Opening
Chapters 16–20 shift from fracture to repair. As Becca and Brett stop pretending—at home and with each other—their fake relationship turns real, and both face the hardest truths in their families to finally move forward.
What Happens
Chapter 16: An Earthquake Had Rocked Through My Life
From Brett Wells’s point of view, a family therapy session boils over. While his parents, Thomas Wells and Willa Wells, try to engage, Brett sits closed off until he snaps that the only way to fix their broken home is for his father to leave for good. The silent car ride home stretches the tension, underscoring the ache of Family Dysfunction and Secrets.
At home, Willa confides she still loves Thomas—“you can’t shut off eighteen years of loving someone because of one mistake”—laying bare the complexity of The Nature of Love and Heartbreak. Brett splits his life in two: the chaos of home and the façade at school. He regrets asking Becca Hart for space, fails a major English essay, tanks his grade, and gets suspended from football. When his friend Jeff checks in, Brett lies that he’s fine, isolating himself from everyone but the one person he pushed away.
Chapter 17: Allies Don’t Abandon Each Other
From Becca’s perspective, she steels herself to talk to Brett and define what they are. Her growing friendship with Jenny McHenry boosts her confidence—but Brett isn’t at school. Anxiety builds as she waits by the football field; he skips practice too.
Jeff finally tells her Brett’s been suspended for failing English. Hurt that he didn’t ask her for help—and aware she’s been avoiding him—Becca decides his need overrides his “space” rule. Jeff drives her to Brett’s house. When Brett answers, disheveled and exhausted, Becca strides in with textbooks. “You’re failing English,” she announces. She’s done standing on the sidelines; she’s here to be his ally.
Chapter 18: Only Real from Here on Out
In Brett’s kitchen, Becca sets up a study triage. She critiques his essay, then softens when he admits he was up all night with his mom. They work, order pizza, and slowly slip back into an easy rhythm. When they pause, Brett admits he was wrong to ask for space—she’s the one person he doesn’t want space from. Their partnership sheds pretense, pushing the story from performance to truth and deepening the theme of Appearance vs. Reality.
To thank her, Brett takes Becca to Finch’s, the local bookstore—his first date designed just for her. On a bench outside with new books in hand, Becca asks if his feelings are real. Brett lists the quirky, specific things he loves about her and calls her the only clear part of his life. He asks for another chance: “No more pretending… Only real from here on out.” Their first unambiguously genuine kiss follows, which Brett rates “an eleven.”
Chapter 19: A Heart as Big as Yours
Getting ready for a date, Brett digs through his messy room and finds a childhood memory box with photos of him and Thomas. Nostalgia hits hard. Willa joins him, and as they look through the past, Brett asks what she would do if she didn’t have to worry about him. She says she’d stay with Thomas because she still loves him and believes he’s truly sorry.
This conversation catalyzes Brett’s Coming of Age and Self-Discovery. He recognizes how focused he’s been on his own anger and decides to support whatever his mother chooses—even if that means letting his father come home. When Becca arrives, she’s forgotten their date. He doesn’t mind. In the kitchen with Becca and her mom, Amy Hart, they bake together, and Amy’s comment about having “an eye for bringing together unnatural pairings” gently mirrors Becca and Brett’s unlikely fit.
Chapter 20: The Upside
After helping at the bakery, Becca sees a happy family and realizes she needs to face her past to embrace her future. She runs through the rain to her father’s house, confronts him and his new family, and tells him she forgives him—not for his sake, but to release the weight she’s carried so she can fully fall in love. She leaves feeling cleansed.
Soaked, Becca runs to Brett’s and kisses him. Inside, Thomas is home. Brett introduces Becca as his girlfriend, and the four of them watch a movie—an imperfect but healing tableau. Later, on the backyard swing, Brett and Becca say “I love you.” Becca tells him that with all the downsides of love, he’s shown her the upside. They sleep together for the first time. Afterward, Brett reads a Goosebumps book aloud, then says, “I need you to know that this is real,” sealing their shift from pretend to true.
Character Development
Both protagonists move from avoidance to action, choosing honesty over performance and empathy over anger.
- Becca Hart: Stops hiding from pain and initiates repair—first with Brett, then with her father. Forgiveness frees her to love fully and define her own future.
- Brett Wells: Trades resentment for responsibility. He prioritizes his mother’s happiness, communicates clearly with Becca, and welcomes vulnerability as his family begins to mend.
- Willa Wells: Claims her complicated love for Thomas and her right to choose, guiding Brett toward a nuanced understanding of adult relationships.
- Thomas Wells: Begins reintegration; his return home tests and strengthens the family’s commitment to rebuild.
Themes & Symbols
Love, truth, and growth drive these chapters. Coming of age hinges on hard conversations: Brett accepts that maturity means centering others’ needs, not just his pain; Becca reclaims her story by forgiving her father and refusing to let abandonment define her. The nature of love shows up as messy and resilient—Willa’s forgiveness, Becca and Brett’s honesty, and the pair’s decision to be “only real” demonstrate that love survives not by pretending but by telling the truth.
Family dysfunction moves from secrecy to transparency. Therapy forces things into the open; Brett’s choice to support Willa enables a new, imperfect unity. Appearance gives way to reality as their fake dating ends and genuine intimacy begins, echoed in small acts—pizza, books, a movie night—that feel ordinary and therefore real.
Symbols sharpen the turn. Rain twice becomes a cleansing agent, marking Becca’s release of past hurt and a fresh start with Brett. The memory box collapses time, letting Brett see his father as both the man who hurt them and the dad he loved, opening space for reconciliation.
Key Quotes
“You can’t shut off eighteen years of loving someone because of one mistake.”
- Willa reframes love as endurance rather than denial. Her honesty teaches Brett that forgiveness can coexist with pain and that adult decisions rarely fit neat moral binaries.
“You’re failing English.”
- Becca’s blunt entrance cuts through avoidance. She reclaims the role of ally and signals that real partnership means showing up when it’s hardest.
“No more pretending… Only real from here on out.”
- Brett names the book’s central transformation: ending performance in favor of truth. It’s a vow to Becca and a thesis for the novel’s final act.
He rates their kiss “an eleven.”
- The hyperbolic rating captures teenage intensity while marking a tonal shift from staged affection to authentic connection.
“With all the downsides of love, you managed to show me the upside.”
- Becca articulates the book’s promise: love’s risks are worth it when honesty and mutual care are present.
“I need you to know that this is real.”
- Brett closes the loop begun by the fake-dating premise. He replaces spectacle with intimate certainty—quiet, domestic, and true.
Why This Matters and Section Significance
These chapters serve as the emotional climax. Becca and Brett confront the wounds that fueled their pretending—her father’s abandonment and his family’s fracture—and choose vulnerability over withdrawal. Their romance shifts from a protective lie to a sustaining truth, and their families begin moving from secrecy to hard-earned transparency.
By forgiving, supporting, and speaking plainly, both characters earn the right to the book’s title: they find the upside of falling—love that feels steady not because it’s perfect, but because it’s real.