Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

The conversation she couldn't speak

Chapter 55: The Conversation She Couldn't Speak

The air in the room was still heavy, even as Y/N’s sobs faded into quiet sniffles. Billie held her close, running her hand softly through Y/N’s hair, while Finneas sat beside them, his face lined with worry and love. They had never seen their sister like this, so broken, so vulnerable.

After a few more moments of silence, Billie gently pulled back, looking down at Y/N’s tear-streaked face. "Y/N," she whispered softly, "we need to talk. We need to understand what’s really going on in your head."

Y/N’s eyes flickered with hesitation, her body still tense. She nodded weakly but didn’t say anything. The thought of explaining what was happening inside her felt too overwhelming, like she wouldn’t be able to find the words.

Finneas, picking up on the tension, grabbed a notepad from the nearby table, along with a pen. He handed them to Y/N with a soft smile. "You don’t have to talk if it’s too hard," he said quietly. "You can write it down. We just want to know what’s been going on."

Y/N looked at the notepad in her lap, her fingers brushing the pen lightly. There was so much swirling inside her, so many tangled thoughts and feelings. She didn’t know where to start, but she knew they deserved some answers.

Billie squeezed her hand gently. "Whenever you’re ready, okay?"

After a long pause, Y/N took a deep breath and began to write. Slowly, shakily at first, but then the words started flowing.

"I’m tired. All the time."

She passed the notepad to Finneas, her hand trembling. He read it, his heart sinking as he glanced at Billie. They already knew she was struggling, but seeing it written out like that made it real.

"Are you tired because of the pressure? Or… something else?" Billie asked softly.

Y/N took the pen back, biting her lip before writing again.

"Everything. Pressure, comments, my own head. I don’t feel like I’m enough."

Billie’s chest tightened. She knew the feeling all too well—the suffocating weight of not being enough, of being too much all at once. "You are enough, Y/N. I wish you could see that."

Y/N looked down, not ready to meet Billie’s eyes. She scribbled something else on the paper.

"The anxiety is too much. Can’t turn my brain off. Can’t stop thinking about the worst."

Finneas’ voice cracked as he spoke. "When did this start getting so bad? Was it the comments online?"

Y/N didn’t hesitate this time. She wrote quickly, the letters jagged and uneven.

"Yes. The comments. People sexualizing me. I hate it. I hate that they see me like that."

Billie let out a shaky breath, trying to keep her composure. "I’m so sorry, Y/N. I didn’t know how bad it had gotten."

Y/N wiped at her eyes, grabbing the notepad again. Her hand paused for a moment before writing something that made her heart pound.

"My ex messaged me. He made it worse."

The room felt like it froze. Finneas clenched his jaw, anger flashing across his face. Billie sat up straighter, her protective instincts kicking in. "What did he say?"

Y/N’s hand shook as she wrote.

"He kept saying things, sexual things. I told him to stop, but it just made me feel… disgusting."

Finneas stood up, pacing the room in frustration. "I knew he was trouble. I knew he’d hurt you, Y/N. I should’ve stopped this sooner."

Billie kept her focus on Y/N, her voice soft but firm. "You’re not disgusting, Y/N. None of this is your fault."

Y/N shook her head, more tears spilling onto her cheeks as she continued to write.

"I don’t know how to make it stop. It’s in my head all the time. I feel broken."

Billie’s heart shattered at those words. She wrapped her arms around Y/N again, pulling her close. "You’re not broken," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You’re hurt, but you’re not broken."

Finneas stopped pacing, walking back over and sitting down beside them. He placed a gentle hand on Y/N’s back. "We’ll help you, okay? We’ll figure this out. You’re not alone in this."

Y/N finally looked up at her brother and sister, her eyes red and swollen. She passed the notepad to Finneas one last time.

"I don’t know if I’ll ever feel normal again."

Finneas and Billie exchanged a pained look. There were no easy answers to that, no words that could take away what Y/N was feeling. But they could be there, and they would be, no matter how long it took for Y/N to feel like herself again.

"We’ll take it one step at a time," Billie said softly, stroking Y/N’s hair. "You don’t have to do it alone."

Y/N nodded, her tears slowing as she clung to Billie. For the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself relax into her sister’s arms, knowing that no matter how broken she felt, her siblings weren’t going to give up on her.

They would face this together.