Page 30 of Falling Again For My Best Friend's Brother

I nearly choked on my tea. Leave it to Emily to cut right to the chase. "Ah... I think my current intention is to avoid further injuring you. And make you as comfortable as possible.”

"Lucky me, I have my very own knight in shining armor." Her eyes danced despite the pain she must have been in.

"At your service, my lady." I gave her a little mock bow, grinning. "Foot elevation and tea delivery included."

Amelia snorted with laughter as she reached for her mug. "Oh yes, such knightly duties. Forget slaying dragons. It's all about that tea service."

I feigned shock, clutching my chest dramatically. "Are you suggesting my tea isn't up to knightly standards?"

"Of course not," she giggled, sipping her tea. "You brew a mean chamomile, Sir Trevor."

I couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through my chest as we laughed. I was glad that Amelia was still in high spirits despite the accident.

"Do you wanna watch a show?" Amelia asked after

a few minutes of comfortable silence, her fingers tracing idly around the rim of her tea mug.

“Sounds good,” I replied, reaching for the remote, “Your pick.”

"How about a bit of 'Gardening Unleashed’? The competitors must do a DIY project using unconventional materials in a day."

"DIY gardening it is," I agreed, settling beside her on the couch, maintaining a respectful distance. For an hour or so, we laughed and commented on the outrageous designs.

"I should probably get started on dinner," I said, rising from the couch after the episode. "Any preferences?"

Amelia's eyes lit up. "Ooh, can we make that pasta dish you mentioned loving? The one with the sun-dried tomatoes and basil? I have all the ingredients."

I chuckled. "Ambitious, aren't we? Alright, one gourmet pasta coming right up. You sit tight and try not to break anything else while I'm gone."

"No promises!" Amelia called after me as I headed into the kitchen, shaking my head with a grin.

I began gathering ingredients, trying to navigate the unfamiliar space. “Where do you keep the lids for the pans?” I shouted to Amelia. A few minutes later, she hobbled in, insisting on helping despite my protests.

"You're supposed to be resting," I reminded her, exasperated but amused by her stubbornness.

"And miss out on all the fun? Not a chance," she retorted, hopping over to the counter on one foot.

What followed was a comical dance of near-disasters. I tried maneuvering around Amelia's crutches while she hopped from spot to spot, determined to be helpful. We bumped into each other constantly, apologies and laughter mingling.

Just as I reached for the basil, Amelia's crutch caught on the edge of the rug. She stumbled, flailing her arms for balance. Instinctively, I lunged to catch her, sending the container of flour flying in the process.

We stood there, frozen, as a cloud of white powder settled over us like snow. Amelia's face was a mask of shock, her dark hair now comically pale. I imagined I looked no better.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then, Amelia dissolved into a fit of giggles. I couldn't help it - I started laughing too, deep belly laughs that shook my whole frame.

"Well," Amelia managed between giggles, "I guess we can add 'flour fight' to our list of adventures."

I grinned, brushing a streak of white from her cheek. "Wouldn't be a proper dinner without a little chaos, right?"

She smiled up at me, eyes sparkling with delight. "Definitely not. But maybe we should clean up before round two."

Chuckling, I helped her brush the worst of the flour off, my heart doing that now-familiar flip in my chest at her closeness.

This woman was going to be the death of me. But looking at her flour-dusted face, her smile brighter than the sun... I couldn't bring myself to mind one bit.

After cleaning up the floury mess, we settled on the couch with our slightly lopsided but still edible dinner. A comfortable silence stretched between us as we ate, broken only by the clink of cutlery and Hero's occasional snuffling at our feet.

"So," Amelia said casually, "I heard you making some noises in your sleep while we were in the shelter. Like you were trying to scream or something."

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