Page 41 of The Pursuit of Happiness

He sets it down on the table and answers, “It’s just whiskey. Neat, nothing in it.”

That’s what I thought it was but I wasn’t sure if it was whiskey or bourbon. Or even brandy. “That’s Brody’s favorite too.” I realize the mistake I made and correct myself, “Well, it was. Before…”

He caresses my shoulder with the fingers of the arm slouched around my back on the couch. “I knew what you meant.”

My phone vibrates with a message from inside my purse and I retrieve it and roll my eyes as soon as I see who it’s from. Sly takes a peek over my shoulder, “Who is it?”

I turn my phone so he can read the message. “Selene. She wants us to post a picture together on both of our accounts.”

He nods, removing his phone from his pocket and unlocking it. He opens Instagram and opens the camera feature. “Smile,” he commands and I do, just as he turns his head and kisses my temple. I melt into him and instantly feel disappointment when he removes his lips from my skin and focuses on the image on his screen. He tilts the phone my way, “What do you think?” He asks, a smile in his voice.

The picture is adorable. I look genuinely happy in the photo and I realize that I was. Iam. I nod, grinning like a teenager with a crush, “I think it’s perfect. Send it to me,” I pat his thigh in approval.

He shifts, “Maybe don’t touch my thigh like that, Kane.”

I furrow my brows, “Why?”

He gives me a look that says the answer is obvious, “Because I’d prefer not to be rock hard in this club right now.”

I instantly remove my hand and feel my cheeks turning bright red. I occupy myself by opening Instagram on my phone as I whisper, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he whispers back.

I look up at him, changing the subject with, “Should we use the same picture for mine or take a different one.”

“Selene probably wants us to take as many as possible so let’s take a new one,” he contemplates.

I nod, “What should we do?”

He grabs my phone and reaches it out to Nate, “Hey Nate, take a pic of us, will you?”

Nate grabs my phone and nods, rising from his seat. He takes a few steps to the side so that he stands facing us head on and holds the phone out, ready to snap pictures. I look at Sly, “What are we doing?”

Sly grabs my jaw in his hand and lowers his face so that our mouths are only inches apart. He closes the distance between our mouths, pressing our lips together in a chaste kiss. At first I’m shocked, but I relax into him, already familiar with the feeling of his lips on mine.

“Got it,” Nate asserts and I retreat from Sly’s mouth and reach for my phone. He hands it to me and I thank him before he sits down and resumes conversation with Miles.

I assess the image on my phone and feel those damn butterflies going crazy in my stomach. I swear you’d think I was an adult virgin with how excited I get by just looking at a picture of me kissing Sly. He leans his head into mine to get a better look at the picture before he nods, “I approve.”

I feel a faint smile tugging at my lips as I look at the picture. The way my body is so relaxed around him, the way his body molds around mine, how perfectly we fit together, howgoodwe look together. My attraction for Sly was never questionable. I’m undoubtedly attracted to him but somewhere along the way the attraction started turning into something else that scares the complete shit out of me.

My whole life, I’ve always felt like something was missing. Like there was a piece of my puzzle not in its proper place. I’ve always felt like I’ve been in this pursuit of happiness throughout my entire life and for once, I don’t feel like I’m chasing after nothing. Sly makes me feel like I don’t have to chaseanything.Maybe my pursuit of happiness has been leading me to Sly this whole time.

He nudges my shoulder, pulling me out of the inner monologue I’ve found myself lost in. “Kane.”

I look up at him, “Hm?”

“Are you gonna post it?” He gives me an amused look and I realize it’s because he caught me staring at a picture of us kissing.

I nod, pressing the button to post it on my Instagram story. I quickly shut my phone off and tuck it back into my purse before chugging the rest of my vodka cranberry.

The next forty-five minutes are made up of small talk between Sly, Nate, Miles, and myself. Rogan stays silent the entire time like some kind of paranormal being just hovering over us and watching us with an eeriness. I love eeriness, it goes with my love for horror movies, but this? Hell motherfucking no. Rogan ruins it for me.

Sly seems to be thinking the same thing as me as he whispers into my ear, “Please tell me you’re over this and you wanna leave?”

I groan in relief, “It’s like you read my mind.”

He doesn’t hesitate to rise from his seat and outstretch his hand to me. I take it and allow him to help me up before we mutter quick goodbyes to his bandmates and make our way out of the club. Sly texts our driver that we’re ready to leave and when we finally make it to the exit, Sly hesitates and I slam into his back. “Woah,” I place a hand on his back to steady myself.

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