All Chapters of SCORED HER HEART, NOT THE PUCK.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

MADISON'S POV:The first thing I registered was warmth. Soft, enveloping warmth that made me want to burrow deeper into whatever cocoon had wrapped itself around me. It felt oddly cozy.For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like my spine had gone to war with my mattress. My back didn’t ache. My feet didn’t throb. Even my head felt less foggy.The blanket wrapped around me was soft—luxurious, even. It smelled faintly of cedarwood and something warm and expensive, like a fireplace in a mountain cabin I couldn’t afford to visit.Wait.Blanket?My eyes fluttered open.Couch.Not mine.The blanket slipped down my shoulder as I sat up slowly, the realization crashing over me like cold water."Oh my God… I fell asleep in his house!"Thane Slade’s house. I shot up straight, scanning the room like it might rearrange itself and turn into a dream. Nope. This was real. I could still smell him faintly in the air—rich cologne and power.Panic gripped me."Did he see me sleeping?"My hand

MADISON’S POV:Beyoncé herself appeared on stage, commanding the space like she’d been born to it—and I lost my mind."OH MY GOD, THAT'S HER! THAT’S ACTUALLY HER!" I was jumping, my hands pressed to my cheeks, tears already streaming down my face. "Thane, do you understand what’s happening right now? We’re watching the Queen perform live!"This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I knew every word to every song, my voice joining forty thousand others in perfect harmony. When Beyoncé moved, I moved with her. When the crowd jumped, I jumped higher. My joy was overflowing, and I was so grateful Thane had agreed to this. It was exactly the breath of fresh air I needed from everything that had been happening.Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Thane, and what I saw made my heart skip. Gone was his usual-reserved composure. He was completely, unapologetically present. He stood tall, laughed deeply and unguarded. The fact that the booth offered us anonymity, no prying eyes or ca

THANE'S POV:"I came to say hi, old friend." He fell into step beside me, his voice taking on that slightly guilty tone I remembered from when we were kids and he'd broken something expensive. "Forgive me for being a terrible friend. I should have visited after the accident."I stopped at my door, punching in my code. "You know we're not friends. I don't hold it against you.""Oh, come on, Thane." His laugh was warm and genuine. "You're still on this after all these years? We're family friends at this point. Our parents have been dragging us to the same events since we were in diapers."I pushed open the door, not bothering to argue. The familiar warmth of my house enveloped me, but it felt different now. Empty in a way it hadn't before Madison started coming around."How did you find my address?" I asked, heading toward the living room."Got it from my mom after I learned you've been using our hospital for your surgery and recovery." He followed me, taking in the space with those sha

MADISON'S POV: I refused to give up. Not when I was this close to having the resources to fight back."Can you give me the names and addresses of the other people who've had cases against the Wallaces? Maybe if I could talk to them, learn from their experiences—"He turned, incredulous. “You know I can’t give that to a civilian. And what exactly would you do with it? You’re not an investigator.”His questions hung in the air, and suddenly something clicked into place in my mind. A puzzle piece I hadn't even realized I was missing.Evidence.My pulse thudded in my ears, every muscle in my body tightening like a bowstring.He was right—what was I going to do with names and addresses? Knock on doors and ask people to share their trauma with a stranger? Hope someone would believe me based on word of mouth and desperate pleas?I'd been looking for salvation in all the wrong places, trying to build a case on nothing but my own testimony and righteous anger. But justice didn't work that way

THANE’S POV:I lay there on the ice for several long moments after Madison scrambled away, staring up at the up and trying to make sense of what had just happened. The kiss replayed in my mind—the way she'd melted into me, the soft sound she'd made when I pulled her closer, the taste of her lips that was already becoming an addiction I couldn't afford.This was getting serious. Too serious.I'd lost all self-control around her, gone against every rational thought screaming in my head. My body had betrayed me, my heart had overruled my brain, and now I was lying on a sheet of ice wondering how the hell I'd let things get this complicated.My head was spinning.Exhaling slowly, I pushed myself up from the cold surface, my muscles protesting from both the fall and the unfamiliar exertion of skating. I brushed ice from my palms. Madison was nowhere to be seen—she'd disappeared so quickly I might have imagined the whole thing if my lips weren't still tingling from her touch.I pulled out m