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.

that moment with Axel

wasn’t real..

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

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

think I’ve ever stopped to consider that I might be stronger for what happened

to me.

is right. Just not in the way

www

experiments were literally torture, but I can do things now

not saying that makes it all

and have a choice, I’d choose not to ever go through that, because I can’t exactly say what I’ve gained

puts me in greater danger from people like

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

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

me- in a way Aaron and Jessica and Axel and

they just not care?

so caught up in their own drama–and I was gone for ten years, so they’ve all

spiteful way, I just mean

kind of way.

any of that. You’re strong. You’ve proven that to yourself. You don’t need to prove it to anyone else, even if they are your family.”

I’m speechless.

what to say, but I’m deeply

I say to him, emotion catching in my voice.

smiles as he gets to his feel.

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

reply, smiling, because I hope I do see him again.

my feet, and we stand there looking at each other.

step forward and hug him.

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