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

Chapter 26

2 MONTHS LATER (March)

I was sat in bed with Odette and Matthew laying next to one another by my left side. I looked down at them and smiled before I continued to read the newspaper that was in front of me. I turned the page and looked down at the story that was printed:

'IS MIA TRYING TO GET OUT OF HER COURT CASE?'

What a load of crap! The court case hadn't even crossed my mind since the twins were born and I wasn't going to let it get in the way of me looking at after my babies. I looked at the picture that went with the story and sighed. It was a photo of me and Joe out shopping a few days ago with the children and his parents. It was a good picture, just not a good headline to put it with. 

"Connor, come back here." I heard Joe shout. 

I looked up at the bedroom doors and saw Connor running into the room holding Joe's top in his hands. The top was trailing on the floor as he ran with it and he tripped over it, landing on the floor face first. Joe soon followed him into the room just as Connor managed to sit up and began to cry. Joe bent down and picked up his top and put it on. 

"It's your own fault for taking it. You shouldn't have taken it in the first place," he muttered simply, looking down at Connor who was looking straight ahead and crying his eyes out. 

"Joe," I said, looking up at him. 

"What? He shouldn't have taken it in the first place," he retaliated back to me, putting his hands on his hips. 

"Joe..." 

"Okay. Okay!" He shouted before bending down and picking Connor up. "Moody little..." 

"Joe!" I shouted. 

Connor laid his head on Joe's shoulder as he continued to cry. He walked over to the bed and sat down with him as I closed the newspaper over and looked down at the twins. Matthew was looking up at Joe as he tried to calm Connor down while Odette looked to be getting tired. 

"Joe, you need to remember that he's only a child." I picked Odette up and held her in my arms. 

"He may be a child but he still needs to learn," Joe mentioned as Connor lifted his head up off Joe's shoulder and sat down properly on his lap. 

Connor rested his head on Joe's chest and looked at me with sadness in his eyes. 

I reached over and gently touched Connor's face with my hand. "Joe, you upset him." 

"I upset him? How did..." He started before Odette began to cry in my arms. 

"Now you've upset your daughter!" I shouted, standing up and walking out the room with Odette. 

"Why is this all my fault?" He shouted. 

I walked to the top of the stairs just as Matthew began to cry. "Deal with him!"

Joe's POV

I looked down at Matthew as he cried and put Connor on the floor. He looked onto the bed as I picked Matthew up and held him close. I looked at Connor as he watched me deal with Matthew. 

"You were never like this when you were a baby," I sighed, getting up off the bed. 

I walked over to the couch and sat down. A few seconds later, I heard tiny footsteps run along the hall and I looked round. 

"Bloody hell!" I stood up and went after Connor. 

I walked out the room with Matthew as he was still crying and down the hall after Connor. I looked at the stairs and noticed that Connor was trying to open the baby gate to go down the stairs. 

"Connor, don't you dare open that." I warned, walking over to him. 

I pulled him away from the gate and held onto his wrist as I began to walk down the hall to his room. He began to cry again as we reached his room and I let go of his wrist to open the bedroom door. When the door was opened, Connor ran into the room. 

"Connor, you don't try anything like that!" I shouted as Matthew quietened down just a little. "If you wanna act like a spoiled brat, go ahead but your mum and I won't raise you like one!" 

"What's he done now?" Mia asked as she came into the room without Odette. 

"Where's...?" I started, looking at her as she walked towards me. 

"Your parents are downstairs," she informed me, taking Matthew out my arms. "They'll look after the twins while we deal with Connor." 

I watched her walk to the bedroom door and hand Matthew over to my dad who was watching me. She waited till he was walking down the stairs before closing the door over and walking over to me again. She folded her arms over her chest and looked down at Connor who was now sitting in front of his soft toys looking up at her. 

"He's..." I started. 

"He doesn't like the fact that we're paying more attention to the twins than to him." She started, looking down at Connor. 

"Well he has to deal with it," I said, getting angry. 

"Try and calm it, Joe." She whispered, putting a hand on my arm. 

I shook my head and sat down on the floor across from Connor. He looked at me with his head slightly bent. 

"I know this is different now...not being the only child running about the house." I started before I felt a something hit the back of my head. 

I slowly turned head round and looked up at Mia. 

"I couldn't resist," she laughed. 

Connor began to laugh and I turned to look at him. "I don't know why you're laughing because you'll get it after mummy gets it." 

I ned on the stop and reached out for Mia's hands before she pulled away out my grasp. I stood up and looked at her. 

"Don't," she breathed, backing away from me. 

"Don't what?" 

"Don't," she breathed again as her back hit the wall. 

"Don't...do this?" I asked, picking her up by her thighs and putting her over my shoulder. 

"Put me down!" She shouted while hitting my back lightly with her hands. 

I walked over to the chair by the window and put her down on it before I hovered above her. I rested my hands on either side of the chair, just above her shoulders, as she looked up at me. 

"I put you down," I whispered, moving my head closer to hers. 

"Good for you, now mo..." She started before I brought my lips down to hers. 

I pulled away and moved my head to her neck. 

"I did and it's made you go weak," I whispered into her ear. 

She turned her head to the side and nipped my neck lightly which made me stand up straight. 

"Problem?" She asked as she pulled Connor up onto her lap. 

"Not in the slightest," I replied, holding the side of my neck she nipped. 

"Good," she smiled as she kissed the top of Connor's head and looked out the window.