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.

7

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.

that moment with Axel

wasn’t

be first in line to kill me if or when the truth came out.

don’t seem broken and fragile 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 these might seem like empty words, but

I’ve ever stopped

to me.

is right. Just not in

www

torture, but I can do things

makes it

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

puts me in greater

if I

one in your family can probably see. But I get the feeling that’s

has actually seen me- in a way Aaron and Jessica and Axel and everyone

they just not

I was gone for ten years, so they’ve

in a spiteful way, I just mean

kind of way.

you,” Ronan says conspiratorially, leaning forward a little. “It’s also their loss if they can’t see any of that. You’re strong.

I’m speechless.

know what to say, but I’m deeply touched by his

to him, emotion

smiles as he gets to his feel.

times a week,” he says. “Maybe I’ll see you around again sometime.”

because I hope I do see

and we stand there

forward and

surprised, but then hugs me back, and it’s nice.