Growing up, the Sturniolo triplets were practically a second family to you. They were always around—loud, chaotic, and impossible to ignore. It came with the territory of being Nathan Doe’s little sister. With just a year between you, your lives had always been intertwined.

Now, high school had only made that bond stronger. Nathan, Matt, Nick, and Chris were seniors, ruling the school in their own way, while you navigated junior year in their shadow. And with your dad coaching their hockey team, there was never really an escape—not that you minded.

It was a Saturday morning, and you were barely awake as you trudged downstairs, still in your oversized sleep shirt, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. You weren’t expecting an audience.

The entire hockey team was gathered in your kitchen.

Your dad stood at the counter, barking out something about discipline and teamwork while half the guys inhaled whatever food they could find. You froze for a second, instantly aware of how messy your hair was, how sleepy you looked.

And that’s when you felt his eyes on you.

Chris.

Seated at the island, he glanced up from his half-eaten bagel, catching sight of you. A small smile tugged at his lips—lazy, amused.

“Morning, Aubrey,” he said, voice rough from early morning exhaustion.

You swallowed, suddenly very aware of how many people were in the room.

“Uh… morning,” you muttered, pulling at the hem of your shirt.

Nathan looked up from where he was talking to Matt, rolling his eyes. “Dude, stop flirting with my sister.”

Chris smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Who said I was flirting?”

Your face heated. Nathan groaned.

“Gross,” he mumbled.

You quickly turned toward the fridge, pretending you weren’t hyper-aware of Chris watching you.

This was going to be an interesting morning.