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.

have that moment with Axel

that wasn’t real..

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

“You 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

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

to me.

Just not in the way he

www

I can do things now that I couldn’t do before.

makes it all

choice, I’d choose not to ever go through that,

in greater danger from

new me, if I decide to look at it

way that no one in your family can probably see. But I get the feeling that’s also because you

has actually seen me- in a

just

for ten years, so they’ve all moved on without me–that they just

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. You’ve proven that to yourself. You don’t need to prove it to anyone else,

I’m speechless.

say, but I’m deeply touched by his

I say to him, emotion

gets to

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

smiling, because I hope

and we stand

forward and hug him.

surprised, but then hugs me back, and