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.

have that moment

wasn’t

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

You survived that bad thing you went through. And maybe these might seem like empty words, but I’m sure if you

I’m definitely different, but I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to

to me.

Just not in the way

www

I can do things now that I couldn’t do

saying that makes it all worthwhile.

I’d choose not to ever go through that, because I can’t exactly

it puts me in greater danger from people like

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

Ronan continues 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 want them to

seen me- in a

they just

simply so caught up in their own drama–and I was gone for ten years, so they’ve all moved on without me–that

spiteful way,

kind of way.

to remember it’s them, not you,” Ronan 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

I’m speechless.

what to say, but

him,

smiles as he gets to his

these trails a few times a week,” he says.

I hope I do see him again.

get to my feet, and we stand

forward and hug

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