Lover || Trevor Zegras

Chapter One: Cruel Summer

The sun was high, the kind of late-August heat that made everything slow and lazy. Lavinia Copper—or Vinnie to those who knew her—adjusted her sunglasses as the car hummed along the highway. She glanced over at the driver, her best friend Trevor Zegras, whose hands gripped the wheel with easy confidence.

Trevor had his usual lopsided grin, the kind that could spark a reaction out of anyone, and Vinnie hated to admit how easily it worked on her.

"Alright, let's play a game," Trevor said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over them.

Vinnie smirked, already knowing this was going to be ridiculous. "I swear to God, Trevor, if this is another 'Would You Rather,' I'm jumping out of the car."

"Relax, it's not," Trevor laughed. "But now I kind of want to just to see if you'd actually do it."

Vinnie rolled her eyes, pushing a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Uh-huh. What's this game, then?"

"Let's call it...'What Am I Thinking Right Now?'" Trevor said with a dramatic flourish, one hand leaving the wheel to wave in the air like some sort of game show host.

Vinnie raised an eyebrow, biting back a laugh. "Oh, so now you're psychic? What, are you gonna pull out a crystal ball next?"

"I don't need one," he shot back. "I'm just that good. I'll start: I'm thinking...about how I should've taken a left turn back in Phoenix so I could've driven us off a cliff instead of letting me suffer through your playlist."

Vinnie gasped in mock offense. "My playlist is fire, okay? Just admit you don't have taste."

"Please. You've played 'Cruel Summer' three times already. Even Taylor would tell you to chill out."

"Well, maybe you just don't appreciate fine art." She gave him a smug grin, crossing her arms.

Trevor chuckled, his gaze sliding over to her briefly before returning to the road. "Yeah, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, Vinnie."

The banter between them was easy, like always. For as long as Vinnie could remember, it had been this way—quick-witted comebacks, inside jokes, and effortless comfort. It was what made their friendship work so well. And yet, beneath the surface, there was an undercurrent of something else, something neither of them acknowledged out loud.

Vinnie shifted in her seat, feeling the buzz of that unspoken tension prickling in the air. She didn't dare admit it, not even to herself. But lately, it felt like something was changing. Like Trevor had started looking at her a little longer, his laughter a little softer when it was just the two of them.

She turned her gaze back to the road, pushing the thought away. Maybe it was just the summer heat getting to her.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Trevor's voice snapped her back to the moment.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, spaced out," Vinnie replied, trying to sound casual. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying," Trevor said, dragging out the words, "that this lake house is going to be legendary. No parents, no schedules, just chilling for a whole week. You ready?"

Vinnie smiled, though there was a flicker of something else in her chest—anticipation, or maybe nerves. "Yeah, totally. Just don't get too cocky, Zegras. We both know you're going to be the first one to pass out after a day on the water."

Trevor scoffed. "Please. I'm a hockey player, Vinnie. I could handle a lake day in my sleep. You're the one who's going to tap out."

"Oh, is that a challenge?"