Read Online Private Affairs by Jasmine Garner - Free Book Online Page A

yourself.”
    I dropped my purse and went into the kitchen for a snack. I groaned when I opened the fridge.
    “I thought you were going to the store today?”
    “I am; I was on-call today and had a job. I’ll head out now.”
    “No, don’t worry about it; I need to get out of here anyway.”
    I snatched my purse and headed back out. My phone rang when I got in my car. I ignored Steven’s call and left the parking lot. I told him I would call him; he still didn’t get it.
    The more time I spent away from him, the more I realized I didn’t miss him. He contributed nothing to my life that I felt like I needed. It was time to contact some of my favorites on my match.com profile.
    I sighed as I grabbed a shopping cart. I’d always planned to have a family by now. Grocery shopping for my roommate and I was depressing. I wasn’t buying healthy and nutritious meals for my husband and kids, I was buying frozen dinners and nacho supplies for myself and my roommate. Pushing the cart around was a reminder that my life was ruined. And it was because of my mother.
    I hurried through the aisles so I could get back home to mope. I swerved into the bread aisle, gasping when I crashed into another cart, my purse spilling to the floor.
    Just as I was about to apologize for my recklessness, I met eyes with the person I ran into.
    I rolled my eyes before crossing my arms in front of my chest. “This city isn’t small enough for us to run into each other like this.”
    “Swear I’m not following you.” he said in a hushed voice, as if full volume would startle me away prematurely.
    Wes crouched down with me and helped me pick up the personal items that fell. I snatched them from his hands and stuffed them in my purse.
    He put his hands in his pockets. “How have you been?”
    Trying to stop thinking about you.
    I shook my head. “Since yesterday? Good. You?”
    He shrugged. “Trying to stop thinking about you.”
    My lips pouted at our shared misery. Every time a man I dated did anything, I automatically compared them to Wes. Before Wes came back in my life, I was content with my serial dating. But no matter how hard I tried, I could no longer re-create the feeling. Wes had a hold on my mind, and if I couldn’t shake it away, I was never going to be able to have a real relationship.
    Seeing him rushed back the hot flashes of lust I’d spent the last few days trying to ignore. But I made a promise to myself: to move on and get my life together, and I needed to honor it.
    And the first step towards keeping my promise was to get away from Wes. Replying to what he’d just said would only spark a conversation we didn’t need to have. I waved at him as I went back to my cart.
    “Well, bye.”
    He made no attempt to stop me as I lurched my cart forward to the next aisle. I headed straight for the register; I didn’t want to be in the same building as him, whether I physically saw him or not. I was just going to have to finish grocery shopping another day.
    My phone rang as I waited in line- it was Steven. Again. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? I sighed and picked up the phone.
    “Steven.”
    “Hey. How are you?”
    I rolled my eyes, but kept my voice as calm as possible. “I said I would call you. I just need a few days to myself to figure out what I want. I promise I don’t plan on stringing you along, but just give me this time to myself, please.”
    “Okay, okay. I can respect that. I know you won't leave me hanging.”
    “Thanks. Bye.”
    As I hung up the phone, I didn’t have to look at the figure in my peripheral vision to know that Wes was in the line next to me. I stared straight ahead as I debated just abandoning my groceries at the register and running to my car. But I was next and the woman in front of me didn’t have much.
    “Key!” he said as I paid for my food.
    I checked out and darted to my car, peeling out of the parking lot like I was being chased.
    Kevin came out of his room when I returned home