Chapter 4

Over the next few days, Bevin tried to steer clear of her brothers. She spent some time in her room, visited Jenny, and generally kept to herself. The funeral was particularly hard for her, but she refused to show weakness in front of the boys.

The day after the funeral, Bevin decided she needed to get out. As she walked around, the air started getting colder, and the sky grew darker. She turned back, heading towards the Firecracker, and her home. But as she entered the alley near the Firecracker, she was aware of someone following her. She walked faster, but he did too.

Suddenly he pulled her back and spun her around. She saw that he was creepy, and he definitely had more strength than her. She tried to fight against him, but he kept a pretty strong grip on her arms. Then he overpowered her and got her on the ground. He hit her, and pinned her to the ground. The sky was completely black now, so she new that her hopes of someone finding her was extremely slim.

She screamed for someone, anyone. Sean. Kevin. Joey. Jimmy. Tommy. Anyone. But her voice started growing hoarse as he hit her. She tried to struggle against him, but her strength was starting to give out and she cried, afraid that her worst fear was coming true…again.

She felt him rip her shirt when suddenly he was being knocked off her and she heard him yelling. It seemed like a few moments, when suddenly she saw Kevin and Sean chase him off. They ran over to her and she stared at them. She couldn't speak, and she knew that they were shouting at her, making sure she was okay. However, she wasn't able to hear them. All sound and senses had been taken from her as she thought about what had just happened.

Then she was aware of Kevin picking her up and Sean running in front of them.

Tommy, Joey, and Jimmy were arguing about something across the bar when the door flew open and Sean came running in.

"What the Hell-"

"Bevin was attacked."

They both jumped up. "What? Where is she?" Jimmy asked quickly.

As if on cue, Kevin came in, carrying as dazed Bevin. He walked over to the bar and set her on a stool. Tommy sat next to her. "Bev?"

She slowly turned to look at him, finally gaining her hearing back. Tommy stared at her. "Bevin what happened?"

She opened her mouth to talk, but no sound came out. She quickly shut it again and stared at the beer Jimmy had set in front of her. She went to grab it but her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"Some guy attacked her. He tried to…"

Tommy smacked his hand against the bar and Bevin jumped. He watched her closely. "Bevin…you are gong to be okay."

She looked up at him now, suddenly gaining all of her senses back. "How do you know, Tommy?" Her attitude was back in full swing. "How can you be so sure? Do you know what it feels like to be taken advantage of? Do you know what it is like to have that fear and wonder when it will go away? That numb feeling you get, and you just want to die instead of being there. That feeling of hopelessness when you know you can't do anything but take it. Will it go away, Tommy? Will it? When? How can it? Just back off, Tommy, because you don't know anything about that."

She got up and walked a few steps away from her brothers, wrapping her arms around herself. No one spoke as they waited for her to continue, and let sink what she had just said.

"I was raped."

They all looked up at her. "That is why I left."

"Bev…"

She knew they were suddenly putting it all together. Why she left so suddenly, and why her attitude changed.

"I know I should have told you. I just…couldn't."

Tommy nodded. "Where did you go?"

She paused. "London. They have a great music school. I just…needed to get away."

They were still silent as she took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, then Sean spoke. "Does this have anything to do with Liam?"

She looked up at him and inside she felt her heart tear in two pieces. "My son."

They stared at her, in shock.

"What?" They all said.

She sighed. "When I left, I was pregnant. Uh…Liam was my son." She let some tears fall and they understood.

"Bev…I'm so sorry."

She nodded, but didn't speak. They all had a lot to take in and it was going to take a long while before it settled in their minds.