Page 26 of Goalies Don't Date Ice Princesses

“I haveto get to my team meeting,” Archer said.

“You still have ten minutes,” I said. I kissed him again before he could protest about the time.

“Well, I guess if you insist,” he mumbled as he pulled away for a moment. I giggled and kissed him again. Even though we had a lot of our schoolmates on this trip with us, it seemed like it was easier to sneak around here than at Westwood. More places to hide and fewer places to get caught. Plus, there was only one person I was particularly worried about finding us: Adelynn. I wasn’t sure exactly how to tell her what was going on between me and Archer. Honestly, I was a little worried about how she would react when she found out. Would she be happy for us or be angry with me for choosing her brother out of all the boys I’d met at the school?

But Archer... he was different from any other boy. I didn’t want anyone if I couldn’t have him.

With a faint sigh, Archer finally withdrew, his eyes still locked on mine with an intensity that made my heart flutter. His lips curved into a teasing smile, one that promised mischief and a hint of something deeper. “You always find a way to sway me,” he murmured, his voice tinged with both amusement and desire.

A mischievous sparkle danced in my eyes as I playfully tapped his nose. “Oh, don’t act as if you’re reluctant,” I teased.

Archer chuckled softly, his fingers gently tracing circles on the small of my back. “Reluctant? Never,” he replied. “But duty does call.”

I pouted, feigning disappointment. “Does it have to interfere with our romance?”

Just as Archer was about to respond, the door to the empty room we were hiding in swung open. Archer scrambled back, putting some distance between us. I looked at the doorway, where a tall and broad-shouldered figure was standing, shadowed by the light coming in from the hallway.

“Donovan,” Archer said. His jaw clenched as he straightened up. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, well, well,” Donovan sneered, his voice dripping with malice. He stepped inside, crossing his arms over his chest. “If it isn’t Archer and his little...” He looked me up and down in the most disgusting way possible. I pulled my cardigan closed over my chest, feeling really uncomfortable with the way he was looking at me. “Distraction.”

I glanced at Archer. “Who...”

“He’s on the hockey team,” Archer said, barely acknowledging me before turning back to him. When I looked at Donovan again, I realized he was the boy who had whistled at us when we saw the hockey boys on our first day.

“She’s not a distraction, Donovan. She’s my girlfriend,” he said, his voice filled with a quiet intensity that brooked no argument.

Donovan let out a mocking laugh, the sound echoing through the room like venomous shards of glass. “Your girlfriend?” His gaze shifted to me once again, full of contempt. “She’s the reason you’ve been skipping practices and weight-training, right? So you could watch her? You used to be one of the best. Now look at you, distracted by this... this girl.”

The way he said girl made it clear exactly what he thought of me and my place in Archer’s life. Archer’s fists clenched at his sides, anger flickering in his eyes as he stepped protectively between Donovan and me. His voice was filled with a dangerous edge as he spoke. “Don’t you dare disrespect her.”

Donovan smirked, clearly relishing the tension hanging in the air. “You know, Archer... I’ll give you this—she certainly has a body worth fighting for.” His eyes roamed over me once more with an unsettling hunger.

My body froze in fear as I felt a chill run down my spine. My heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel my eyes widening in shock and disgust at the things Donovan was saying. I briefly glanced at Archer, wanting to make sure he wasn’t affected by the words, but he was laser-focused on his rival.

With a snarl, Archer lunged at Donovan, his fists pushing through the air, ready to unleash his fury. I couldn’t believe the words that had come out of Donovan’s mouth; the way he had looked at me, as if I was nothing more than a trophy. I had never felt so vulnerable or afraid.

Donovan, however, seemed unfazed by Archer’s advance. He just stood there, a smirk still plastered across his face, confident in the knowledge that he had struck a nerve. But Archer was not one to back down from a challenge. His fist connected with Donovan’s jaw, sending him staggering backward. The room filled with the sound of grunts and punches as the two rivals exchanged blows, their fight escalating with each passing moment.

My heart raced as I watched the chaos unfold before me. The room seemed to shrink, suffocating me in its tension. I knew I had to do something before the situation spiraled out of control.

Just as I was about to step forward, a voice boomed from the doorway, cutting through the cacophony of the fight. “Enough!”

All eyes turned towards the figure that now stood in the entryway. It was the assistant hockey coach, who I recognized from seeing him around the halls of the rink. Michael. He had an air of authority that instantly demanded respect. His steely gaze swept across the room, taking in the sight of Archer and Donovan locked in combat.

“What is the meaning of this?” Michael’s voice carried a mix of disappointment and anger. The room fell silent, as if frozen in time.

Archer stepped back, his breath heavy, his face covered in sweat and blood. Donovan slowly straightened himself up, wiping a trickle of crimson from his split lip. Both boys glanced at each other, their expressions shifting from defiance to unease.

“This... this isn’t what it looks like,” Donovan began, trying to explain his actions. But Michael wasn’t having any of it.

“I’ve always known you two weren’t close friends, but I never expected something like this,” he said, his voice full of disapproval. “You both know better than to act like this, especially when representing our school here. This behavior is unbecoming of students at our school.”

Michael’s voice was a thunderstorm, and as he spoke, it silenced the entire room. The tension in the air dissipated, replaced by a heavy feeling of shame and embarrassment.

Archer and Donovan both stood frozen, their eyes locking onto Michael’s. He held them in his gaze, unwavering and unyielding. He glanced away from them and looked at me.

I stood there, feeling small under Michael’s gaze. He studied me for a moment before his stern expression softened ever so slightly. It seemed as though he understood that I was caught in the crossfire of this rivalry, a mere bystander in this tangled mess. His voice took on a gentler tone as he addressed me.

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