ready for it? • t. zegras

twenty nine

I couldn't sleep. Well, I could. But I kept waking up in a panic, trying to grasp at the vastly empty half of the bed. Which really could only be fixed one way. Honestly, walking down the hall and knocking on the guest room door is the only solution. When there's no answer, I just walk in and shut the door behind me.

Trevor looks up from his phone with a smile. "Took you long enough."

"What?" I ask.

"If you didn't make your way here, I was going to come to you."

"You've already done that before."

He stares at me for a moment before breaking into a grin. "That was a bad one."

"I do my best."

"How about you do your best to get in bed with me so I can sleep."

"Hon, that's all you had to say."

* * * * *

The bed was empty. The bed—which definitely had another body in it when I fell asleep—was empty. There was no other proof of Trevor being here than the suitcase I nearly tripped and died on when getting up. Which is also where I got the hoodie I now have on. I can't believe that jerk just decided to make me do the same thing I've been doing for weeks: wake up alone.

My found hoodie almost makes up for it. It smells more like him than any of the ones I have. It mixes perfectly with the smell of breakfast flooding the house. Not any ol' breakfast, Mom's breakfast. The best chocolate chocolate chip pancakes in the world included. Yeah, she makes chocolate pancakes and puts chocolate chips in them.

Sometimes I think she encourages me too much.

Speak of the devil, her voice can be heard with the usual slow breakfast time music before I even get into the kitchen all the way. "—always been like that. There was a time she found this rock at the park and instead of protecting herself when she was running on the sidewalk, she held the rock to her chest and went sliding on her face along it."

"Ouch," Trevor laughs.

The sight in front of me is swoon-worthy. Here's Trevor fucking Zegras, putting dishes away in my childhood home. Mom has a big smile on her face which is normal for her whenever anyone's visiting. This one's slightly different. It reminds me of Grandma's smile when Dad and Mom get all coupley. Hm.

She flips a pancake and turns around to see me taking a seat at the island. "Good morning. Get your beauty rest in your own bed?"

"Sure did," I lie. Mom doesn't seem to buy it.

"We were talkin' about you." Trevor doesn't even turn around and face me. He's such a suck-up.

"I heard," I say. "What have I always been like?"

He closes the dishwasher, now empty. "Y'know, the most loving person ever to exist."

"You told him the story about the rock for that?"

"Sure did," Mom says. Then she laughs. "We took family pictures about two days afterward and her face was all messed up. Teags, why don't you show Trevor the photo albums while he's here?"

That makes Trevor turn around with a bright smile. "Oh, Tennessee. You have to show me the photo albums."

"How am I supposed to say no to that?" I do a dramatic pause. "Oh, like this: No."

"Teagan Ellery," Mom snaps.

"He'll tease me!"

When Mom looks at him as if to ask if that's true, he throws his hands up in mock surrender. "I've never even come close to teasing her a day in my life."

"He made fun of my singing the other week," I say.

"Well, honey—" Mom cuts herself off. "Nevermind."

Trevor smiles one of those smug smiles as I say, "The favoritism in this household is revolting."

"Hon, will you be a dear and bring these into the dining room for me?" Mom asks. I nearly got up before I realized she wasn't asking me she was asking Z. Who does the task gladly, taking a plate of fruit out of the kitchen.

"He's such a suck-up," I mumble.

"He's a nice boy," Mom says, barely acknowledging my comment. "I think it's good you have a nice boy around you."

"For once in my life."

"Yes, for once in your life." She ignores my protests at her agreement. "He seems good for you."

All I can do is shrug and try to hide my smile. I knew she would like Trevor from maybe the first week we knew each other. Actually hearing her say stuff like this though? It's a whole different level. I couldn't appreciate this boy more if I tried.

Mom smiles her knowing smile as Trevor returns to the kitchen. "What are your kids' plans today?"

Trevor looks to me for the answer. Oh, right. I'm the one from here. "Probably all the touristy stuff his heart desires and back here for dinner so he can meet Dad. Then I think there's a function we can go to."

"Can we go to the bridge?" Trevor asks.

"We can go to the park," I say. "Bridge is a no-go unless you're good with only Sunny."

"Your fear of heights goes for that too? Are you serious?"

"Deadly."

Mom laughs. "Hon, she went on a field trip there once in elementary school and one of the chaperones had to stay with her on the bus because she refused."

"I always wondered where the 'hon' thing comes from." Z shakes his head with a small laugh. I think he looks gorgeous. "You never told me you're a mama's girl."

"She's not," Mom states and Z's face falls in panic. "You're going to die sitting through a whole dinner with both her and Tim. I'm not sure how I've made it through so many."

He looks at me, officially panicking for a dinner hours away. I roll my eyes and assure him, "You'll be fine, hon. She and Spence like to keep people on their toes."

Speak of the devil, Spence calls from the hallway. "Is breakfast ready yet?!"