I can't help smiling and touch my lips which are still tingling from the kiss as I finally realise what all the confused thoughts and words jumbled in my head all came to form.

"I - I think I'm falling for Jake Henderson."

Rebecca just stares at me raising her eyebrow.

"And?" She looks at me as if I just told her last weeks news,"I mean it's good to hear you say it loud but I don't see the point."

"I just told you that I am possibly falling in love with Jake Henderson and that's your reaction?"I ask.

"Well, I thought you had already passed the falling in love stage." She says.

"Huh?" I say and she sighs as she grabs my hand and pulls me inside.

"Well, the first step is to admit it." She says.

"You make it sound like I'm doing drugs." I say rolling my eyes.

"Love and drugs, same thing." She says,"Both addictive and both dangerous."

"I didn't say that I was in love with him." I say,"I just think I really like him."

She rolls her eyes.

I know it's stupid but for me "falling for someone" is a big thing. Because I am falling for someone who is not Alec. But saying that I am falling for Jake Henderson is in a completely different tangent all together.

"If you are saying this to make me feel better about the Jeremy situation then-"

"No!" I interrupt,"I really actually mean it."

She smiles,"So say it again."

"What? Why?" I say,"I would have probably kept my shut the first time but I just blurted it out against my will."

"See?" Rebecca says almost jumping up,"You are still denying it."

"I'm not I'm just saying it's hard to say it loud." I respond.

"Is it because of Alec?" She says,"I mean come on! He has probably dated the entire planet leaving you out. Don't you think it's time to get over him. Completely?"

"And how do you propose me to do that?" I say frustrated,"It's not easy liking, no! more or less being in love with someone for so many years and just waking up one morning and saying I'm over him."

"But you are already getting there." She says,"The old infatuated Clara would never have the guts to shout at him or pick a fight with him. The old Clara would have blushed at every sentence he said."

"I still do." I deadpan.

"No, you don't." She says,"You tell him how you feel to his face. Well, at least when you are angry. Today was a fail though. I cannot believe you apologised for the fact that you don't like it that he slept with your sister. Now that was pathetic."

"I agree but it really is not my place-"

"Of course it is your place Clara." Rebecca more or less explodes,"If you don't like the fact that the person you used to love SLEEP with YOUR SISTER-"

"Fine I get the point and ever heard of being polite and not listening to other people's conversations?" I ask.

"Oh please it's me." She brushes it aside,"Now how sure are you that you are falling for Jake? Oh my god! You finally admitted now I can say it without you giving me a death glare."

I give her a pointed death glare.

"Can you please not say it loud." I say,"It makes it-"

"Real." She says seriously,"Because knowing you, you will probably deny and ignore this. You deny and ignore a lot of things Clara and you think if you can just forget about it and push it to the back of your mind then you can probably then you don't have to face what it really means"

I stare at her.

"You're right." I say,"But what's the point of complicating and overthinking about things when most of the times I read it wrong. The reason I actually fell in love with Alec was because I thought that all his small gestures actually meant that he did too. Now look, where it has gotten me."

"I've always told you that Alec has feelings for you that are not particularly sisterly." Rebecca then grins and says,"Pun intended. But even Jeremy thinks that he likes you. After you started dating Jake he was almost always in a bad mood and during practices he is the one who always picks a fight with Jake."

"They are stepbrothers." I state,"And they don't particularly like each other and I'm pretty sure that it's not all because of me."

"Look basically what I am trying to get at that Alec is like you." She says,"He also runs away from you. Every time you tell me about a moment you share he quickly deflects to another girl. Have you ever considered the fact that maybe he is scared of ruining what you have?"

"In your words he SLEPT with my SISTER AGAIN, I don't think it can get any worse than that." I say drily,"And aren't you supposed to be on Jake's side?"

"Im arguing from both so you can make an informed decision." She says.

"You make it seem like I am buying a car." I state.

She rolls her eyes in response.

"So what about Jake?" I say,"What do you have to say about him, oh great shrink."

"You lie." She says observing me,"You lie a lot when it comes to him. You usually don't lie but when it comes to him you lie and never tell the whole story."

I raise my eyebrow,"Why do you say that?"

"Well, for starters you lie about the fact that Alec was your first kiss." She states and I almost fall of the bed with shock.

"What?" I nervously laughing,"Why do you say that?"

"Well, you get fidgety and I guessed that if you are lying about it has probably something to do with Jake."

My mouth drops open,"H-How do you know that? D-Did he t-tell you?"

"Of course not." She says looking slightly hurt,"My observation skills are brilliant after years of stalking guys on the net."

"But I did tell you we kissed." I say trying to wrap my head around Rebecca's sudden transformation into Yoda.

"You said he kissed you on the cheek." Rebecca states.

I find myself biting my lip confused as to what I could say.

"Look." Rebecca says,"Honestly that's all I know about you and Jake. That you lie about him to everyone. I mean with Alec I have had two years to observe which mainly consists of you always happily telling us what happens between the two of you but with Jake you don't. Barely. Its like you are almost afraid if you acknowledge it, then it will just disappear."

I look at her trying to process what she is saying and for some reason it makes sense.

"What's your point?" I say.

"You are scared that you like Jake." She states.

I look at her unblinkingly trying to wrap my head around the pile of information she has dumped on me. That one sentence has turned my entire thinking and the more information I get, the more sure as well as unsure I get. Most of it makes sense and the part that doesn't is the part that I hope doesn't make sense.

Fuck she is right.

"Let me rephrase that sentence." I say slowly trying to wrap my head around the sentence I was going to say next,"I am scared of just how much I like him."

Now that I have said it out loud in front of somebody Rebecca is right. It feels real. Now I have nowhere to hide.

Oh god I sound like a nineties drama queen on drugs who is trying to act wise.

"No, you don't." Rebecca pipes and I bury my head into a pillow once I realise I said it out loud.

"I really should put duct tape on my mouth as well as my mind." I sigh,"Maybe then it will stop me from going and saying to Jake oh hey I know you used to annoy me and we have this total fake agreement of dating each other but like every other cliched book and movie I think I have started to like you."

"Yeah that does sound like something you may let slip." She says nodding and then laughs,"I can just imagine that scene."

"Well, now we know what's worse than the Cruciatus curse." I say giving her a sarcastic smile,"The curse of being a loud mouth."

"And you call me over dramatic."she says.

"You are. I never said I'm not." I say.

"Right cause you are the nineties drama queen on drugs who is trying to act wise." She replies and I laugh.

We sit in silence for a moment until she finally breaks it.

"What happened between you and Jake in camp?" She asks and I stare at her surprised.

"Why, do you say that anything happened?" I say,"And I told you about camp."

"But you didn't." She says,"You lied about the Jake kiss which was clearly more than a harmless kiss on the cheek and I can make out you omitted a lot of details. In that story you only told us everything Jake did to you never your reaction to it."

Okay seriously when did she become Sherlock Holmes? No wait I take that back nobody can be hot as Benedict Cumberbatch.

Well there was Jake......

Focus Clara!

"You're daydreaming again aren't you." Rebecca sighs.

"No! I'm not." I say little too quickly.

"I don't know why you are so scared of just admitting everything that happened between you." She says.

"I'm not." I say,"I just don't want to relive it."

"Liar." She says looking at my fidgety hands. She then stares at me as if daring me to contradict her.

"Fine." I say exasperated maybe I don't want to relive or remember what had happened.

"Oh come on Clara, don't you think it's about time you finally get over it?" She says.

I stare at her for a few seconds.

"Okay fine! Doctor Seuss you win." I say,"I'll tell you but you have to promise to say NOTHING after it. Or even mention it."

She has a smirk on her face as she says,"Deal."

______________________

"Jake, hurry up and come down, we have guests." Jeanine Henderson says impatiently tapping her shoes on the wooden floor. She looks exasperated standing in front of my sister and I , who were standing awkwardly with our suitcases in the hall.

"I trust you had a good flight?" She says smiling with a warmth that neither of is were accustomed to by our parents.

I give her nervous nod while my sister says with her usual flair,"Yes"

She seized the both of us. I couldn't help thinking how she saw us: The awkwardly tall girl with wild hair and zero dressing style and her older sister whose towered above the both of us with her high heels and bouncy blonde hair.

"Ok girls." Mrs Henderson says maintaining the smile she had,"I have to go but my son should join you in a few moments."

"Maria please show them to their room." She says to the quiet lady at the back,"And for the love of god tell Jake to come down!"

With that she leaves.

Maria takes our bags and is about to take a step when a huge white Labrador bounds in front of her making her trip but she manages to balance herself in the very last second but Michella isn't that lucky . The dog bounds ahead and Michella trips loosing her balance on the skyscrapers she called stilettos.

I let a small giggle and go down to my knees to pat the dog. I mess the fur behind his ears and mentally praise him for making my oh so graceful sister trip onto her face. I look up to see a boy standing in front of Michella. She looks absolutely horrified as she fumbles up and I hold back a loud giggle.

"Oh stupid dog." She says flustered.

The boy is dark haired with green eyes. He maybe good looking but he looked completely cold. Almost like a statue with zero expression. He was tall, even with Michella in her monumental heels he stood above her.

So this who Michella was talking about the entire flight? I didn't see it, I still preferred Alec over Jake Henderson any day of the week.

"Here Millie." He says looking at the dogs who gives me a big lick and wiggles out of my grip and runs to him. He bends down and for the first time his ice cold face breaks making him smile slightly as he pats the dog.

"Good girl." He says glancing at Michella clearly hinting that he didn't like her at all. Forget hinting, the face he makes looks like he just ate a year old cheese slic.

For the first time in a long time Michella flushes red and keeps quiet.

"Come on Millie." He says standing up. The dog circles around me barking as if motioning me to join but I stay planted at my place as Jake's green eyes gave me a once over finally regarding me. His expression doesn't give away anything as he glances away going up the large staircase with the dog behind him.

"Sir." Maria calls after him.

"It's Jake." The boy says turning,"I am not my father."

"Jake." Maria nods,"Your mother -"

He takes a 180 turns and climbs up the stairs before she can finish.

"Wow Jake was little Miss attitude wasn't he?" Rebecca says.

"Hey I was in the middle of saying a story."I exclaim.

"Really it was getting boring." She states,"These days Michella gets those looks left right and center. Maybe at the time they were a novelty but right now..."

She trails off looking at my very pointed expression directed her way and sighs as she says,"Continue."

"So like I was saying he ignored me. I barely ever saw him and I was kind of indifferent to him but to my sister it was another matter exactly...."

"Oh my god I embarrassed myself in front of him." She says giving her signature pout slash smirk slash superior look as she looks into the mirror doing the final touch ups to her make up.

"It's all because of the stupid dog." She says continuing on not understanding that no one gives a fuck.

"Leave the dog be." I say,"And besides if you really want to impress him then you have to be nice to the dog. Simple fact."

"Well, then why isn't he currently all over you?" She asks her eyebrows raised.

"Well, maybe if I showed any interest." I say,"But you know I only like-"

"Alec." She finishes,"I know. Thanks for the tip though I'll keep it in mind, sis."

"Wait. Wait. Hold it." Rebecca says and I sigh,"Did you and your sister have a civilised conversation in which you gave her advice?"

I roll my eyes,"We could tolerate each other once upon a time. She used to be her usual bitchy self but she did show that occasional kind side of her that has now vanished."

"Any idea why?" She asks and my eyes considerably darken.

I think carefuly before I answer.

"Yes. But it's not my place to tell. I learnt that long ago." I say almost bitterly.

"Ok." Rebecca says sensing my change in mood,"Carry on."

"It was probably two or three days that we had arrived that anything interesting happen. All happened in those days was Michella desperately trying to Jake's attention and Jake ignoring everyone in a two mile radius. My parents gave us the usual lecture of being polite and kind and my mom obviously looked down at the outfit I had chosen in distaste..."

I didn't meant to eavesdrop but Millie had come to my room with a ball and I followed her through the halls as she chased after it eagerly. She stopped in front of a door her ears gone completley straight and my curiousity won over making me stop too.

"Jake, its final, you are going." Jeanine Henderson's voice says.

"It's a stupid summer camp. That nobody cares about." Jake replies his voice cold and arrogant as always.

"Jake. It will help and you have no choice but to go." She says equally stern.

"And what, you are going to make me?" He says his voice clear with amusement.

"Yes, we are going to make you." A new voice joined the conversation and I recognised it as Mr. Henderson voice. I had barely seen the man but the once he had come out his deep resonating voice had almost burned itself into my memory.

I don't hear any reply from Jake's side as his father continues,"It's about time you get away from here Jake, where everything and anything is given to you at your will and command. You have become to stuck up and arrogant for your own good."

This time Jake sneers and replies,"Just like you."

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation as Millie took off running and the last thing I wanted to do was get caught eavesdropping on people I didn't know anything about. So I ran after Millie.

During dinner time the conversation was all I could really think about. Neither Jake nor his father was present and neither was mine. My mother and Mrs Henderson were chatting animatedly about something while Michella was busy texting.

"So Clara is also fourteen?" Mrs Henderson asks.

Michella looks up with a slightly sour look on her face but she quickly brushes it off and goes back to texting.

"Yes, she is going to high school this fall." My mom says for me.

"Oh?" Mrs Henderson gazes at me,"Even Jake is going to be a freshman this year, Clara."

"Oh really?" I say trying to sound as if I am interested,"I didn't know."

I can see my sister smirking as she knows I am lying. After all Michella knew everything about Jake Henderson a person could know about and during the flight the fact that he was my age had come up several times.

"Yes." Mrs Henderson continues on,"In fact I was thinking maybe that you could accompany him to this summer camp. After all it will be extremely boring here for fourteen year olds with the formal events and functions."

"Wait." Rebecca says halting me,"Mrs Henderson suggested that you should go with Jake?"

"Yup." I say nodding.

"Shouldn't your mother say no, then?" She asks,"She hates Jake."

"Not true." I say.

"It was actually because of her the entire fake dating thing started really." I say realising it now,"If she had never said the two happy couples Natalie would have never laughed and Jake wouldn't have had the brilliant idea either."

"Then whats with the sudden change in attitude?" Rebecca asks.

"I will be damned if I know."

"Well, anyway can you please skip to the Jake parts this story is putting me to sleep." She says yawning.

I roll my eyes and say,"Fine."

"So basically after my mom very enthusiastically agreed I really had no choice. I did beg a lot but she said no and I knew I had no choice to go. Michella wasn't to happy about it either about the fact that I was left alone with Jake for an entire summer but she really had no choice but to accept it. I don't think Jake really found out or cared about the fact that I was coming until he saw me with my suitcase waiting for the car..."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Were his first words or even acknowledgment to the fact that I was living in the same house as him.

"She is coming with you." His mom states.

For some reason that piques his interest he stares at me suddenly amused and interested.

"She?" He says,"What has she done to be sent to exile?"

"Jake, like I told you before stop over exaggerating." His mom says exasperated.

"Whatever." Jake rolls his eyes his interest gone in me as suddenly it came.

"I'm sorry Clara." His mom apologises for a moment I think it's because of her son but then she quickly says,"Your parents were busy so they couldn't come to see you off."

"Thats okay." I say, after all I was quite used to it so it wasn't the big deal.

"Here comes the car." Jake says with mock enthusiasm.