "

"You don't seem like it. Trying to take my kids and leave me, are you out of your mind India."

"Grey no, please I'm sorry I won't do it again."

"You sure about that India?"

"Yes please. I won't leave again." I could deal with a lot, but loosing my children wasn't one of them.

"Good girl. Now go get yourself cleaned up. We're going on our family vacation. I can't disappoint the kids. Kissing me he got up and walked away.

I couldn't risk it right now. Even if I accepted Trey's help a month ago he was still gonna put a fight up. He was more than likely to win. Now the stakes were more high.

"India you can," Trey said breaking me away from my thoughts.

"No Trey, I really can't. "

"Damn India! " getting up from beside me he blew up. "You still trying to help and protect this man. What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"It's more complicated than you think. I'm doing this for you too."

"How is you hurting yourself helping me?"

"I can't tell you right now." I really couldn't tell him he was going to try and do something and make things worst. This was something I had to handle.

"Just know that I love you Trey. No matter what or how stupid you think I am I love you. Always did and always will."

"Bullshit, you don't love me. If you love me you wouldn't be doing this.I don't want my daughter around your drama so I'm taking her.

"No Trey you can't, " I told him getting up. "You guys can't take my kids away from me. It's the only thing keeping me sane."

" I'm done with you India."

Walking out he slammed the door. Why doesn't he just understand and just trust me. I was gonna fix this!

Why couldn't he just trust that I was doing what I had to do?

Another chapter down. Did anybody look beyond India's past decisions and see where she's coming from? Anyways thanks for reading guys. Hope you enjoyed.

XoXo Lilly 😘