Hostage to you

Am i crazy? Pt1

Billie's POV

I've been stuck in my head since that night with Raven. We were so close to kissing—like, ridiculously close—and then it all got interrupted. Now it's all I can think about.

I'm sitting at the kitchen table, absentmindedly pushing my cereal around with my spoon. I can hear Finneas and Claudia chatting in the living room, but I'm not paying much attention. The weight of what almost happened is sitting heavy in my chest, and I don't know how to deal with it.

Claudia walks into the kitchen first, sitting down across from me with a curious smile. "You good, Bill? You've been kinda quiet all morning."

I shrug, keeping my eyes on the bowl. "Yeah... I guess."

Before Claudia can say anything else, Finneas strolls in, grabbing a seat next to her. He leans back in the chair, giving me that knowing look that brothers always seem to have. "Alright, spill it. What's up?"

I bite my lip, fidgeting with the spoon in my cereal. "So... something happened the other night. With Raven."

That gets their attention. Claudia raises an eyebrow, leaning in a little. "Something?"

I nod, feeling my face heat up. "We almost... kissed."

Finneas' eyebrows shoot up, and Claudia's smile widens slightly, but she doesn't say anything yet. There's a brief silence before Finneas breaks it.

"You almost kissed Raven?" he repeats, leaning forward. "Like, what do you mean, almost?"

I let out a sigh, finally looking up at them. "We were stuck backstage, and it just... happened. We were so close, and then someone interrupted us."

Claudia tilts her head, her voice calm but curious. "And now you're freaking out about it?"

"Yeah," I mutter, pushing the cereal around the bowl again. "I don't know what to do. I mean, I've always liked Raven. She's... really cool. But now, after the almost-kiss, I'm all confused. What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I ruin everything?"

Finneas leans back, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, if you almost kissed, that's gotta mean something, right?"

"Maybe," I say, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. "But what if it's just nothing? I don't want to make it weird."

Claudia exchanges a quick glance with Finneas before turning back to me. "Billie, if you like her, you need to talk to her. Pretending it didn't happen isn't gonna fix anything."

"I know," I mumble, my voice small. "But I don't want to make things awkward."

Finneas snorts. "It's already awkward."

I roll my eyes, but he's not wrong. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

He grins. "Look, worst-case scenario, you talk to her, and yeah, maybe it's awkward for a bit. But best case? You two figure out what's going on. You won't know unless you try."

Claudia nods, her tone softer. "He's right, Billie. You don't have to figure it all out right away. But you can't leave it like this."

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. "I just don't want to mess it up. What if she doesn't feel the same, and I end up ruining everything?"

"You won't ruin anything," Claudia reassures me. "If she didn't feel something, she wouldn't have almost kissed you."

Finneas raises his eyebrows, smirking. "You're way too in your head about this, Bill. Just talk to her."

I laugh, but it's a little shaky. "Yeah, I guess."

I sit there for a moment, letting their words sink in. Maybe they're right. Maybe I just need to talk to Raven. But the thought of having that conversation—of actually putting myself out there—is terrifying.

Claudia gives me a warm smile. "You've got this."

I nod, even though the knot in my stomach is still there. It's easier said than done.