A Twist in the Story

As Cassie continues to describe her back story with Alex, we learn more and more about how abusive, emotionally and physically their relationship is. She believes that she is his redeemer, that she is the only one who can make him feel wanted and supported. It's understandable that he needs someone to support him, given the way he grew up with parents who were never there for him. But, the way that she is viewing marriage is much more dependent on her side and not as codependent. It's not balanced and she's expecting herself to be his all, when she'll never be able to fill that gap, and shouldn't be expected to.
Finally, after the entire back story has been told, we return to the present with a determined Cassie devising a plan to leave Alex until her baby is born. His baby. Because that matters greatly to her. He's never wanted children because of his parents track record, and even though she wasn't trying to get pregnant, it happened, and she is much less than willing to abort it for his sake. She realizes that a life other than hers is in her hands, and she acts responsibly by running to somewhere safe.
She runs to Will Flying Horse, the man we met at the beginning of the novel, who found her in the graveyard. Strangely he was expecting her. Not in a weird way, but in a comforting way, like he knew she was coming even before she did. As he lets her into his house and gently touches the places were she is bruised, she can't help but feel safe. And as he takes her into his embrace he tells her that he believes her. Because she's afraid that no one will believe her, that her husband, the golden boy America is in love with, is abusive of the wife he so clearly loves. But Will believes her, and she has found her safe haven for the time being.
Obviously she can't stay in L.A. So he takes her back to his reservation, on the Sioux territory, somewhere even the government has forgotten about.
But as they return, he can't help but feel frustrated that everything in his life keeps dragging him back to this place that he had once known and had always hated. He'd always wanted to escape it, and here he is returning to it as a safe haven.
He introduces Cassie to his grandparents, who reluctantly welcome her for the time being. She only plans to stay for about 9 months, but soon enough, they've fallen in love with her, just like Will has. He has this strange attraction to her, something that she has draws him in, and he can't imagine letting her back into Alex's abusive arms. He's become protective, and jealous, and he's known her less than a few months.