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

Chapter 40

$$$ INDIA $$$

Today was the day. I was finally getting out of here.

"Dri, are you ready to go?" I called out as I entered my daughter's room. She was carefully placing her toys into a small chest I'd told her she could bring.

"Almost, Mommy!" she replied, her little fingers meticulously arranging her favorite stuffed animals.

"Alright, sweetheart, but hurry up. We need to be out of here in fifteen minutes," I urged, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Okay, Mommy."

Leaving her room, I moved quickly to check on Ivy, my baby, who was soundly sleeping in her crib. I watched her for a moment, taking in her tiny, peaceful face, her little hands clenched into gentle fists. The thought of what we were doing terrified me, but staying was no longer an option.

I stepped back into my bedroom, collected our passports, birth certificates, and other crucial documents, and packed them into my custom silver Louis Vuitton briefcase. It sat next to my Louis Vuitton duffles, which were loaded with cash. If I used any of my cards, Grey could trace them. He'd always had a way of knowing too much. That wasn't a risk I could take.

Then my eyes fell on the small, white stick on the bathroom counter, and I froze. A tear slipped down my cheek as I looked at the plus sign. Not now. I had wanted this for so long, but not like this. Not in the middle of the storm I was trapped in. Yet, a part of me felt an undeniable joy at the thought. I laid a trembling hand over my stomach, feeling both wonder and fear. Could I bring another child into this chaos?

Memories of that afternoon crashed over me in waves, pulling me under...

Flashback

"Hey, the girls are asleep upstairs," Tremaine had said as I came back through the door. His voice, softer than it had been in years, jolted me.

"Thank you for watching them," I replied, moving to walk past him.

"You okay, India?" he asked, his hand brushing against my arm, stopping me.

I tried to shake it off. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"You don't look fine." There was a gentleness in his voice I hadn't heard in so long, and it softened something in me.

"Really, Tremaine, I'm okay." I couldn't meet his eyes. "I think I'll head out."

"No, you're not bothering me. Stay awhile," he said, moving toward the kitchen. "Wine?"

I hesitated but finally nodded. "Sure."

I sat down on his pristine white sofa, feeling the weight of years between us. He came back with two glasses, handing one to me before sitting close. Closer than we'd sat in months.

"It wasn't that weird watching Ivy," he said, sipping his wine. "She's an amazing little girl. I think she even liked me."

A faint smile touched my lips. "I'm glad. She's a special one, for sure."

For a moment, we simply sat there, a familiar silence growing between us.

"I found this photo the other day." I drew out my phone and scrolled until I found it, handing it to him. His face softened as he looked at it.

"Our trip to Bora Bora," he murmured. "We went snorkeling."

I laughed softly, feeling a pang of nostalgia. "And Forrest almost got stung by a stingray."

"I told him to keep his distance." He smiled at me, his gaze lingering. There was something in his eyes I hadn't seen in so long—a flicker of the man I'd loved.