Lover || Trevor Zegras

Chapter Three: The Man

Vinnie woke up to the sound of excited voices. She blinked her eyes open, the early morning light filtering through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. She stretched, feeling the quiet of the morning, the faint sound of the lake outside. It was serene. Perfect, even.

But that peace was interrupted by the unmistakable buzz of the boys' conversation in the next room. Vinnie could hear Trevor's voice, along with the others—Jack, Luke, Alex, and Cole—laughing about something, and she smiled to herself.

As she padded into the kitchen, yawning, she spotted Trevor sitting at the table, scrolling through his phone. He looked up, grinning at her in that effortless way that always made her stomach flip. "Morning, V."

"Morning," she mumbled, grabbing a mug and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "What's the plan for today?"

Trevor hesitated for a split second, exchanging glances with Jack, who was leaning against the counter. Something felt... off.

"Actually," Trevor began, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "the guys and I were thinking we'd head out on the lake today. You know, just the boys. Some fishing, maybe some wakeboarding, whatever comes up."

Vinnie paused mid-sip, the coffee cup halfway to her lips. Her eyes flickered between Trevor and the others, trying to gauge the situation. "Oh. Just... the boys?"

Trevor nodded, smiling like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Yeah, you know, a guy's day."

Vinnie forced a smile, even though she could feel a tight knot forming in her chest. "Sure, that sounds fun," she said, her voice light, even though her heart sank. "I guess I'll just hang back at the house then."

"Yeah?" Trevor's grin widened, clearly missing the subtle disappointment in her voice. "We won't be gone long. The girls should be getting here tomorrow, right? So we'll have the whole rest of the month to hang out."

"Right," Vinnie replied, nodding along. "No big deal."

But inside, it did feel like a big deal. It felt like a big deal that they'd already had days to hang out, but the moment it was a boys' trip, she was being left behind. She swallowed down her frustration, trying not to make it obvious that it stung a lot more than she wanted to admit.

The boys were already packing up, their voices filling the house with a buzz of energy. Vinnie watched them from the corner of the kitchen, standing by the window as they gathered their gear. Trevor moved around with a casual ease, tossing things into bags, and all Vinnie could do was stand there, feeling the growing distance between them.

She had expected this trip to be something special, something where they might finally bridge the gap that had been growing between them for months now. But now, it just felt like she was... forgotten. Pushed aside. Just another one of the gang. Or worse—an afterthought.

Vinnie sighed, looking down at the coffee in her hands.

It wasn't about being one of the boys. It was about always being the one who had to wait on the sidelines, the one who had to smile and nod while everyone else went off and had their fun. If she were Trevor, or Jack, or Cole, they wouldn't be leaving her behind. If she were one of them, she'd be right in the middle of the action, not standing by the window pretending not to care.

But she wasn't. She was Vinnie Copper. The girl who was always there, always supportive, always smiling... and never saying what she really felt.

If I were a man, would I be the one heading out on the lake? she wondered, biting her lip to stop the wave of frustration building up inside her. Would I be the one who's treated like I belong, like I matter? Or is it just easier to leave me behind because I'm a girl?