What Might Have Been Read Online Free Page A

emotion he fought off and on himself in her presence. But he couldn’t understand the disappointment, because she was everything he’d always known she would be when they’d been young and in love. Beautiful. Elegant. Confident. Sexy. Perfect.
    Yet somehow, he wasn’t what she’d wanted. Or expected.
    But then, he never had been, had he?
    â€œWhen did you become such an asshole?”
    Her question rocked him back on his heels, almost literally. So unlike her. Maybe she wasn’t exactly what he’d imagined, after all.
    Before he could respond she was gone.
    Â 
    A INSLEY WAS SO MAD . With him and with herself for the awareness she didn’t want and couldn’t seem to shake. Even as the emotion rolled through her body she realized her reaction was off. She was responding to somethingabove and beyond what Luke had said and was about to do.
    But that was only part of it. Some of the anger was real and deserved. How could he uproot his grandmother from the life she’d always known? How could he ignore the memory of his family—his father, mother and brother—who were all buried on the hill overlooking the house? How could he simply walk away from everything?
    How could he not feel a tie to the people who had mattered in his life? It bothered her. And she realized even as the reactions settled in that she was partly projecting her own emotions onto him. She’d have moved heaven and earth to have the kind of family he’d grown up with, people who’d loved him and supported him unconditionally…even as he’d disappointed them.
    She’d never had that and couldn’t understand how he could just throw it all away.
    She wasn’t surprised. Not if she was entirely honest with herself. Hell, he’d done it once before. Twice if she admitted that some small corner of her mind had hoped when he’d returned for his brother’s funeral eight years ago he might have stayed. For her. He hadn’t.
    He hadn’t even come to the hospital to visit her. Weak from her own injuries and the loss of the baby, she hadn’t been allowed to attend Logan’s funeral.
    Some part of her had always been grateful that at least Luke had returned for that one day. Even if he hadn’t cared enough to stay.
    But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be angry with him now for doing what was best for him and not what wasbest for his grandmother. It was exactly what she’d expect from him…but still, it was disappointing.
    Logan had done so much—taking her in, offering her a family and a future when everything had seemed so bleak. In her heart, she’d known she was taking advantage of his generosity and love. But she hadn’t had anyone else to turn to.
    Abandoned by Luke. Disowned and discarded by her own father. Sick and threatened with losing her child if she didn’t go on total bed rest. Without a home, a job, or a way to support herself she would have ended up losing the baby.
    On her worst days after the accident, she’d wondered if that would have been better. She’d lost Alexander anyway. And Logan, as well. In the end, he’d paid for her mistakes with his life.
    It was a terrible repayment for the help he’d given her.
    Marrying her, he’d given her a home, a family, much-needed health insurance and the support of someone who’d cared for her.
    If she’d often felt bad about not being able to return his love…she’d told herself it would come in time. And maybe it would have, if they’d had a chance.
    But she doubted it. Every time she’d looked at Logan, she’d seen Luke instead. She’d been a coward, but what else could she have done?
    She’d been honest with Logan. He’d always known. It was the only thing that made the guilt ease even a little. She’d made her choices, but then so had he.
    She had to admit that part of her felt some small measure of relief at the