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

Chapter 10

Joe's POV

The next morning, I lay against the headboard of Mia's bed and stroked her hair as she lay across my torso. She look so beautiful no matter what she was doing. During sleep is the only time she can escape every hurtful thing I've did to her. She needed peace.

My eyes travelled down her body that was slightly covered by the single black sheet that was also draped over my waist. She sheet clung to her body in the right places, leaving her back and right hip, bare to see. and stopped at her hip. I looked closely at her hip and smiled.

There, in simply black ink, was my name tattooed across it in small writing. I reached my right hand down and slightly traced my fingers over it before she began to move. I looked back to her face as she opened her eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful." I smiled brightly, causing her to sit up and hold the sheet to her chest.

"What time's it?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Only half seven," I answered, running a hand up and down her back.

"Oh...oh right," she murmured, reaching over to the bottom of the bed for her blue silk night gown to put it on.

"Where are you going?" I asked her as she stood up.

"I need to go and get Connor," she replied while walking towards the bedroom doors.

I smiled at her as I watched her walk out the room.

Normal POV

I walked along the hall to Connor's bedroom and opened the door. I walked over to his cot and saw that he was wide awake.

"You're up early this morning, aren't you?" I smiled, lifting him up. He lay his hand on my face and cheekily smiled at me. "I think I should take you to go and see daddy."

He looked at the bedroom door and then back at me, his smile slightly fading.

"Let's get you changed first before we go and see him." I walked into his walk-in wardrobe with him to get him changed.

I walked out of the walk-in wardrobe 30 minutes later and Connor was now washed and ready for the day. I put him in a pair of a Fendi jeans and a red Ralph Lauren polo top.

"Do you want to go and see daddy now?" I asked him.

He looked up at me and I smiled at before walking out the room to go back to my bedroom.

As I walked into the master bedroom, Joe came out the en-suite bathroom in nothing but a towel that was wrapped perfectly round his hips.

He looked over to me and reached out for Connor who was reaching for him. "There's my little man."

He took Connor out my arms as he smiled at him.

"Dada?" Connor asked me while pointing to Joe.

"Yes, baby. That's your daddy," I said as he turned back to look at Joe.

"Certainly has grown since the last time I saw him," Joe breathed while looking at Connor.

"That's what happens when you don't see him for a while," I responded before going into the en-suite bathroom to have a shower.

I walked back out of the en-suite bathroom almost 45 minutes later, feeling refreshed, and looked over at Joe who was now laying on the bed with Connor. He was wearing the same jeans that he had on last night but still hadn't put his shirt back on. I smiled before Walking over to my walk-in wardrobe to get ready. I decided to put on my white skinny jeans and black fitted top. I walked back out into the bedroom and over to the bed.

"You have got a shirt you know," I spoke up as I sat down on the bed.

"Not any longer after you basically ripped it off me last night," Joe laughed, picking his shirt up off the bed and showing it to me.

"So, you don't-" I started.

"If you want me to go home with no shirt on, fine. Only thing is, is that you'd have to go without something too," he winked.

"I think you're okay on your own with that one," I laughed, getting up off the bed and walking over to the chest of drawers that were on the other side of the room.

I opened the drawers and took out one of Joe's old hoodies that I knew would still fit him. I closed the drawer over and walked back over to the bed.

"Here." I handed the hoodie over to him.

"You kept this?" He asked, taking it off me and putting it on.

"What else am I suppose to wear when I'm feeling terrible?"

"Very true," he agreed, looking down at Connor who was now playing with his house keys. "Are you sure you still want me to move back in with you?"

"Joe..."

"Because I don't to argue with you again. I can't live another day away from you, Mia. I need you in my life," he confessed.

There was something about his words that made me truly believe him. I don't know if it was from not hearing those words for over two months, or the fact that we decided to get back together last night. I just didn't know but I knew that he meant every word that was coming out his mouth.

"I want you to move in here with me and whatever happens next, we'll deal with it together." I took his left hand in mine.

"Through it all," he smiled in agreement. "Now, about your tattoo..."

"You saw that?" I asked, pulling hand free from his and slightly covering my face in embarrassment.

"It wasn't that hard to miss when it's in your hip," he replied.

"You're one to talk! You have my name tattooed across your shoulder blades," I stated.

"And on my ring finger on my left hand." He took his wedding ring off and showed me the tattoo.

Very simple and one word: Mia.

"You..."

"Like I said before, I'm yours." He leaned over and gave me a kiss.

We were each other's.