Page 14 of The Pursuit of Happiness

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.