Smooth Sailing ✓ [Republishing]

26 | mango and pineapple

Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.

-Thomas Merton-
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- M A T T H E W -

"Remind me why you're not dating?" Nonna interrogated, sitting beside me on my bed. "You love her, she loves you—am I missing something here?"

I exhaled sharply, kicking my shoes off my feet and ruffling my hair. "It's not that simple, nonna. She wants to be friends." I released a short laugh, leaning against my headboard. "All I can do is respect that."

Her hand rested on top of mine and her other one pressed against my cheek. "Bambino, I'm proud of your virtues, but I've seen the way you are with Lila, you're happier with her."

"I am." I leaned into her hand, frowning. "But after the accident, everything changed, and I was stupid enough to believe that she cheated on me. I'm not even sure if she's forgiven me or not."

"Trust me, if a girl was angry with you, she wouldn't want to be anywhere near you." She leaned back, sighing. "I have half a mind to smack the sense back into you Matthew. Go get her back."

Reaching for my white cane, I hesitated before swallowing harshly and mustering up a false sense of confidence. "Yeah—I love her, and she loves me."

"Yes!" Nonna exclaimed, patting me on my back. "Yes she does."

I fumbled with my laces, bounding upwards with a skip in my step. But I faltered at the door. "Um, nonna?" a sheepish expression climbed onto my face. "How am I meant to get there?"

Hearing shuffling, I felt her beside me as she clapped down a hand on my shoulder. "I will be the carriage so you can get your Cinderella."

I couldn't help but laugh, bringing my grandma into a tight hug. Even it sounded incredibly cliché, I wanted to think that I was Lila's Prince Charming despite the fact that our relationship was far from a fairytale. Fairytales had happy endings—at least the Disney ones did—and I wasn't sure if I would have a happy ending.

But once I rapped my knuckles against her door, I put my mask and tried to appear as if I wasn't breaking inside. Being friends with someone I was irrevocably in love with was much harder than I had anticipated, and it broke me inside knowing I couldn't hold her in my arms.

"Matthew!" she exclaimed excitedly, painting a genuine grin on my face.

God, I'm so in love with you.

"From your tone, I'm going to guess that you've missed me." I inhibited the sigh that wanted to emerge as she brought me into a hug. A very platonic hug.

"I haven't seen you for three days. Were you sick?"

Her hands caressed my cheeks and I was unable to stop myself from leaning into her touch, frowning slightly. "My mom didn't want me to strain my stitches again."

Feeling her forehead touch mine, I felt my heart beat faster. Her close proximity allowed me to feel her eyelashes flutter against my nose. It took everything in me to not kiss her. My eyes closed of their own accord as I stepped back from her embrace.