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.

assume they know what happened to

did have that moment with Axel earlier…

that wasn’t

line to kill me if or when the truth came

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 maybe these might seem like empty

don’t think I’ve ever stopped to consider that I might be stronger

to me.

Just not in the way he probably means.

www

experiments were literally torture, but I can do

saying that makes

go back and have a choice, I’d choose not to ever go through that, because I can’t exactly say what I’ve gained makes it all okay.

since it puts me in greater danger from people like Axel.

are benefits to the new me, if I decide to

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

believe how much this stranger has actually seen me- in a way Aaron and Jessica

they just not

was gone for ten years, so they’ve all moved on

spiteful way,

kind of way.

says conspiratorially, leaning forward a little. “It’s also their loss if they can’t see any of that. You’re

I’m speechless.

say, but I’m deeply touched by

say to him, emotion catching in

smiles as he gets to

a week,” he says. “Maybe I’ll see you around again sometime.”

hope I do see

to my feet, and we stand there looking at

forward and