Page 11 of Goalies Don't Date Ice Princesses

"What are you doing?" I asked. He looked at me, seeming mildly surprised—although it was always hard to read his facial expressions.

"Sitting," he said.

"In here," I said. "What are you doing in here?"

He looked around again. "This was my dorm last year. I thought I'd pay it a visit."

"Now?" I asked. He tilted his head down in what could be considered a nod. "Why?"

My question was answered not by him, but by the appearance of someone else in the doorway.

"She wasn't there," Avianna announced as she walked inside. Her eyes settled on me, then Archer sitting next to me. She frowned a little, but shook her head. "Bri, do you know where Adelynn is?"

"Adelynn?" I repeated back. Why was she looking for her? Avianna pretty much never spoke to Adelynn during the school year except when she needed a favour from her. She definitely didn't do so with Archer in tow too.

"Mom said she was sick," Archer said.

"We came to check on her," Avianna added. I was surprised by the thoughtfulness of the action. I wasn't used to Avianna being there for Adelynn at all. When was the last time she had checked in on her? Adelynn had definitely been sick other times and Avianna hadn't said anything. Archer hadn't either, but it was a little different when he was going to a different school. At Sinclair, Avianna lived in our hall most years and yet ignored any attempt by Adelynn at having a sisterly relationship.

I hesitated for a moment, torn between telling the truth and not wanting to rat Adelynn out. Avianna's sudden show of care caught me off guard, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"I'm not sure where she is," I said. "She left a little while ago and said she would be back before curfew."

A half-truth, because I did know where she was, but it was the best I could do.

As I finished my sentence, the room fell into an awkward silence. Archer glanced at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he sensed my hesitation. Avianna, on the other hand, seemed lost in her own thoughts, her brow furrowed in concern.

"She wouldn't go out if she was sick," she mumbled, more to herself than me or Archer. She pushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and chewed on her bottom lip.

Archer leaned forward in his chair, his gaze fixed on Avianna. "Do you want me to go look for her?" he offered, his voice laced with a sincerity that surprised me.

Avianna hesitated, probably torn between accepting Archer's help and maintaining her usual distant demeanor. After a moment, she shook her head silently. "We can just wait here for her."

"We can't see her room from the common room," Archer said. "We won't know when she gets back."

Avianna sighed, her fingers tapping anxiously on her thigh. "You're right. We should be closer, just in case she needs us." Her voice carried a softness I had rarely heard before, a vulnerability that seemed to reveal a hidden side of her.

I watched their interaction, feeling like an outsider witnessing a delicate dance between the two triplets—people who shared a connection I could only begin to understand. It was as if the walls surrounding Avianna's heart were gradually crumbling, revealing the sibling bonds that had remained hidden for so long. But even so, I wasn't sure how much I trusted her intentions around Adelynn. She had dropped her in the mud too many times over the years for me to think she was really turning over a new leaf. But there was something I could do to at least help it along.

"If you want, you can wait in my room," I offered tentatively.

Avianna looked up at me, surprise flickering in her eyes, before she quickly composed herself. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice tinged with skepticism. I could tell she wasn't used to such kindness from me.

I nodded, mustering a smile. "Yeah, it's no problem. Adelynn will be back soon, and I'm sure she'll appreciate having both of you here."

Archer shot me a grateful look but in usual fashion, didn’t say anything. Avianna seemed hesitant, but eventually nodded her agreement. "Alright," she said softly, her voice lacking its usual sharp edge. "Lead the way."

As we made our way to my room, I couldn't help but wonder about Avianna's change of heart. It seemed out of character for her to suddenly show concern for Adelynn's well-being. Perhaps something had finally stirred inside her, urging her to bridge the divide between them.

When I got to the door, I fumbled with the keycard as I tried to unlock the door. Finally, with a satisfying click, the door swung open, revealing the cozy space that Adelynn and I called our own.

I didn't realize until we were inside that neither of them had ever visited our dorm room before in any year we'd been living together. Avianna's gaze swept across the room. Her sharp features softened as she looked at the bookcase in the corner. I couldn't help but notice the way her eyes lingered on the photographs that were sitting on it. They captured moments of laughter and joy, frozen in time. The images depicted Adelynn and me, our arms draped around each other, capturing the essence of a friendship that had weathered many storms.

I glanced at Archer, who also seemed more interested in the decorations than I would have expected. But when he noticed that I was watching him, he turned his attention to his feet, like he didn't want anyone to know he had any cares in the world.

I clasped my hands behind my back and chewed on my lip for a second. What was the etiquette here? Could I just leave them here while I went back to the common room? It felt weird to do that, but it felt even weirder to stay with two people I never really spoke to.

"Um, I should get back to my laptop," I said awkwardly. I was glad I'd left it in the common room, so I had a reason to go back.

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