With Me Through Troubled Times (With Me - book 2)

Chapter 21

Still Joe's POV

I don't know how long I as lying unconscious for but I woke up when I heard Mia scream in pain. I looked up to the bed immediately, my eyes trying their hardest to focus.

"My little baby," Kim whispered as she stood up from the bed. She turned round and looked down at me. "Say 'hi' to your daddy, princess."

"No..." I breathed weakly.

I looked at the end of the bed and noticed that Chad was now lying on the floor too.

"You're going to come home with me my little princess," Kim cooed to the tiny baby she was holding in her blood covered arms.

I looked up to the bed again and saw Mia's hand hanging off the bed. "Mia..."

I tried to move but couldn't.

"You're my little princess," Kim kept saying as she walked away from the bed.

I tried to reach over for Mia's hand one last time but failed to reach it.

"She's dead!" Kim shouted. "And so is your other baby. I don't know what it is because I only wanted the one."

I heard the bedroom door open and slam shut. I didn't want to look up at the bed as I could now see blood running down the white sheet. I let my head fall back to the floor and began to cry. She killed my wife and took one of my babies.

------

I woke up in bed with a start, my breathing heavy and a train of sweat on my forehead. I moved the quilt away from me and looked down at my torso. Nothing.

"What are you doing?" Mia asked, tiredness echoing through her words.

"I...nothing," I answered, still out of breath.

"It's not nothing if you're out of breath. What is it?" She asked, running her hand up and down my back.

"I...Kim stabbed me." I confessed, trying to somehow get my breathing back to normal.

"What do you mean? How?" She questioned.

"You were up here lying and it was Connor's party. She came with Chad and was wanting one of our babies," I told her, turning round to look back at her.

"What did she do?"

"She...she cut you open and took one of our babies." I looked away from her and a single tear slid down my cheek. "My little girl."

"Aw, Joe..." She sympathised, sitting up and putting her arms round my shoulders. "It was only a dream."

I leaned my head against hers and sighed. "I know but it was so real."

"I mean, you do realise that she'd be dead as soon as she'd stepped foot in this house anyway," she laughed.

"It's not funny." I took her arms off from around my shoulders and hold her hands in mine.

"I know it's not but I want to put a smile on your face."

"I truly do love you, Mia," I said, giving her a kiss.

"I love you too," she smiled as I lay back down in the bed.

She lay down next to me and I played with her hair as she turned her back to me. It was only a dream. I turned to my side and laid as close to her as I could. I kissed her shoulder and she pulled my hand to rest on her bump.

"Get some sleep because we're up in a few hours for Connor's party. Don't worry about Kim because she ain't getting in this house," she explained.

I smiled to myself and closed my eyes.

I woke up the morning and noticed that Mia wasn't lying next me. I sat up and looked round the room.

"You're finally up," I heard Mia say as she came into the bedroom while holding Connor in her arms.

I smiled at her as she handed Connor over to me. "Hows the birthday boy this morning?"

"He's happy," she smiled while walking into her walk-in wardrobe to get changed.

"Is my little man happy?" I asked Connor as he giggled away. "I'll take this as a yes. Mia, what are you..."

I looked at the doorway of her walk-in wardrobe and shut my mouth. Mia was now standing in her black printed floor-length dress. She looked amazing for a women that was nearing the eight month stage of her pregnancy with twins.

"Wow," I breathed.

"Too much?" She asked, walking over to the mirror to look at her reflection.

I placed Connor in the centre of the bed and got up. I walked over to her and placed my hands on either side of her bump and rested my head on her shoulder.

"You're perfect," I complimented, looking at her reflection.

"Thank you."

She moved away from me and walked over to the bed and sat down. I smiled at her and walked into my walk-in wardrobe to go and get ready.

Normal POV

It was now 3pm and everyone that at the party was having fun. My sisters brought their children with them so Connor wasn't the only child at the party. I was sat on the couch with Joe as Connor sat on a chair with Louise at the other side of the room.

"You might not get him back now," Joe whispered into my ear while looking over at his mum.

"Don't be such a worrier," I giggled, playfully hitting his chest.

"I'm allowed to because I'm a dad."

"Yeah, well at least you're not worrying about Kim being here. Chad said she flew out to America today," I told him.

"Is that why he's here?"

"He doesn't come to see me when she's about. I think she's got something on him but I don't know what it is," I sighed, looking over at Chad.

"She caught Chad having lunch with another girl a few months back," Austin explained, leaning on the back of the couch we sat on.

I looked at him. "How the hell do you know?"

"Think about who our family are, Mia. We can get spies whenever we want," he said, looking at me.

"Any girl is better than her," I muttered.

"She also told him that if he leaves her, she'd kill herself." He stated.

"You're kiddingme, right?"

"Nope. Hence why he can't leave her," he replied.

"Needs to grow a pair and stand up to her," Joe said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Exactly. Want another?" Austin asked, standing up straight.

"Please," Joe replied, handing him the empty bottle.

"Don't get too drunk now, Joe," I warned.

"I wouldn't dream of that. Oh, and before I forget..." He started, taking his watch off his right wrist. "Never got time to show you this yet. What do you think?"

I looked at his wrist and smiled.