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anything."
    Stepsister
, I mentally corrected. "Not this."
    "Tilly." Ella sounded determined. "Look at me." This time her hand wasn't gentle and she forced me to turn over. "Tell me."
    Suddenly I wanted to tell her. It probably wasn't fair to unburden it on her, to let her know how I'd betrayed her, but I so wanted to tell someone what I felt, all the things I'd been dealing with on my own. I'd never told a single soul and I thought maybe if I told Ella, it might not be so hard to cope with.
    I explained how I had had detention, and gave her all the gory details of how Jake came in and what he said and what I'd said.
    "Wow." Ella sat thoughtfully for a moment. "He was out of line, but I don't understand why it would make you this upset. It sounds like you held your own."
    The moment had come. The one I'd been avoiding for so very long. I never thought I would have to tell Ella how I felt about Jake. I quickly sat straight up and looked down at my hands.
    This was it.
    I was going to just say it.
    It couldn't be that hard, right?
    Finally, I let out a long breath. "I was so upset because… because…
I'minlovewithJakeKingston
." The words came out as fast as I could force them out.
    Ella blinked several times. Then she said, "What?" Only she managed to take that one word and stretch it out to like six syllables.
    I nodded to let her know she'd heard me right. It had been easier than I thought. And it helped that her hands weren't wrapped around my neck choking the life out of me, which is most likely what I would have done had our situations been reversed.
    "You're in love with Jake?" she clarified. I nodded again. "For how long?"
    "Since I was nine."
    She looked thoughtful. "And you've never been interested in any other guy?"
    "I've never even kissed…" Suddenly realizing what I was admitting to, I looked down and could feel my cheeks turning hotter.
    "I mean, Spin the Bottle yes, but not for real." I risked glancing at her face. She seemed stunned.
    "How could I with a mouth full of metal?" I said in my defense. That made Ella smile. I had certainly needed those braces. My dad once said that we have the Austin Powers gene when it comes to teeth, which I didn't get and had to go to YouTube to understand. "But now that those suckers are off, I make no promises about retaining the virtue of my lips."
    Ella giggled, and the awkward moment was over. Until she said, "I can't believe that you and Trent have never kissed."
    "Me and Trent? Seriously? Ugh. It would be like kissing a brother." I mean, I can sort of see the appeal. I know there had been girls who have liked him, but he never seemed to notice anyone in return. It was sort of what made us friends. We both hated everyone.
    We sat in silence for a little while. I started to sniff and Ella got up to grab me some tissues. She handed me the box and said, "I don't think I've ever seen Jake mad about anything before."
    "Apparently, I'm the only one who gets to see that delightful side of him."
    She watched me with a weird expression on her face. "No, it just reminds me of that saying about there being a fine line between love and hate."
    I couldn't help it. I snorted. She was so very delusional. It was just like Ella to take a bad situation and try to spin it into a fairy tale.
    "It makes sense. Boys like girls like me in high school. They like girls like you once they grow up. The good ones do, anyway."
    I didn't feel like again explaining to Ella about how the real world works for those of us who don't look like supermodels. Prince Charmings were only interested in Cinderellas.
    "This must have been really hard on you." She gave me a little hug and then said, "So now all I have to do is break up with him."
    Of all the responses I'd imagined Ella having to my confession I can honestly say that was the only one I hadn't ever considered.
    Now it was my turn to say, "What?" in disbelief.
    She just smiled at me.
    "Girl slash Stepsister Code says that even if you break up with Jake