Smooth Sailing ✓ [Republishing]

14 | red velvet and raspberry

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

-Aesop-
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To clear up any confusion you may have in this chapter, Matthew's dad is half Italian (from his mum's side) which explains why his last name isn't Italian. Angus is a Gaelic name :)

I would like to point out that the wattys are ending soon, so please share and vote and comment if you enjoy the story.

Also, I know that this book has been mostly cute/adorable/happy, but I have some pretty big things coming up, which means nothing stays perfect for ever, and this book will have heartbreaking moments to come ;)

- L I L A -

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Matthew smiled reassuringly and squeezed my hand. "Lila," he laughed softly, taking his glasses off and folding them before placing it in his pocket. "The date will be much more enjoyable if you just relax."

I grinned up at him, my breath hitching in my throat as he linked his arms around my waist, pulling me towards him. He gripped his white cane in his hand, causing it to press into my lower back. "So this is a date," I clarified, resting my arms on his shoulders. "What happened to us just hanging out?" My jokey tone was evident in my words as a soft sheen of red covered his cheeks.

"Well, it is just us hanging out, but if I were to kiss you, would that make it a date?" he asked, his grey eyes holding hints of mirth.

I shrugged my shoulders, the pads of my fingers resting at the nape of his neck. "I don't know," I replied, grinning. "Would it?"

Deciding that my response was undeserving of a verbal response, he rested his forehead on mine, leaning in slightly. Looking up at him, I noticed that I never took the time to actually register his eyes. Most of the time, all I saw was a dark grey, but up close I could see the colour was much like Katherine's, like a polished metal shard, with dark rimmed pupils.

Realising he wasn't going to make the first move, I raised my body slightly higher and pressed my lips to his for a short while. "I'm okay with this being a date."

He chuckled and tilted his head back. "A date this is, then." Taking my hand in his, he bit his lip and tilted his head to the side. "Was an amusement park a good idea?"

Angling my body to face him, a smile pulled at my lips. "Have you never been to one before?"

"I-I have—with Isaac, but it's not the same on a date, you know?" he responded, pausing for a moment and flashing me a charming grin. "I like the adrenaline when I'm on rides—"

His phone rang, interrupting him mid-sentence. He released his hold on my hand, pulling his phone from his pocket before answering it. I didn't pay attention to his phone call, but once he hung up, he turned to me with a disappointed expression.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, running a hand through his dark hair. "My family have this thing today, and I completely forgot,"

Masking my disappointment, I whisked a wayward strand of my hair behind my ear, and exhaled lightly. "It's alright, we can just do this another time."

He sighed dejectedly and pulled me into a hug, his hand smoothing down my hair. "I am really sorry, Lila." He breathed.

My cheeks probably warmed to the same colour as my hair, a wide grin plastered on my face once Matthew tilted his head down and kissed the bridge of my nose.