Page 11 of The Pursuit of Happiness (Satan’s Angels #2)

Aria

It’s been two days since my life was completely tossed off its axis and ruined in more ways than I can fucking count, and not just because I sucked at math as a kid, but because this damage is way out of control.

I mean seriously, Harvey and Dallas have an entire security company’s IT department trying to remove all of the pictures and videos from social media and they’re barely succeeding.

I sent Ivory and Brody home yesterday because I was starting to feel overwhelmed by their presences.

I understand they want to offer me support and that they want to be there for me since I’m going through some shit right now, but they were getting a little too overbearing.

Wanna know what I mean by that? I mean that Ivory tried to spoon feed me some chicken noodle soup she made me.

I was so appalled that I slapped the spoon out of her hand and snapped, “Why are you trying to spoon feed me? I fell victim to Cancel Culture, not the Bubonic Plague!”

Totally not my best moment since she clearly just wanted to help me and support me.

After that I asked them both to go home because I knew I was getting to the point where I was bound to snap and say something nasty.

I mean seriously, it was getting to the point where Brody was even following me into the bathroom to pee like she wanted to hold my hand or sit with me on the toilet.

So no, I totally do not regret sending them home.

I unfortunately had to enable the new phone that Selene got me because that was the only way she would allow me to be alone without Brody and Ivory up my ass 25/8 like a damn thong.

I made sure not to download any social media platforms on the new phone and have only used it to respond to Selene’s nagging check-in messages and the check-in messages from Brody and Ivory.

Also to read the text from Selene sent at nine this morning.

SATAN’S ANGELS

Selene

All of you are to be at my office at 12

Selene

By all of you, I mean ALL of you. Aria, you especially

Selene

And if you come late I will kill all of you

Ivory

Will there be breakfast?

Selene

No

Ivory

Then I’m not going.

Selene

Don’t start this shit

Ivory

No money, no honey

Selene

…

Selene

I’ll have Matthew bring bagels. Happy?

Ivory

Add that seasoned cream cheese I like and you have a deal

Selene

Fine

Brody

I want Japanese coffee

Selene

You are in America

Brody

“No money, no honey.”

Selene

I’ll see what I can do

Selene

I hate all of you.

Under normal circumstances I would probably laugh at the entirety of that text chain, but I don’t have it in me to so much as produce a smile right now.

Instead, I turn off my phone and scratch behind Kiko’s ears to have something to do with my hands.

I watch as her little green eyes start to close as she relaxes from where she lays on my chest in bed.

She starts to purr and I ask her, “Do you think I’m a disgusting slut, Kiko? ”

As expected, she doesn’t respond. She just purrs and leans into my fingers as I continue scratching.

Taz takes the opportunity to jump onto the bed from wherever he was on the floor only moments ago and stalks over to where I lay.

He gives me a death glare as if to say, She may not think you’re a disgusting slut, but I do.

I give him an angry glare in return and whisper, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

He meows in the way he always does when he wants to talk back before he jumps off the bed and disappears out of the room.

I check the time on my phone and realize I have to get ready to get to Selene’s office before she shows up here and actually acts on her threats of violence.

I told Taz not to bite the hand that feeds him, but I’m about to take my own advice and not fuck with Selene because she is very much the hand that feeds me.

I gently move Kiko off my chest and onto the bed and the irritated look in her eyes makes me feel guilty, but I would much rather her be mad at me than Selene.

I force myself out of bed even though every single cell in my body wants to be wrapped up in my charcoal colored bedding watching all of my favorite horror movies.

It takes an insane amount of force to get myself ready.

I feel like shit on the inside which has totally made its way to showing on the outside because my eyes have the darkest set of circles you ever will see and it’s not even from lack of sleep because while that has been an issue, the stress is doing me much worse.

I put on a pair of ripped jeans and a Blondie t-shirt before I make my way downstairs to feed Kiko and Taz their breakfast.

As always, Taz is seated right in front of his bowl waiting for me to hurry my ass up and feed him.

He meows at me impatiently throughout the entire time it takes me to put their food in their bowls.

I roll my eyes at him as he finally shuts his mouth and starts eating his food like he’s never been fed before.

“Dramatic,” I scoff. I swear I love that cat but he is truly the most dramatic creature on the planet.

The only thing left for me to do is show up at Selene’s office for whatever meeting we’re about to have.

I feel a weight on my chest knowing that the entire problem that we face starts and ends with me, which is why it feels like there’s a lump in my throat throughout the entire time it takes for me to drive to Selene’s office and take the elevator up to the fifth floor.

Once I make it to her office, I realize I’m the last one to arrive even though I made it at noon on the dot.

Ivory sits with a bagel in hand, a bagel that I notice is completely stuffed with the cream cheese she likes and Brody has a Japanese looking coffee mug with what is most likely Japanese coffee inside.

I wonder where Selene had Matthew go to get Brody her fancy coffee, but my curiosity dies when I see the look on Selene’s face.

She looks stressed which is saying something because we literally pay Selene to be stressed because of us.

Selene is not one to show weakness, so while she’s always stressed, she’ll never look or show it.

That’s why the sight of her right now is enough to have bile rising in the back of my throat.

This is so much worse than I thought. I had full trust and faith that Selene would wave her magical manager wand and fix this all, but if she’s in the state that she’s in, and letting us see it, I’m no longer feeling very hopeful about our prospects of making it out of this and still having a career.

Selene inhales, “Take a seat.” She gestures towards the empty seat in front of her desk that’s located next to Brody.

I hold my breath as I make my way to the chair and sit.

As I look up at Selene I notice just how exhausted she looks.

I’ve never seen her this way, so unkempt.

She has wrinkles forming in the corners of her eyes and I feel so much guilt because I caused this.

I did this to her and I ruined our shot at the Muse Award for Brody and Ivory.

I feel so much self-disgust right now, it’s taking everything in me not to empty my stomach into Selene’s office garbage can.

Selene must see what I’m feeling on my face because she gives me a sympathetic look, “This is not your fault.”

I shake my head, but keep my mouth shut because I know if I open it to protest, all that’s coming out of me is a sob.

Selene shifts her attention to Brody and Ivory to give me a moment to collect myself without everyone’s eyes on me. “I have a way to fix this.” Is all she says, confidence in her tone.

This catches my full attention. It wasn’t looking like the odds were in our favor a few seconds ago, but could I have been wrong in my assumption?

Now, Selene waits until I’ve collected myself before she announces, “We’re turning this entire disaster into a PR stunt.”

Ivory stops chewing and stares blankly at Selene, most likely wondering the same thing I’m wondering, which is how the fuck is she gonna do that? Brody raises a brow and asks the question that’s plaguing all of our minds, “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”

Selene sits down, resting her elbows on her desk with her chin in her perfectly manicured hand, “It’s simple, really.

I’d tell you, but I’ve always been more of a show and not tell type.

” I’m about to ask her what she means by that cryptic comment, but she speaks before I can by pressing the small intercom button on her desk that leads to her receptionist’s desk, “Melissa, please send them in.”

I sit up straighter, a sudden ominous feeling in my stomach as it drops. Who did she just call in and why does the air suddenly feel heavy in here? “Who is she sending in?” I ask, anxiousness in my voice.

Selene gives me a look as if to say I’m sorry , which only makes this sinking feeling worse.

The door opens before I can come up with who it must be walking in and the air completely vanishes from my lungs.

I want to cry, throw up, and then cry again when my eyes land on Slater Nicks and a shorter, much burlier man with a combover who must be his manager, Steve Hardman.

Slater’s turquoise eyes immediately find mine and look empty, broken in a way that I know so well because it’s how I’ve been feeling since I woke up in that hotel room with him.

He looks like he has something to say to me, but he doesn’t want to say it infront of everyone and I’m immediately grateful that we aren’t alone because I don’t think I could handle a conversation with him right now.