Bad Love An Alpha’s Regret

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.

happened to me, and what they should do about it.

that

wasn’t real..

I know he–more than anyone–would be first in line

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 these might seem like empty

but I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to consider

to me.

in the way he probably

www

I can do things now that I couldn’t do

makes it

go back and have a choice, I’d choose not to ever go through that, because I can’t exactly say what I’ve

it puts me in greater danger

if I decide to look at it from a

sense that you’re special, Emily,” Ronan continues in a sincere voice. “In a way that no one in your family can probably see. But

a way

just not

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

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

kind of way.

also their loss if they can’t see any of that. You’re strong. You’ve

I’m speechless.

know what to say, but I’m deeply

him, emotion catching in my voice.

as he gets to his

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

because I hope I do

feet, and we stand

step forward and hug him.