What A Person Wants Read Online Free PDF Page A

Pediway. He was a good man and husband. Truth be told, I had always thought I would end up with him. When we first met, I could have sworn I saw those clichéd sparks people always talked about in romantic comedies. But, alas, I must’ve reeked of “friend” material because he started talking to someone else pretty soon after we had gotten comfortable with each other. It was alright, though. We have stayed good friends throughout the years, and I wouldn't trade our friendship for the world. So, I’ve thrown away all of my romantic aspirations. Well, most of them.
    I said a few more words of encouragement to my buddy and hung up the phone. By the time the conversation ended, I realized I was the only passenger left on the bus and I had missed my stop. I jumped up, pulled the cord and hurried off the bus. As I walked the three blocks to my apartment, I couldn’t help but think about how safe and warm my bed was. Between the rush of the day, my mother, Rhys, and worrying about Kyle, all I wanted to do was sleep. But having so much on my mind, I knew that a good night’s sleep was just a dream.
     

RICHIE
    I could’ve stayed in bed a lot longer if it weren’t for my phone ringing off the damn hook. I rolled over on to the edge of my king-sized bed and made a blind grab for the phone.  Maybe if I kept my eyes closed, I could go right back to sleep.
    “Who the hell is this?” I asked. I lost the fight to keep my eyes closed and looked at the clock. It was four a.m. This had better be damn good.
    “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to wake you. Can we talk for a minute?”
    I was instantly awakened by the small, sultry voice on the other end of the receiver. It was a voice I had grown to love and hate all at the same time. It was Chloe Childs, the woman who had broken my heart.
    I sat up in the bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, allowing myself to wake up a little more than my body really wanted to. “What's up? What‘s the matter?”
    “Nothing is wrong, Richie. I just couldn’t sleep. I’m missing you so much right now. I just needed to hear your voice for a minute.”
    A little warmth seeped into my heart. She wanted to hear my voice? She missed me?  Chloe was never the type to miss anybody. So to hear her say that to me was just like hearing a mother tell her long lost son that she had always loved him.
    Still, I fought the urge to tell her that I had missed her, too. Lord knows I wanted her with me something fierce. But I won’t allow myself to be sucked back into her drama again. So, instead of getting sentimental, I got angry.
    “Even if you missed me, you still could’ve called me after the sun came up. What are you thinking calling my phone in the middle of the night like we talk all the time? You lost that privilege a year ago!”
    “Richie, how many times do I have to apologize for that? I know I fucked up, but I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry! I made my share of mistakes, and believe me, I‘m still paying for them today.”
    The heat around my heart intensified, but this time it was from genuine anger. During our three year relationship, I had spent more than enough time hearing her apologies and this was no different. How often had I heard, “I’m sorry, Richie,” before she went right back to the same shit that hurt me in the first place? How many times did I ache for this woman’s touch knowing she was spending time with other men? How many times did I end up feeling like a fuck buddy instead of her fiancé?
    Something snapped in me and made me grip the phone tight as I laid her out. I don’t know if it was the constant, “I’m sorry,” that made me go off, or the fact that I had just been dragged out of a heavy sleep after getting off of work only three hours prior.
    “You didn’t mean to? You’re sorry? Wait. So, you didn’t mean to have an affair with three other men and then lie about it? You’re sorry for milking me for my money and connections, and basically