Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Glued to the screen

Chapter 51: Glued to the Screen

The rest of the morning passed slowly. Y/N had finally calmed down after Billie promised not to leave, but she had remained glued to her phone, fingers rapidly scrolling, eyes locked on the screen. Finneas and Billie exchanged more worried glances as they watched their little sister, who, despite being so absorbed in her phone, kept glancing up at them as if checking to make sure they were still there.

She wouldn’t let the phone out of her hands, not even for a second. Every time Billie or Finneas moved even slightly closer to her, she would shift in her seat, pulling the phone closer to her chest. It was subtle, but the way Y/N kept flinching whenever they got too near was unmistakable. The tension in her body made it clear that she didn’t want them to see whatever was on the screen.

Billie sighed softly, sitting down beside Y/N, trying to act casual. “What are you looking at, Y/N? Anything interesting?”

Y/N immediately tensed, her thumb hovering over the screen like she was ready to close whatever she was looking at. “Nothing important,” she muttered, her eyes darting nervously between Billie and the phone.

Finneas leaned against the wall, his arms crossed as he watched the interaction carefully. “You sure? You’ve been on your phone all morning,” he added lightly, trying not to make her feel cornered. “Maybe take a break?”

Y/N’s reaction was immediate. She pulled the phone closer to her chest, her expression defensive. “I’m fine. I just need to check a few things.”

Billie reached out a hand, her voice soft but firm. “Y/N, you don’t have to keep hiding from us. We just want to help.”

Y/N flinched again, her body visibly recoiling as she moved further away from Billie on the couch. Her grip on the phone tightened, her knuckles turning white. “I’m not hiding anything,” she snapped, though the tremble in her voice gave her away. “It’s just—nothing you need to see.”

Billie felt her heart sink as she saw the fear in Y/N’s eyes. She wasn’t angry; she was scared—scared of what they might see, scared of what she was dealing with alone. Billie wanted so badly to take the phone from her and see what was consuming Y/N’s mind, but she knew that would only make things worse.

Finneas stepped in, his voice gentle. “Y/N, we’re not here to take anything away from you. But you keep flinching every time we get near you. We’re worried, that’s all.”

Y/N shook her head, pulling her knees up to her chest as she curled into a protective ball, the phone still clutched tightly in her hands. “I’m just tired,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I just don’t want you guys to see. You’ll freak out.”

Billie’s heart broke a little more at that. “Freak out about what?” she asked softly. “Y/N, we love you. You don’t have to go through anything alone.”

Y/N didn’t answer. She just stared at her phone, her expression blank, as if lost in her own world. Billie and Finneas exchanged a helpless look, both unsure of what to do. They wanted to help, but every time they tried, Y/N shut down more, pulling further away from them.

After a long silence, Y/N finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just need to be sure you’re both here. That’s all.”

Billie frowned, her worry deepening. “We’re not going anywhere, Y/N. We’re always here.”

Y/N nodded, but the way she kept glancing at her phone suggested otherwise. Whatever she was reading, whatever was going on inside her mind, it was pulling her further and further away from them. Billie couldn’t shake the feeling that her sister was slipping through their fingers, and they didn’t know how to hold on.

Finneas sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re not going to push, Y/N. But you know you can talk to us, right? Whenever you’re ready.”

Y/N didn’t respond. She just kept staring at her phone, her body tense, her mind clearly elsewhere.

As the minutes passed, Finneas and Billie could only sit in silent frustration, watching their little sister struggle with something she refused to let them see. They knew it was only a matter of time before something snapped—whether it was Y/N or them—but they just didn’t know how to help her carry the weight of whatever was on her mind.

The worst part was, they weren’t sure if Y/N would ever let them help at all.