Page 47 of Falling Like Leaves (Bramble Falls #1)

After staying up all night, I meet Sloane at the high school with the dozens of other people participating in the parade.

“People are staring at you,” she giggles as I waddle over to her. Her eyes trail down my getup—a giant, bright orange circle, covered in fabric that’s folded and sewn together to look like Oreos, with orange spandex arms and legs attached.

Cooper’s favorite Oreo Creamsicle cookie.

“I know,” I say, a blush spreading across my cheeks. From somewhere in the crowd, Aunt Naomi shouts a ten-minute warning. “Where is he? This thing is starting soon.”

“He said he’d meet me here early so he could change into his cookie costume,” she says, searching the parking lot for his truck. “He’s late, but he’ll be here any second. He wouldn’t miss it.” Her green prosthetic witch nose peels up a bit when she smiles. “I still can’t believe you’re doing this.”

I laugh. “I can’t either, to be honest.”

“It’ll be worth it,” she says.

“I hope so.”

Sloane hugs me. “Worst-case scenario, we eat chocolate Pop-Tarts and watch Practical Magic for the fiftieth time tonight.”

I hug her back. “Thank you. For everything.”

She lets me go. “You’d do the same for me.”

My whole chest expands. It means so much that she knows that. I don’t know if it would have been true when I came here, but this place and these people have become important to me. I would do anything for them.

And I hope Cooper sees that today.

A few minutes later, he pulls in and parks in his assigned spot, immediately garnering attention. As people surround it, pointing and smiling at the quirky décor we worked so hard on, Cooper gets out with shower-dampened hair, gray sweatpants, and his blue Bramble Falls High hoodie.

God, he looks good.

“Okay, it’s time,” Sloane squeals. “You’ve got this.”

My palms are suddenly sweaty, and my heart races as I head toward him, forcing one foot in front of the other.

He climbs onto the float and searches the crowd, presumably for Sloane, who was supposed to bring his costume.

When he spots me, he freezes. If I weren’t tottering over wearing his costume, I’m sure he’d jump out of the truck and make a break for it to avoid me.

But instead he stares, his expression seeming torn between annoyed and amused.

When I finally reach him, he looks down at me and he sighs. “What are you doing, Ellis?”

“I was hoping you’d give me three minutes of your time. I just have to say something, and then I promise I will truly leave you alone if that’s what you want.”

“There’s nothing left to say,” he says, looking everywhere but my eyes. “Why don’t you get that?”

“Please, Coop.” I’m not above getting on my knees and begging at this point, but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.

He hesitates, then says, “Fine. You have two minutes.”

“Can you come down here?” I ask. He stares at me, jaw clenched, not budging.

Okay, then.

I take a deep breath, trying to fight the nerves curdling in the pit of my stomach.

“You were right about me,” I begin. “About everything. I’ve spent my whole life not really knowing who I am.

Instead I’ve been the person I thought I should be, working toward dreams that weren’t even mine to begin with.

I’ve been awful to the people who’ve been there for me through all of it, and I’ve never allowed myself to get attached to anyone or anything that might hinder me from reaching my goals. Until I came here.

“You once said we have to chase after the things we want. It took me far too long to figure out that I wasn’t doing that.

Because what I want is to go to school for fashion, not journalism.

I want to be in Bramble Falls until college.

And I want you , the most thoughtful, the most fiercely loyal person I’ve ever met.

You dream big and face your fears and take risks even when you might fail—and even when you’re likely to end up heartbroken.

You’re my biggest inspiration to be better and bolder, and I would chase you forever if it meant you forgiving me for leaving, for ruining what we had.

“I messed up, and I know I deserve to deal with the consequences. But I’m really hoping those consequences don’t involve losing you forever.

If it’s too late, I’ll stop chasing you, if that’s really what you want.

But I don’t think fourteen-year-old Cooper was wrong about us, and I hope you won’t give up on me just yet. ”

He stands there, looking dumbstruck. When he opens his mouth, I suddenly remember what I’m holding.

“Wait, just… one more thing. Sorry. I promise I’m done after this. But I made you something.” I take a step forward and pass the bundle up to him.

He takes it and shakes out the bunched-up fabric to reveal his present. “A new apron.”

I nod. “A new apron with company branding.” He looks at me, then back at the Cooper’s Cookie Co. logo. “Obviously, I have no idea what you plan to call your bakery, but I thought—”

The sharp bark of a megaphone interrupts me. We both jump and turn toward the sound.

“All right, one minute until go time, everyone!” Aunt Naomi shouts.

“I said some really mean things to you,” Cooper says, ignoring Aunt Naomi’s warning.

“Nothing that was untrue.”

“That’s the thing….” He bites his lip. “I don’t think you’re selfish, or that you only think of yourself.

You showed up for your aunt at a ton of festival events this fall.

You let Jake copy off your tests for the last two months so he wouldn’t fail the class because he’s lazy, you helped me with my float, and now this ,” he says, holding up the apron.

“I was upset, and I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry. ”

I shake my head. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Coop. And if you apologize again, I’m going to throw you off your float once we get moving.”

He grins as Naomi chirps out a two-minute warning. Then his brow furrows. “Wait. Once we get moving?”

“Well, yeah. If you’ll have me. I mean, I am dressed for it.”

His eyes dip to my costume. “But you look ridiculous.”

“I know,” I laugh, glancing at Sloane as she slips into the front seat of the truck.

“You said you wouldn’t wear it in the parade because it’d be embarrassing,” Cooper says.

“It is embarrassing,” I confirm. “But you’re worth it.”

A storm of unreadable thoughts and emotions thunders through his amber eyes. Then, finally, he says, “I don’t want you to chase me anymore.”

I stand there almost dazed, my heart shattering into a million pieces.

But I came mentally prepared for this possible outcome.

“Oh. Um, okay. I get it.” I nod, blinking fast so I don’t cry.

Because even if Mom’s right and it’s okay to feel my feelings, I draw the line at crying in front of half the people in this town while wearing a ridiculous orange cookie costume.

“I won’t, then. Good luck with the parade. ”

The truck begins to pull away, and Sloane sticks her head out the window, calling behind her. “I’m sorry, Ellis. My mom will kill me if I hold up the parade.”

I nod as I stumble backward. Then I turn to leave. Because Cooper was right—there’s nothing left to say. There’s nothing else to do.

But a few seconds later, a hand wraps around my wrist. I whip around. Cooper.

I glance at his float inching along Oak Avenue, and my eyes widen. “The parade is leaving without you. What are you doing?”

Cooper’s lips slam into mine, and suddenly nothing else matters—not the parade, not the fact that I’m wearing this outlandish costume, not the whooping coming from the floats passing by. Time stands still. The ground beneath us shifts. My stomach swoops, and my heart melts.

When he pulls away, he rests his forehead on mine. “I meant I didn’t want you to chase me anymore because I don’t want to be running. I just want to be with you.”

“You do?” A slow, hesitant smile nudges at my lips.

“Always.”

I kiss him again, even though I can’t stop grinning.

He pulls away, and I take the apron from his hand. I loop it over his head, and he arches an eyebrow at me.

“Go catch your float, and wear it,” I tell him. “It’s great for advertising. Plus, you’ll look more professional handing out your cookies in it, considering you showed up in sweatpants.”

“In my defense, I wasn’t expecting someone to hijack my costume.”

I shrug. “Sort of glad I did now. You look hot in sweatpants.”

He flashes me a dimpled grin and pulls me in for one more kiss before turning around and kneeling in front of me.

“What are you doing?”

“We’ve got a float to catch and cookies to hand out,” he says. “Hop on.”

I laugh and climb onto his back. Doing his best not to ruin the costume, Cooper holds on to my legs and jogs us back to his truck.

An hour later, the parade is over and we’re at the town square, now free of our costumes.

“Ready to check out this festival?” Cooper asks, coming up behind me and sliding his arm around my waist.

While I was working tirelessly to make Cooper’s apron last night, dozens of volunteers turned this place into an autumn utopia.

There are pumpkins everywhere, a petting zoo is now set up next to the leaf-garland-covered gazebo, and a DJ sits just on the edge of the lawn taking requests.

There are vendors everywhere selling Falling Leaves Festival sweatshirts, scarves, and socks, apple cider, coffee, and pies.

Games and activities, including apple bobbing and face painting, are set up on the lawn and lining the sidewalks.

It’s beautiful. But the best part is the people. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over how much I’ve come to love this little community.

“Sure, but I need to find Fern first.”

Cooper points to where Fern is sitting next to Jake at a picnic table in the shut-down street, and I pull him over to her.

“What’s she doing here, anyway?” he asks.

“Making Falling Leaves Festival posts,” I tell him.

“Why?”

“Because tourism is good for generating money, and Fern’s videos go viral every time. She’s declared Bramble Falls a must-visit destination.” I turn to face him. “Which is also why I had her make a video about your cookies.”

“Um, what?”

“It’s not a charity offering,” I quickly clarify. “I swear Fern literally could not stop talking about that lemon cookie you gave her when she visited. And now, whenever you’re ready to sell them beyond the Caffeinated Cat, people will know your name. Just wait until you open your bakery.”

He smiles and leans in to kiss me. “God, I love you.” His smile falls as he rears back, like he surprised himself. “I mean—”

“I love you too,” I tell him easily.

His eyes widen. “You… do…?”

“Always.”

He grins just before his lips crash into mine.

“Okay, you two, stop making me puke in my mouth,” Fern teases as she approaches.

Cooper lets me go, and I turn my attention to Fern. “Thank you so much, Fernie,” I say, pulling her into a tight hug. “I owe you.”

She squeezes me before dropping her arms and looking at me with a familiar glint in her eye—my best friend is in her element .

“Owe me ?” she exclaims. “I should be thanking you! People are going absolutely berserk for this content. I’ve already had two reels go viral from this morning alone.

I’m gonna milk this place for all it’s worth, starting with Cooper’s Cookies. ”

As she grabs Cooper by the arm and drags him back toward his float, he looks over his shoulder and shoots me a wink, once again awakening those pesky butterflies in my stomach.

My lips turn upward in an unbridled grin, and I close my eyes, trying to savor this moment—the chilly breeze on my skin, the crunchy leaves beneath my boots, the smell of cinnamon and apple, the sound of laughter—because I truly can’t remember the last time I was this happy.

And while Fern gets him posed for some photos, I open my eyes to savor the sight of the beautiful boy from Bramble Falls who captured my heart one autumn day at a time.