"That was out of your control. The wind blew your hair into my open mouth. There was nothing you could do about that. Remember that not everything that happens around you is your fault," Matthew states softly.
She turns around a little in his arms to rest her head on his chest and just watch the flames. "Riley's probably worrying about you," She says.
Matthew smiles slightly. "No she isn't. When you were asleep she managed to catch up with us and she said she was going back to school. I can look after myself, I'm a big boy after all," Matthew jokes.
She smiles a little. "So I get you to myself a while longer?" She asks him looking at him shyly from under her lashes.
"S-Sorry," She widens her eyes as she realises what she said and steps out of his arms sitting over the opposite side of the fire.
Matthew sighs quietly before kneeling with both knees and resting his bum on his heels. Gently he takes her hands in his, watching her eyes. "Lils, it's okay. You don't need to keep apologising. I made that too forward; you weren't at fault," Matthew whispers, squeezing her hands in reassurance.
"Lils please listen to me. That was my fault; I'm sorry," Matthew pleads, getting up and grabbing her hand again gently.
Matthew steps forward, wrapping his arms around her waist quickly. He kisses her forehead before tilting her chin up to look at him gently with a finger. "And everything else that happened isn't your fault either. Don't beat yourself up about it," Matthew whispers.
"Lils stop it please," Matthew replies. He cups her jaw with a hand, brushing her cheek gently with his thumb. "Stop beating yourself up. Things happen, it's dealt with, life goes on."
Lily looks at him straight in the eyes. "Matthew, I watched my parents die, I don't know exactly how I'm meant to move forwards from that, they were murdered and all I could do was hide," she looks away from him.
"If you didn't hide, would you be here? Would you be surrounded by your friends who are trying to help you? Would you be here with me?" Matthew leans down and whispers in her ear.
"The only people I count as friends are you and Riley and I'm messing that one up pretty well," She says still looking away.
"I have an even better question; would your parents want you still beating yourself up over what happened to them? I'm sure they would have rather had you live from hiding than staying with them and being murdered like them," Matthew whispers, rubbing Lily's back gently in a comforting motion.
Matthew kisses the top of her head, tightening his arms around her. "Things happen for a reason and they make you stronger," Matthew comments.