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

wasn’t real..

in line to kill me

fact that you’re here talking to me points to you actually being extremely strong and brave. You survived that bad thing you went

different, but I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to consider that I might be stronger for what happened

to me.

in the way he probably

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can do things now that I

not saying that makes it all worthwhile.

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

in greater danger from people like Axel.

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

in a sincere voice. “In a way that no one in your family can probably see. But I get

has actually seen me- in a

they just not

drama–and I was gone for ten years, so they’ve

don’t mean in a spiteful way, I just mean in an oblivious

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 prove it to anyone

I’m speechless.

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

you,” I say to him, emotion catching in my voice.

smiles as he gets

week,”

hope I do

my feet, and we stand there

forward and hug

then hugs me back,