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.

did have that moment with

that wasn’t real..

first in line to

thoughtfully. “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 survived that bad thing you went through. And

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

to me.

not in the way he probably

www

literally torture, but I can do things

not saying that makes it all

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

it puts me in greater danger from people

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

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 you don’t want them to

a way Aaron and Jessica and Axel and everyone

they just not care?

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

a spiteful way, I

kind of way.

need 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 else, even if they are your family.”

I’m speechless.

don’t know what to say, but I’m deeply

you,” I say to him, emotion

gets to his feel.

like to hike these trails a few times a week,” he

I hope

and we stand there

I step forward and hug

but then hugs me back, and it’s