You Don't Even Know

Chapter 6

~Nick’s P.O.V.~

“Nick, can you grab my phone please, it’s in the ‘kitchen’,” Liz asked me as I walked to the back.

I turned around to go get her phone seeing it on the table. I picked it up and I felt it vibrate in my hand, signaling she had a new text message.

I looked down at her phone and it said that she now had 6 new messages.

As I handed her the phone and sat down next to her I said, “You’ve got 6 new texts, you got one when I picked it up.”

“Thanks, I wonder who they’re from.”

She opened the device, and gasped when she read the first one.

“Who’s it from?” I asked with curiosity.

“Steven,” she answered, still dumbfounded, but with a hint of fear in her voice.

“He told me he had a great time at the party last month, and he’d love to do it again sometime,” she told me, starting to cry.

“What party? Lizzie, what happened?” I asked growing extremely scared, worried, and protective.

“It was Kellie’s sweet 16, the night that you guys had to fly out to L.A. for a meeting. There was alcohol and stuff, but I didn’t drink…” she began getting very emotional.

I moved closer to her, puller her into my lap and wrapped my arms around her holding her close.

“Go on Liz, I’m right here,” I encouraged, kissing her temple.

“I guess Steven put something in my drink, which made me not think straight. He brought me upstairs to “talk”, and by the time I realized what was happening and thought to fight back, it was too late…” and that’s as far as she could get before she threw her arms around my waist and started sobbing into my chest.

I pulled her as close to me as humanly possible, not needing her to continue, I knew what happened.

After a few minutes, she calmed down a little and continued.

“After it all happened, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t even move. About a minute later, Chris, Will, Kevin, Kevin and Peter came bursting into the room flipping out at Steven. I don’t remember much after that, but I do remember Kevin Cantele giving me some extra clothes that he had at Kellie’s, and just comforting all night. Kellie, Kevin, Kevin, Chris, Peter, Will and Sarah stayed up all night with me, comforting me. The next morning, I asked what happened, and Peter told me that I was raped…Will then added that I don’t have to worry about Steven again.”

I couldn’t believe what she just told me. Liz, my amazing, innocent girlfriend was raped, by some douche bag. That would explain why she was so jumpy when we got back, and why she hasn’t been wearing her ring.

“Sweetheart, is that why you haven’t been wearing your ring?”

All she did was nod her head, and I softly placed two fingers under her chin to make her look at me.

“Baby, that doesn’t count. Loosing your virginity is something you choose, and with whom. It’s something you do out of love, not out of force. God’s not disappointed in you for what happened because it wasn’t your fault. He’ll forgive you, He already has, I promise,” I reassured her and she just smiled.

“There is one thing I want to ask though. Was he at least smart enough to wear protection?” I asked her, hoping and praying to God that I could give him an ounce of credit for not being completely stupid.

She was very hesitant with her answer, and again, wouldn’t look at me.

“No,” was her answer, just barely above a whisper.

That was all I needed to hear before I almost lost it completely. I was so close to jumping off the couch, telling the driver to stop, and personally going to kick this bastard’s ass. But I didn’t. I needed to stay calm right now for Liz, and showing my temper wasn’t going to help.

I couldn’t believe that he didn’t even have the brains to wear protection. Who honestly is that stupid? I know she’s on the pill, but anything can happen.

I gained my voice, and asked her the next very important question, the one that with a certain answer would not only affect her life forever, but mine and my families as well.

“Sweetheart, do you think you could be-“but she interrupted me before I could finish.

“I just got my period Tuesday, so no, I can’t be pregnant,” she softly told me.

I breathed a sigh of relief, thanking God she wasn’t.

Hearing that answer, was the greatest thing I’ve heard all day, then she quietly began to speak again.

“Normally I hate having it, but when I got it this time, I was soo happy, knowing that I wasn’t going to have a baby at 16.”

Now, I know that normal guys would feel very uncomfortable talking to girls about their period, especially their girlfriends, but in this case, I didn’t care at all.

“Baby, why didn’t you tell me, or my brothers?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve had so much going on the past few months, especially the stress of starting the World Tour that I didn’t want to add to it. I made Kellie, Sarah, Will, Chris, Kevin, Kevin and Peter promise me they wouldn’t tell you, and honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t.”

I couldn’t believe she was worried about my brothers and I, when she was going through this. She’s such a selfless person, always putting other people and their feelings before herself. That’s one of the things I loved so much about her. If the people around her were happy, she was happy.

“Lizzie, honey, you really should’ve told us. I know it would’ve been really hard, but I wish you told us. We would’ve been thee for you, I would’ve been there. Sometimes you need to think about yourself, and not others. You should’ve called us that night, and we would’ve been on a plane in less than 5 minutes.”

“I know that, that’s why I didn’t call. It was an important meeting, and I knew you would’ve left, and I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I let you do that.”

I didn’t want to argue with her, so I let it go.

We sat there in silence, her in my lap with my arms securely around her, and kissing her temple every so often whispering softly to her letting her know that I was there, and I always will be.

If my brothers and I were protective of her before, I’m never letting her out of my sight again.

“Darlin’, I have to tell my parents and brothers, they can help, and they need to know,” I told her hesitantly.

“I was wondering how long it would be until you said that, will you tell them please? I don’t think I’d be able to.”

“Of course I will piglet, do you want to come with me when I tell them?”

“No, I’ll stay here,” she answered softly.

“Alright sweetheart, I’m going to talk to them right now, are you sure you’re okay?” I asked lifting her off my lap, getting up and placing her back down on the couch covering her with her favorite blanket.

“I’ll be fine, thank you so much Nick, I love you,” she told me.

“You’re welcome; I’ll be back in a little bit. I love you,” I said to her placing a kiss on her forehead.

I walked out of the lounge to the front to find my entire family sitting around. Kevin on the computer, Joe playing a game with Frankie, while my mom was reading a book, and dad was going over notes.

“Hey Tank, can you go watch a movie with Liz please? I need to talk to mom, dad, Kevin and Joe. You and Joe can finish your game later, I promise,” I asked him nicely.

Hearing that, my entire family looked at me with mixtures of confusion, worries, and concerned looks.

“Sure Nick,” he replied getting up to walk to the back.

When I knew that he was out of ear shot, I looked at my family. Joe then opened his mouth to speak.

“Did you get Liz pregnant?” he asked, trying to be a wise-ass, which earned him a slap upside the head from Kevin, and looks of daggers from both mom and dad.

“No Joe, but what I have to talk to you about does involve Liz,” I said.

“Okay honey, the floor’s all yours,” mom said.

“But, you have to stay quiet, and keep all questions until I’m done please.”

“Alright son, go ahead,” dad told me.

“Do you remember about a month ago, when we were in L.A. for a meeting and Liz went to Kellie’s sweet 16 party?” and they nodded.

“Well, there was alcohol, but she wasn’t drinking. Apparently, Steven put something in her drink, he asked if she wanted to go upstairs and ‘talk’, and when she finally realized what was happening, it was too late and she couldn’t fight back,” I paused to see the looks on their faces.

Both Joe and Kevin had the “I’m going to kill him” look, while dad had an angry look, and mom had an upset one.

“She said after it all happened, she couldn’t talk, move or anything. Then Kevin, Kevin, Chris, Will, Peter; Kellie and Sarah came bursting in because they heard screaming and crying. She remembered Cantele picking her up and giving her his extra clothes and just letting her cry, while the others took care of Steven.”

Joe and Kevin looked grateful, knowing that the five boys tried to protect her, mom’s face was the same, while dad’s softened.

“The worst part was…” I started, “he wasn’t even smart enough to use protection. She told me that the just got her period Tuesday, so she’s not pregnant, which is a huge relief. When I asked her why she didn’t tell us, she said she didn’t want to worry us and add any source of stress to what we already had. She made the seven promise not to tell us, and she was surprised that they didn’t.”

When I was finished with the story, I saw looks of mixed emotions on everyone’s faces.

“Nick, is that why she hasn’t been wearing her ring, and why she was jumpy when we got back?” mom asked with a shaky voice, and I just nodded.

“That doesn’t count, being raped doesn’t qualify as losing your virginity, and God knows that,” Kevin said with anger.

“I know Kev, that’s what I told her.”

“What a jack-ass! He’s lucky we’re on tour otherwise I would murder him!” Joe exclaimed, growing red in the face.

“Joseph, calm down. We know you’re angry, we all are, but you need to control it for Lizzie’s sake right now. Son, how is she? I’m sure she’s a mess right now,” dad asked.

“She’s not great, that’s for sure. I just really wish she would’ve told me. I would’ve been on a plane back home faster than you wouldn’t believe. She means the world to me, and if knowing and leaving would’ve caused me to loose my career, I would’ve risked it for her. She’s it, she always has been, and always will be the only one I want to spend forever with. The only girl who has any source of control over me,” I explained to my family, finally sitting down.

“We know honey, bur you didn’t know, so all that we can do now is just be there for here whenever she needs someone, and just let her know how much she means to you,” mom explained to me, running a hand up and down my back.

“I know, but I feel so helpless. She’s been through more at 16 than most people go through in a lifetime. From having an abusive mother, to a father that doesn’t care, to getting raped. No one should ever have to go through that, no matter who you are.”

“We know Nick, and it’s true, she really has, but the most we can do now is help to make her future the brightest and best that it can be,” dad said giving me a side hug.

“She’s definitely a brave girl…woman, that’s for sure,” Joe stated, getting up to get a drink.

“Where are you going Kev?” mom asked.

“To see Liz,” he answered, before turning around to walk to the lounge.

I got up to follow him, and noticed Joe, dad and mom also following.

When we walked in, I couldn’t help the smile that appeared on my face when I saw my beautiful girlfriend lying on the couch with my little brother, sleeping with the T.V. on while covered in my Yankee blanket.

I saw mom walk out, then back in with a camera, and she quickly yet quietly snapped a picture.

My smile grew as I saw them both squirm but just fell back into a deep slumber.

As my family walked out, before following, I leaned down placing a gentle kiss to her forehead, whispered ‘I love you’ and pulled the blanket up to cover them more, then ruffled Frankie’s hair, the smile never leaving my face as I joined 90% of my family.