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.

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

have that moment with Axel earlier…

wasn’t real..

line to kill me if or when the truth came

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

stopped to consider that I might be stronger for

to me.

is right. Just not in

www

experiments were literally torture, but I can do things now that

saying that makes it all worthwhile.

could go back and have a choice, I’d choose not to ever go through

greater danger from

are benefits to the new me, if I decide

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

can’t believe how much this stranger has actually seen me- in a way Aaron and Jessica and Axel and everyone

they just not

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 care.

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

kind of way.

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.

I’m speechless.

but

I say to him, emotion catching in my

gets to his feel.

like to hike these trails a few times a week,” he says. “Maybe

I reply, smiling, because I hope I do

we stand there looking at

I step forward and hug