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.

that moment with Axel earlier…

that wasn’t real..

first in line to kill me if or when the

to me points to you actually being extremely strong and brave. You survived that bad thing you went through. And maybe these might seem like empty words, but

I’ve ever stopped to consider that I might be stronger for

to me.

is right. Just not in the

www

do things now that I couldn’t

not saying that makes

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

in greater

there are benefits to the new me, if I decide to look at it

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

stranger has actually seen me- in a way Aaron and Jessica and Axel

just

I was gone for ten years, so

a spiteful way,

kind of way.

any of that. You’re strong. You’ve proven that to yourself. You

I’m speechless.

know what to say, but I’m

I say to him, emotion catching in

gets

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

reply, smiling, because I hope I do see

we stand

step forward and hug

but then hugs me back, and it’s nice.