Bad Love an Alpha’s Regret by Elise Sinclair

Chapter 313

He holds out his hand and I take it, shaking.

His grip is firm and cool, and there’s something almost comforting about it.

“I’m Emily,” I tell him in return.

His smile deepens. “That’s a pretty name.”

I laugh at this.

Ronan might be too charming for his own good.

“I think it’s pretty basic myself, but you’re welcome to your opinion.”

He gives a quick, friendly laugh.

“So, Emily, what has you out here looking so down on a day like today?”

I take a slow breath, working out how I can explain without sounding crazy.

“Something bad happened to me, something traumatizing,” I begin, choosing my words carefully. “Something that went on for a long time. I finally got out just recently, and now my family are treating me like I’m fragile and broken. Maybe because I am.

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But I don’t want to be. And I can’t stay with my family, I can see that. It’s just not going to work. They’ll hate me when the realize the truth of everything that happened to me. Except I don’t know what to do, and don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Ronan nods, listening with sympathy and understanding.

And I realize it’s something no one has bothered to do since I got home.

They all just assume they know what happened to me, and what they should do about it.

I did have that moment

that wasn’t

know he–more than anyone–would be first in line to kill me if or when

to me. Truthfully, I’m pretty sure the fact that you’re here talking to me points to you actually being extremely strong and brave. You survived that bad thing you went through. And maybe

I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to consider

to me.

is right. Just not in the

www

were literally torture, but I can do things now that I couldn’t do

saying that makes it

ever go through that, because I can’t exactly say what

greater danger from people like

new me, if I decide to look at it from a different

in a sincere voice. “In a way that no one in your family can probably see. But I get the feeling that’s also because you don’t

this stranger has actually seen me- in a way Aaron and

just

they simply so caught up in their own drama–and I was gone for

don’t mean in a spiteful way, I

kind of way.

says conspiratorially, leaning forward a little. “It’s also their loss if they can’t see any of that. You’re strong. You’ve proven that to yourself. You don’t need to prove it to anyone else, even if

I’m speechless.

but I’m deeply

him, emotion catching in

as he gets to his

hike these trails a few times a week,” he says. “Maybe I’ll

smiling, because I hope I do see him

to my feet, and we stand

step forward and

surprised, but then hugs me