Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Slipping away.

Chapter 68: Slipping Away

Y/N’s cheerful façade held strong as the day dragged on, but Billie and Finneas could see through it. They watched her closely, not saying anything but feeling the weight of the situation. Y/N kept glancing at her phone, fidgeting with it as if she was waiting for something. Every now and then, she'd glance toward the door, her eagerness to leave practically radiating from her.

Billie sighed quietly, leaning against the kitchen counter. Finneas stood next to her, his arms crossed, eyes never leaving Y/N, who was pretending to be engrossed in her phone. She wasn’t herself, and they knew it. She was trying too hard to act like everything was fine, and it wasn’t.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to come with you?” Billie asked again, her voice gentle but full of concern.

Y/N’s head shot up. “No, I’m fine. Really,” she said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I just... I need some air. Alone.”

Billie frowned. “You don’t have any money, right? You can’t go far.”

“Yeah, I’m good. Just a walk.”

She was lying. Finneas had noticed his wallet was lighter when he checked it earlier. She had taken cash from him, likely thinking he wouldn’t notice. It hurt him, not the money itself, but the fact that Y/N felt like she had to sneak around. She was only sixteen, and they had been keeping an eye on her spending, especially after her recent breakdowns. But this... this was different.

Finneas glanced at Billie, who gave him a subtle nod. They’d agreed not to say anything just yet, not to confront her. They needed to figure out how to handle this carefully, without pushing her further away. She was already slipping through their fingers, and if they pushed too hard, she might break completely.

Y/N stood up suddenly, grabbing her hoodie and slipping it on. “I’ll be back soon,” she mumbled, not meeting their eyes as she made her way to the door.

“Be careful, okay?” Billie called after her, but Y/N was already out the door before she could answer.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Finneas let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. “She took money from my wallet,” he muttered, shaking his head. “She’s not just going for a walk.”

Billie’s eyes widened. “What? How much?”

“I don’t know. Enough that she’s planning on going somewhere, maybe buying something.”

Billie bit her lip, her mind racing. “She’s trying to act like she’s fine, but... she’s not. I don’t know what to do anymore, Finneas.”

“I know,” Finneas sighed, leaning against the counter. “But if we don’t keep an eye on her, who knows what could happen? She’s only sixteen, and she’s—”

“She’s spiraling,” Billie finished for him, her voice strained. “And now she’s sneaking around, taking money. What do we do?”

Finneas was silent for a moment, deep in thought. “We follow her.”

Billie blinked in surprise. “What?”

“We follow her,” he repeated. “She took money because she doesn’t want us to know where she’s going or what she’s doing. If we don’t find out, she could end up in real trouble.”

Billie hesitated. It felt like a breach of trust, like they were invading her privacy, but Y/N’s safety had to come first. She had already flinched at their attempts to help her, and now, with her taking money and sneaking out, they had to intervene.

“Okay,” Billie said finally, her voice shaky. “Let’s go.”

Without wasting another second, they grabbed their things and headed out after Y/N, keeping a careful distance so she wouldn’t notice them. They had to know what she was up to—what she was hiding.

Their little sister was lost, and they needed to find a way to bring her back before it was too late.