Page 51 of Falling Again For My Best Friend's Brother

With my love, my partner, my forever. And I couldn't wait to see what the future held.

Chapter twenty-two

Trevor

The fall festival grounds buzzed with excitement as Amelia and I arrived, the rising sun painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. My muscles ached from our late-night butterfly transfer, but the thrill of what we'd accomplished overshadowed any fatigue.

As we unloaded the educational posters from Amelia's car, memories of our first garden encounter flooded back. Hero's destructive rampage through Amelia's carefully tended plants, her fiery glare, those sharp words... We'd come so far since then.

"Earth to Trevor." Amelia waved a poster in front of my face. "These signs won't hang themselves."

I blinked, snapping back to reality. "Sorry, just thinking about how much has changed since that first day in the garden."

Amelia's eyes softened. "We've come a long way, haven't we? From mortal enemies to..."

"Partners in crime?" I supplied with a grin.

Her melodic laugh sent my heart into overdrive.

With the posters hung, we strolled through the bustling fairgrounds. Kids in butterfly costumes zoomed past, their laughter mingling with the cheerful music. The aroma of caramel apples and cinnamon donuts made my stomach growl embarrassingly loud.

Amelia's eyebrow arched. "Hungry?"

"Starving. How about we share a caramel apple?"

At the stand, I chose the biggest, most decadent-looking apple and held it out to Amelia.

"Ladies first."

She rolled her eyes but leaned in, sinking her teeth into the sticky sweetness. I followed suit, our noses nearly touching as we savored the treat. Amelia's cheeks flushed, and I couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she looked, even with caramel smudged on her lip.

Just as I opened my mouth to say something undoubtedly cheesy, a small boy in a butterfly costume suddenly tumbled into a nearby leaf pile, his wings askew. We rushed over to help.

"Hey there, little guy. That was quite a tumble. You okay?"

The boy nodded, his bottom lip quivering.

Amelia knelt beside him. "Those are some impressive wings you've got there. I bet you're the fastest butterfly in all of Rivermint Cove!"

The boy's face lit up. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," I chimed in. " I think I saw you flying circles around the other butterflies earlier."

Giggling, the boy flapped his arms and zoomed off.

Amelia and I smiled as I ate the last bite of the caramel apple.

A commotion nearby drew our attention. Mayor Fletcher and Grace approached their homemade butterfly costumes, flapping in the breeze. The mayor's antennae bobbed comically as he walked, while Grace's wingspan threatened to take out unsuspecting bystanders.

"Listen up, everyone!" Mayor Fletcher's voice carried across the festival grounds. "It's time for the moment we've all been waiting for - the butterfly release!"

As the mayor launched into an enthusiastic explanation, his antennae tangled with Grace's wings. They stumbled, a mess of fabric and pipe cleaners. I glanced at Amelia, barely suppressing a grin.

"Duty calls," I whispered, stepping forward to help untangle them.

The nearby festival-goers laughed as I carefully separated the mayor's antennae from Grace's wings.

Mayor Fletcher, undeterred, continued his speech, gesticulating wildly. I stepped back over to stand by Amelia.

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