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.

7

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.

just assume they know what happened to me, and what they should

have that

wasn’t

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

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’m sure if you look

I’ve ever stopped

to me.

Just not in the way

www

can do things now that I

makes it all

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

it puts me in greater danger

benefits to the new me, if I decide to

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

this stranger has actually seen me- in a way

they just not

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

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

kind of way.

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

I’m speechless.

to say, but I’m deeply

to him, emotion catching in my voice.

as he gets

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

I reply, smiling, because I hope I

get to my feet, and we stand there

step forward and