Page 87 of The Pursuit of Happiness

He kisses me immediately and I set the award down to embrace him.

A thought pops into my head and I realize there’s one question I’ve been dying to ask. “Sly?” I quirk my head at him asI gaze into his eyes, my arms still wrapped around his neck.

His smile is so wide, “Yes, Kane?”

“On our first date, well, the fake one, why did you laugh when I said blue was both of our favorite colors? If blue wasn’t your favorite color, why did you get a blue Bugatti?” I ask, curiosity in my tone.

The same smile he sported that day sprouts on his face and he chuckles lowly to himself. I wait for him to answer, but instead of using his words, he reaches up and grabs a blue streak of my hair and holds it up for both of us to see. I raise a brow at him because I still don’t get it and he laughs. “That day, you should’ve asked mewhyblue was my favorite color and why I picked you up for a date in a blue car. Because then I would’ve done this,” he twirls the strand of my hair around his finger and I feel warmth spread through my chest. He got a blue car because it wasmyfavorite color. Blue ishisfavorite color because it’smyfavorite color. He had me in mind when he got the car and he’s had it for a long time.

I lean forward and kiss him. His love for me runs so deep that my heart feels like it wants to jump out of my chest and into his hands. God, I love this man.

After what we went through three months ago to now being inseparable and stress-free, Sly and I are finally engaged after the chaos Rogan caused. He surprised me not long ago with a colonial mansion which was rumored to be haunted. It’s even more gothic and dreary than my old house, not to mention ten times bigger, and we’ve been living there together since. An added bonus being that it’s on Brody’s street.

Now, when we go home, we won’t be going home as boyfriend and girlfriend. We’ll be going home as an engaged to be married couple. And don’t tell Sly, but I knew from the first time he asked me in the hospital that I was gonna say yes. I just wanted to wait for the right moment to present itself and tonight wasthat moment.

Selene lived up to her promise of keeping Rogan locked up and he’s currently in jail at one of the shittiest prisons in the country, thank you, Selene. She also upheld her promise of suing the shit out of John Sweet. His show was canceled by the first week Selene had him on her list and the rest has just been out of spite. She also somehow managed to fix my public reputation. I can proudly say I am no longer being slut shamed online, and even if I was, fuck it. I don’t care.

Brody and Harvey are engaged, no shock there. We all knew that was coming.

My mother and I have definitely improved our relationship, but everyday is a day of progress. It’s slow, but it’s there.

Sly and I get frequent visits from his parents and I’ve grown so close to them. I finally feel like I’m in a real, loving family.

Thunderstrike found a replacement guitarist named Zade, and he’s pretty cool. He’s sitting at our table next to Nate.

We finished the album and it was easily a hit. Selene thinks we have a shot at another Muse Award next year, this time, with Slater.

I look around the table at all the faces I’ve come to consider family. It started with Brody, Ivory, Selene, and I, and it’s grown to include the men we love and who love us. I face Sly to find him already staring at the side of my face lovingly. I smile at him and wonder how the fuck we got here. Oh yeah, it all started with a sex tape. Who would’ve thought?

A member of the event staff approaches our table with something behind her back. She looks cheery and showcases a huge smile. She walks right up to Ivory and outstretches her hand to offer her a light pink rose. Ivory gulps and her face seems to pale as she accepts. The woman says something to her, but I can’t hear because her voice is so low.

I watch as the woman walks away and Ivory stares blankly atthe rose in her hand. She looks petrified, confused, and startled all at once and I wonder what a single rose could’ve done to cause such a reaction.

Brody must notice the same thing as she nudges Ivory, “Hey, you okay?”

Ivory looks up and gives her a fake smile, wiping the worry from her features. But I saw it. I saw the fear on her face and I want to know what a rose could’ve done to cause it. “I’m fine.”

The End

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