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

that wasn’t real..

anyone–would be first in line to kill me if or when the

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

know I’m definitely different, but I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to consider that I might

to me.

not in the

www

but I can do things now that

saying that makes it

could go back and have a choice, I’d choose not to ever go through that, because I can’t exactly say what I’ve gained makes it all okay.

greater danger from

if I

that you’re special, Emily,” 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

this stranger has actually seen me- in a way Aaron and Jessica and Axel and everyone else maybe never

just not care?

I was gone for ten years, so they’ve all moved on without me–that

I don’t mean in a spiteful way,

kind of way.

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.

to say, but I’m

him, emotion catching in

gets to his feel.

week,” he says. “Maybe I’ll

smiling, because I hope I do see him again.

we stand there looking at

forward and hug him.

but then hugs me back, and