Page 79 of Breakaway Hearts

“She definitely hates you,” Katie tells me unhelpfully.

“Just stay inside,” I ask of them before going after Madison.

“Wait, Maddie!” I call after her, running out in my socks, which wouldn’t matter if the grass wasn’t a giant puddle.

I reach her just as she’s about to open the door to Hargraves’ truck.

“Go back to your family,” she says without looking at me, but I put my hand on the door to stop her.

“Why did you come here, Mads? Why are you upset?” I might not want her meeting my entire family, but I don’t want her leaving like this without telling me what’s wrong either. “More than this morning,” I add, but she’s looking at me like a caged animal about to bite my head off, so I step away from the door. I put my free hand up to show her I won’t stand between her and whatever it is she wants – currently to get away from me.

“What the fuck is that?” she asks, pointing to the bubble-wrapped package I’m still holding.

“I don’t know.” I look at it for an answer, but truly, I have no idea.

“Open it,” she says, arms crossed, and if looks could kill…

I pull out what I’m expecting to be evidence of me doing something like kicking puppies – which I would never – or cheating – even though we’re not in a relationship and I haven’t even looked at anyone since I met Madison – but it’s a book.

“You got it!” I say excitedly, doing a terrible job of reading the room, but I recognize the cover of the new Hunters of Time installment.

This is not at all what Madison wants to hear. She looks at me like I just handed her a steaming pile of crap.

“In what world did I make you think I could be bought by a fucking book? I don’t need a bribe, or your⁠—”

“Fuck, no, Mads, that has nothing to—I’m sorry.” I mean it, and whatever curse she was about to send my way dies on her lips. She looks about as shocked as I was to see her on my doorstep.

“If you were trying to convince me to⁠—”

“I wasn’t. I…I can see how it might look like that on your end, with the timing, but…That first night we met, you told me how much you love those books. It was Dora’s birthday a few days later, so when I called her, I mentioned what you said, and she offered to put you on her PR Box list.”

“Right, because Dora Peterson is a family friend, and you have her fucking phone number like it’s no big deal,” she says like an accusation, but it’s not like I can help it.

I saw her face when my dad came to the door. She had no idea. Still. Which stings, because she clearly didn’t ask any more about me than the last name I put on my jersey.

I guess it’s refreshing that she only hates me for me.

“I asked Hargraves if it was okay to give the PR company your address,” I add.

“You never mentioned your dad was Christopher Glass, even as I fangirled over him.”

“I thought you knew,” I say apologetically. “I use Brooks for hockey, but Tab goes by Glass.”

“That means the shelter…Sierra…” She looks horrified when it hits her.

“My dad’s first wife. Mom to all my siblings except Tab. Aunt who helped raise Haylie and her brother. Everyone I’ve ever talked to agrees that she was awesome, and my dad figured the best way to honor her was to keep helping the people she dedicated her life to protecting.”

Madison still looks upset. All I want to do is take her in my arms and apologize profusely, but it also doesn’t seem like she’s mad at me, specifically. At least not anymore.

“I’m sorry about the book. It was honestly weeks ago. Before the party, before we had sex…it was right after we met, and it wasn’t to convince you of anything or because I wanted something from you…I just thought you would like it.”

She looks pissed that I’m apologizing, which I think is a good sign, but I hide my smile, pretty sure she’d bite my head off for it.

“I promise I won’t send you anything like this again.”

“Okay,” she says, then sighs, looking at me like I don’t think she’d mind if I pushed her up against the truck and kissed her senseless, but I don’t want to press my luck, and my entire family is most likely watching through the window.

“I’ll see you on Sunday,” I say of our next game.