We hurry through the lobby of the hotel. It is unlikely, but I still can’t shake the fear that somebody will see us here together. As Tony keeps reminding me this is his town. He has eyes everywhere, friends everywhere. There’s just no telling.

I don’t take off my coat, or the scarf around my neck. Tyson puts my shopping on a table by the window and turns around. He winces when he sees my eye in the full light.

“I will teach that coward a lesson he will never forget,” he says, his voice low. Somehow, he’s more menacing when he’s quiet.

“Forget about him,” I say. “There’s something more important we need to talk about. Something you deserve to know. I’ve kept it from you, well, obviously before yesterday, because I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with me, but since yesterday because I didn’t want a big showdown between you and Tony. This is also the real reason why I’m scared to death of Tony. I don’t care very much about myself anymore, but I care very deeply about the people I love.”

“You said that. Your family.”

I look deep into his eyes. “Not just my family. My son.”

His eyes go wide. He looks sick. “You had his son?”

I shake my head slowly. “No. I had your son.”

His eyes nearly pop out of his head. He looks like I punched him in the stomach. I’ve been punched there many times. It feels like all the air has left your body all at once and you can’t get a breath in. Like you might die because you can’t breathe. He does breathe, just like I always do. “My son?” he echoes blankly.

I nod. “Yes. He’s fifteen months old now … and he’s beautiful.”

“We used a condom.” He’s reeling on his feet, whispering hoarsely.

I look at him gently. “There was that once you put it on late, remember?”

He stares at me, white under his deep tan.

“He’s yours, Tyson. I haven’t slept with anybody but Tony since that night, and I only met him when I was already pregnant with Christopher.”

“Christopher?” he echoes, his voice full of wonder. “His name is Christopher.”

“It is.”

A faint but incredulous smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, and I want to weep for the time we’ve lost. For all the times I’ve wished Tyson was there. Not just when I first found out I was pregnant, though that would’ve been amazing. Not just when I was giving birth, but also that magical moment when they put him into my arms and I looked at our son. He was so red and wrinkled with thin monkey arms and his father’s bright, bright blue eyes. His father should’ve been there for that. The first time he smiled, the first time he laughed. The nighttime feedings. The times when I watched him sleeping, awed by his perfection. All of those times. He missed out on all of them, and they would never come back. I felt sorry for everything he would never see.

“He looks just like you,” I whisper

“I can’t believe this.”

“I’m telling the truth.”

He shakes his head, waving his hand. “No, no, I believe you. I don’t think you’re lying to me. It’s the shock of knowing I have a son.”

“I would show you a photo, but I don’t keep his picture in my phone or wallet, because Tony gets jealous.”

Just like that his expression hardens to stone. His eyes narrow dangerously. “I’m that boy’s father. He’s my son. He’s my responsibility, and I want to be there for him and you. You’re my family.”

“Tyson …” I’ve wanted to hear him say those words ever since I peed on that stick and two lines appeared. There is no way to describe how much I’ve needed him to want us, but now that he does, I realize I can’t just sail into the sunset with him. Tony’s thugs will hunt us down and hurt Christopher. He knows I love my child so his first instinct has always been to hurt Christopher. Once in the early days when he spied on my telephone call with Charlotte and she had advised me to leave him, he came into the room, grabbed my throat and said, “Try it if you really want to watch me kill that bastard child of yours.”

“No,” Tyson says firmly. “You can’t push me away now. It was bad enough when I found out what that coward does to you, but don’t even think for one second that I will allow that sick fuck anywhere near my son.” His nostrils flare as he breathes in and out like a bull. For a second I feel a frisson of fear. Tony and Tyson are chalk and cheese in appearance, but that’s how Tony breathes when he’s about to hurt me.

I take an involuntary step back and Tyson’s face suddenly crumples.

He looks at me with a pleading expression. “Don’t ever be afraid of me, Izzy. I’ll never lay a finger on you. Ever. No matter what you do or say. I’d rather die than hurt you. Do you understand?”

I nod and take a step forward. Carefully, I slide my arms around his neck. His arms come around me and I have to gasp with the pain. Muttering an oath, he holds me away from him. We stare into each other’s eyes. His are dark and stormy with emotion.

Gently, he starts unwrapping my scarf. His eyes widen at the sight of my throat. I see a flash of fury in his eyes before he masks it. He touches the midnight-blue marks almost as if he can’t believe his eyes. Then he begins to unbutton my coat.

I let him take my woolen dress off. Gentle hands lightly run over the dark patterns on my body. When his eyes meet mine again, they are brimming with tears. I touch his wet eyelashes.

“I love you, Izzy. I’ve loved you for two years,” he cries brokenly.

I smile through my tears. “I love you too. I’ve loved you from the first time you touched me. I only went with Tony because I was so lost and lonely, and I thought you didn’t want me.”

“Why him?”

“Because he pretended to be the kindest most considerate person. He told me he would take care of me and my baby. He said it didn’t matter if I didn’t love him. He just wanted to help me. I didn’t know it was all an act. He was a chameleon.”

“It doesn’t matter now. I love you and nothing else matters. I’m going to take care of you from now on. Both you and Christopher.”

“I’m afraid of Tony. Of what he can do.” My voice is a terrified whisper.

“Do you trust me when I say you will come to no harm?”

I nod. “What about my mom?”

“If she’s your mom then she is my mom too.”

My shoulders sag with relief. “Oh, Tyson. You have no idea what it has been like for me. I’ve been so frightened.”

“Come on. Let’s get you dressed. We have to act quickly.”

“Where is Christopher now?” he asks, zipping up my dress.

“With my mother. He doesn’t live with me. It is too dangerous”

He nods. “All right. Where is Tony? Right now?”

“I—I don’t know …”

“You said he was going out of town, right?”

“He told me he was going to, but yesterday he said he didn’t have to anymore. To be honest, I don’t know. He might have been trying to trick me. I’ve had to second-guess everything he’s ever told me.”

He nods. “You’ll never have to see him again, and he will never hurt my son.”

I wish his words were a comfort. I wish I could collapse in his arms and believe that everything will be all right. Instead, all I can do is sob softly because I know it is not going to be that easy.