by A. K. Evans
Meant to Be
Road Trip Romance Series: Arizona
By: A.K. Evans
Copyright 2019 by A.K. Evans
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, distributer, or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cover Artist
cover artwork © Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations
www.okaycreations.com
Editing & Proofreading
Ellie McLove, My Brother’s Editor
www.mybrotherseditor.net
Formatting
Stacey Blake at Champagne Book Design
www.champagnebookdesign.com
Title Page
Copyright
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Connect with A.K. Evans
Other Books by A.K. Evans
About A.K. Evans
Zev
“Wait for me!”
I was stuck in the middle and had no choice but to stop.
Liam wouldn’t.
Not because my older brother didn’t care. But because he was too far ahead and never would have heard.
I slowed myself down until I came to a stop and turned around to look behind me. Tillie was closing the distance between us.
When she made it to me, she said, “Thank you, Zev.”
I nodded and replied, “No problem, Tillie. Can you keep going?”
“Yeah.”
We only had two more blocks to go to get to the park at the opposite end of our neighborhood, so it didn’t take us long to get there and catch up with Liam.
Once we were there, Tillie got off her bike, threw it down to the ground, and asserted, “You guys have to teach me how to ride a skateboard.”
Liam and I both started smiling.
“Why do you want to learn to skateboard?” Liam asked her as he propped his skateboard up underneath his hand.
Tillie moved toward him. “Because it’s obviously way easier than riding a bike,” she declared.
I started laughing. Skateboarding was nowhere near as easy as riding a bike. It had taken a ton of practice for Liam and me to get good at it. We both started doing it when Liam was eight and I was seven. Considering we were now eleven and ten, we’d had a lot of time to improve and get to the point we were at today.
Liam insisted, “It’s not easier than riding a bike, Tillie.”
“You only have to use one leg to push you and the wheels just take you,” Tillie argued. “You get a break. I have to keep pedaling with both legs the entire time to go as far as you’ve gone.”
“There’s more to it than just that,” Liam told her. “You need to have balance and—”
“I have great balance,” Tillie cut him off as she took the skateboard from him. “Don’t you remember my mom signing me up for gymnastics all those years ago?”
I laughed again. Tillie was nine. When she talked about taking gymnastics all those years ago, she made it sound like she was way older than us.
“You don’t take gymnastics anymore, though,” Liam argued.
She didn’t. She did it for one season, decided it was too girly, and quit. When everyone tried telling her that there were plenty of guys who did gymnastics, she admitted that she didn’t want to wear the leotard.
Tillie lived right across the street from us. She was the only girl in the neighborhood, and it never seemed to bother her. The three of us were all around the same age, so we always hung out together. There were a couple of teenage boys in the neighborhood, too, but we didn’t really talk much to them. Mostly, we’d all just wave when we saw one another.
Being the only girl wasn’t something that ever stopped Tillie from anything. No matter what Liam and I were doing, she’d jump right in and join us.
Tillie dropped Liam’s skateboard down on the ground. She put one foot on it and was about to go when I said, “Wait.”
Looking up from the board, Tillie seemed confused by the fact that I was walking toward her. When I made it there, I took off one of my wrist guards and held it out to her. “You need to wear the right gear,” I explained.
Tillie gave me the biggest smile before sticking her tongue out at Liam. Instantly, he rolled his eyes at her but ultimately helped with getting the guards on her wrists and the pads on her knees and elbows. Luckily, she was already wearing a helmet from riding her bike.
“Okay, I’m ready now. What do I have to do?” she asked.
Liam started explaining what she needed to do as I demonstrated on my board. Then, he held her hands as she tried to mimic what I’d just done. It took her a couple tries, but within a few minutes, neither Liam nor I were worried that she’d fall.
Tillie was a natural. She wasn’t doing anything crazy on the board, but she’d managed to ride around the park like she’d been doing it for just as long as we had.
The three of us spent the next few hours riding. Liam and I would switch off with Tillie. While she rode his skateboard, he’d ride her bike. Then, she’d get back on her bike while he rode and worked on his tricks. After some time passed, I’d switch with her and give her another turn on the skateboard.
By the time we were on our way back home for dinner, Tillie decided, “I’m asking my parents for a skateboard for my birthday. Once I have my own, I’ll need lessons on doing the tricks.”
“You got it, Til,” Liam promised.
“Thanks, Liam.”
Tillie
Two Years Later
The crowd was cheering so loud.
There were two outs and the bases were loaded.
I was standing on the pitcher’s mound feeling the pressure. My team was counting on me to help us win this game. If we did, we’d make it to the playoffs. I tried my best to calm myself, but it was hard. The current batter was the star of the opposing team. I’d thrown three balls and two strikes so far. I knew if I couldn’t figure out a way to get that last strike, we weren’t going to have a chance.
“Breathe, Tillie.” I heard a familiar voice shout from the side.
I didn’t have to look over to know it was Zev.
“Tillie, you’ve got this!” another voice yelled out.
That was Liam.
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. All the shouts of encouragement that came my way were great, but none of them meant as much to me as having my best friends there to support me.
I took a deep breath, focused on what I needed to do, and threw the pitch.
“Strike!” the umpire shouted.
The crowd erupted into cheers. My teammates rushed to the mound to celebrate with me. We were going to the playoffs, and I’d helped to get us there.
After we lined up and shook hands with the other team, I walked off to meet my parents. Before I got to them, Zev and Liam came up to me. They both held their hands out in front of them. I gave each of them a high five.
“Great game,” Liam said.
“You were so
awesome,” Zev added.
“Thanks guys. And thanks for being here for me today,” I replied.
“Are you kidding?” Liam asked. “You never miss any of Zev’s skateboarding contests or my parkour competitions. We’ll never not be there to support you, too.”
It was true. The three of us were inseparable. And we were always there to cheer each other on. I loved having that. Having them.
“Hey, my parents are taking me out for ice cream,” I told them. “Do you guys want to come with us?”
The pair of brothers looked at one another and their faces lit up.
“Yeah!” they replied at the same time.
Zev
Four Years Later
Things had changed.
Things were changing in a way I didn’t know what to do about them.
School was out.
Liam was seventeen, and I had just turned sixteen.
Tillie was fifteen.
Tillie being fifteen meant that Tillie was no longer the tomboy we grew up with all these years.
Sure, she was the same as she’d always been with us.
But it was different now, and if I didn’t already know it, I would have known for sure today.
Because the three of us decided to celebrate the last day of school by coming out to the lake to swim.
Tillie was wearing a bikini and looked absolutely amazing.
I found it hard to keep my eyes off of her gorgeous body, but I did my best not to stare when we were out of the water.
The problem was that she was my best friend.
And I was in love with her.
“So, now that I’ve finished another year of school, I know what I want to do when I grow up,” Tillie declared, her head and shoulders the only parts of her body exposed above the water.
“What’s that?” Liam asked.
“Ceramics.”
“Ceramics?” he repeated.
She nodded. “Yeah. We did ceramics at the end of the school year in art class, and I really enjoyed it. I want to be an artist when I grow up.”
“What will you make?” I asked.
Tillie shrugged. “All kinds of stuff. Think about all the people who travel and want souvenirs. I can make everything from mugs and jewelry holders to decorative bowls and plates.”
I didn’t know anyone who made ceramics, let alone anyone who could make a decent living at it. But I knew Tillie. And she was the most determined girl I’d ever met. If there was a way to be successful doing something, Tillie would be the one to figure out how to do it.
“I’m sticking to my parkour training for now,” Liam stated. “It’s going to be crucial to my future.”
“What do you want to do?” Tillie questioned him.
“I’m going to have a career as a stunt double.”
That was Liam. Always looking for a thrill. He’d be the best stunt double that ever walked the earth.
“What about you, Zev?” Tillie’s angelic voice broke into my thoughts.
“I just want to skate,” I told her.
As the years passed and we all grew up, Liam and Tillie had clearly moved on from when he was eleven and she was nine. Liam enjoyed skateboarding still, but he moved on to parkour. Tillie no longer rode her bike. She played softball this year, but said it was going to be her last year playing.
I was the only one who continued to skate. And I wanted to be a professional. If I persisted and went to the contests like I had been, I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d be able to sign a pro contract.
Tillie shook her head. “My daredevil best friends,” she sighed. “I just need you both to promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
Her eyes moved back and forth between the two of us before she spoke. When she did, her voice came out like a strangled plea. “When you’re both rich and famous, you can’t forget about me.”
Part of me wanted to laugh. How Tillie thought it was possible that we could ever forget her was beyond me. Obviously, I couldn’t speak for my brother, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tillie would be in my life forever.
Even in the bright Arizona sun in our hometown of Saguaro, I could see Tillie’s eyes fill with tears.
Liam must have seen the same thing too because he swam toward her. Like it was second nature to him, he put an arm around her and squeezed. Then, he pressed a kiss to the side of her head at her temple.
“Only if you promise the same,” he said softly.
“I’m not going to be rich or famous so you’ve got nothing to worry about,” she noted as she sniffled and a tear slid down her cheek.
I swam toward her but didn’t get as close as Liam did. I wasn’t sure how to handle this side of Tillie. She was always so tough. Seeing her get emotional was hard because I didn’t like how it made me feel to see her upset. I never wanted her to cry.
“You could be,” I reasoned. “You could become a millionaire selling high-end ceramics all over the world.”
“That’s unlikely.”
Shaking my head, I insisted, “Maybe for other people it is. Not for you, Tillie.”
Silence stretched between us before she asked, “Do you promise, Zev? Promise you’ll never forget about me.”
I didn’t know why she was so stuck on it. Even still, I felt it was best to give her what she obviously needed to hear.
“Never. I promise,” I assured her.
She held my eyes a few seconds before she stated, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to swim in to get a tissue.”
“Okay,” Liam responded.
As Tillie swam away, Liam and I stayed where she left us. Neither of us said anything. We both simply watched as she made her way to the shoreline.
Once she stepped out of the water and reached the spot where we’d dropped our bags, my brother spoke. And when he did, he changed every single plan I had for my life.
“I’m going to marry that girl one day,” he stated, completely confident and matter-of-fact.
The minute the words were out of his mouth, I felt my stomach drop. Because I’d spent the last year of my life thinking the same thing.
I was in love with Tillie Fisher.
And, apparently, so was my brother.
Zev
Two Years Later
Liam and I had just walked out of the house into the unforgiving heat of the Arizona sun to go to his car when it happened.
The car we both hated—though, I did it secretly—pulled up outside Tillie’s house.
Her boyfriend was bringing her home from school. Considering school ended just over an hour ago, I hated to think about where he’d taken her before bringing her home and what he’d done with her.
She was Tillie.
And he didn’t belong with her.
Tillie hadn’t introduced us to her boyfriend. I didn’t know if that made me dislike him more or less than I already did. He didn’t seem to be even remotely interested in meeting the guys who occasionally spent time with his girlfriend.
Over the last year and a half, things had changed again between us. We were still close as ever, but we didn’t spend nearly as much time together as we used to. Tillie was still in school. I had signed a pro contract for skateboarding, and Liam was applying for jobs as a stuntman all the time. He’d had a few gigs since he graduated.
But the biggest change was that Tillie had a boyfriend with whom she now spent her time.
My brother was very vocal about the fact that he hated the guy, despite not having met him. I couldn’t say I felt any differently. Though, I kept that bit of information to myself.
Liam was my brother and my best friend. I’d never get in the way of something that would make him happy. There was no question in my mind that Tillie would make him happy.
Unfortunately, as we walked to Liam’s car, we both kept our eyes focused on where Tillie was exiting her boyfriend’s vehicle. The asshole didn’t even turn into her driveway, let alone get out and open the door for her.
What happened next was not good.
Tillie had only just barely slammed the door shut on the car when the guy smashed the gas and peeled off. She didn’t look up as she ran toward her house.
Liam and I locked eyes and didn’t need to say any words. We shifted our feet in the opposite direction and went to her.
In her haste to get inside, Tillie hadn’t locked the door. We went in. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for us to waltz right in, so we didn’t think twice. The only thing that mattered then was getting to her and making sure she was okay.
“Tillie,” Liam called as we entered.
When we turned the corner, we found her sitting in the middle corner of the L-shaped couch. Her knees were pulled up tight to her chest, her arms wrapped around her shins, and her face was buried in her thighs.
Her body rocked back and forth. It took everything in me not to go to her and gather her in my arms. Liam walked over and sat down beside her. He put his hand on the middle of her back and stroked while I took a seat on the opposite side of her.
We gave her a few minutes to calm herself down. Eventually, she lifted her head. I took one look at her tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes and wanted to kill the guy who made her look like that. Instead, I asked, “What happened?”
“It’s over,” she rasped.
As relieved as I was to hear that declaration, I couldn’t tell her.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I questioned her.
She shook her head, indicating she didn’t, but answered, “He’s the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. I really liked him.”
Liam and I looked at each other before turning our attention back to her. Tillie didn’t look at either one of us. She simply stared straight ahead as she shared, “I mean, I liked him but not enough.”
“What does that mean?” Liam wondered.
Shifting her gaze to his, she explained, “It means I enjoyed spending time with him but not to the point where I felt I was ready to have sex with him.”
My body went solid. If this asshole forced himself on her, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d go after him.
I glanced at Liam and could tell he was thinking the exact same thing I was.