Meant to Be (Road Trip Romance Book 5)

by A. K. Evans

  When I pulled back, I looked up and assured him, “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

  He returned a dazzling smile and gave me a squeeze.

  A couple hours later, Zev had dragged me back to his hotel room. Truthfully, he didn’t have to drag me. I went back willingly… perhaps, enthusiastically.

  Of course, my enthusiasm was for no good reason. I didn’t actually expect anything would happen. No matter how bad I wanted it to, it never would.

  Over the years, I felt I’d given all the hints I could to let Zev know I was interested in him as more than just my best friend. Short of throwing myself at him or coming right out and telling him how I felt, I’d done what I could.

  He never acted on anything.

  I was certain he recognized the little hints I’d dropped; he just didn’t do anything about them. All I could do was assume that he wasn’t interested in me like that. I held out hope for a long time, especially when he hadn’t ever really had a steady girlfriend.

  That was one thing I’d been grateful for. I wasn’t sure how well I would have handled seeing him with another woman like that. Obviously, that didn’t mean that he never went out on dates. He did. He just hadn’t seemed to find a woman that he wanted to date exclusively. And that was more than okay with me.

  I knew Zev loved me. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for me. But I think our relationship started and ended with our friendship for him. It would never be anything more than that. As hard as it had been for me to accept, I knew I couldn’t keep torturing myself. So, a few months ago, I finally stopped doing anything I would have normally done in hopes that I’d get something more out of it.

  Zev and I were friends.

  He wanted to keep it that way.

  I was going to respect that.

  So, right now, I was simply heading back to his hotel room after we’d spent some time out after the event celebrating with the crowd. Zev had a ton of supporters. He’d signed some autographs, took photos, and did a few interviews.

  I didn’t mind waiting around.

  This was why I was here.

  To support him.

  But he’d finally reached a point where he was ready to call it a night. It had been a long day for him. Heck, it had been a long day for me, and I wasn’t the one who had to do any of the skateboarding.

  After he slid his card in the door and opened it, he ushered me in ahead of him. Once we were inside, I said, “I really wanted to take you out to celebrate your win tonight.”

  He tossed his key card down on the table and replied, “I know. But I’ve been out with the crowd all day. I’m wiped out, so I’m completely fine with room service.”

  “We could have at least gone to my room for it then,” I noted.

  “Why? What’s the difference?” he wondered.

  “Because then it would have gone on my card and not yours,” I explained.

  He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me. “You’re crazy, Tillie. It’s room service. If it really means that much to you, you can take me out when we’re back in Saguaro.”

  My eyes burned into his. “It really means that much to me,” I deadpanned.

  Zev held my stare for a long while. He looked like he wanted to say something but managed to refrain. Instead, he dipped his chin and responded, “Okay. We’ll set something up when we get back.” A moment later, he jerked his chin in the opposite direction and urged, “Take a look in that book and decide what you want. I’m starving.”

  I did as he asked, decided on what I wanted, and gave him the menu. He perused it for all of a minute before he made his selection. After he called in our order, he declared, “I’m going to hop in the shower real quick. Give me five.”

  “Okay.”

  Since Zev had gotten a suite, he had a bit more space in his room. He turned and walked out of the living area, made his way into the bedroom area and, subsequently, the bathroom.

  I gave myself about a minute to just relax and wait there for him, but all I could think about was the fact that Zev was simply a room away from me completely naked in the shower.

  What I wouldn’t have given to have the courage to barge in there and tell him how I felt.

  Instead, and in an attempt to distract myself, I found the remote and turned on the television. That did the trick because before I could even find something worth watching, Zev had walked back into the room.

  “Anything good on?” he asked as he sat down beside me.

  I shook my head and held out the remote to him. “I haven’t found anything,” I mumbled.

  Zev took the remote from me, began flipping through the channels himself, and asked, “So, did you honestly have a good time here today?”

  “Of course, I did,” I started, turning my gaze to him. When he turned his attention to me, I continued, “It was a great event. And I love watching you skate. You know that.”

  He gave me a sweet smile before he said, “You know I was serious before, right? It means everything that you’re willing to fly all the way out here just to see me skate, Tillie.”

  I love you, I thought.

  Instead of telling him that, I shrugged and said, “Well, I mean, you are buying me room service, too.”

  Zev burst out laughing. His eyes were shining when he settled himself down. “I’ll have to remember that,” he stated.

  I wanted that.

  More than anything else, I wanted Zev’s laughter for the rest of my life.

  And in a way, I guess I knew I’d always have it.

  It’s just that I wanted to be able to experience seeing him laugh like that while he was holding me in his arms. I wanted him to have that bright, shining look in his eyes just moments before he kissed me.

  And even though I’d already resolved not to drop any more hints about my willingness to have more between us, it didn’t change the fact that I still yearned for it. I might have told myself I was going to respect what he wanted, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

  I knew I was going to love Zev for the rest of my life in a way I’d never be able to love another man.

  Knowing I couldn’t sulk, I looked in his direction and beamed a bright smile at him. He returned the same.

  And that’s what I’d always do. Because there was no way I’d risk losing Zev because I was greedy and wanted it all.

  No matter how much I wanted more, it obviously wasn’t meant to be.

  When there was a knock on the hotel room door ten minutes later, I pushed past my melancholy thoughts. The last thing I wanted was any tension between us.

  So, when Zev returned with the cart carrying our food, I declared, “Now that’s what I’m talking about. There’s nothing like good, old room service to celebrate the world’s best skateboarder.”

  “I wouldn’t say I’m the best in the world,” Zev argued.

  I shrugged and stood up. As I lifted my plate from the cart, I murmured, “You’re the best in my world.”

  Zev didn’t respond.

  At least, not right away.

  But five minutes into our meals as we sat watching television, he finally responded, “You’re the best in my world, too, Tillie.”

  I turned my head in his direction.

  He wasn’t looking at me. His eyes remained focused on the television screen.

  And I had a feeling that was telling me more than those few words did. The problem was, I had no idea what it meant.

  Tillie

  Three Years Later

  “I had a great time tonight. I’d love to see you again.”

  This was the worst part.

  It was always the worst.

  I had to find a way to break it to the guy that it didn’t work for me.

  I’d just been walked up the steps to my front door by my fifth date in the last two months. For whatever reason, I’d been trying harder lately to find someone.

  But it was not working.

  “I had a nice time, too,” I started. “I think you’re a g
reat guy, but I don’t see this going anywhere beyond just friendship.”

  I watched as the disappointment washed over his face. I felt bad. But I wasn’t going to settle, and I didn’t think it was fair to string a guy along for the sake of it. I truly believed everyone deserved to find that one person they were meant to be with for the rest of their lives. Knowing I didn’t feel a connection on that level to this guy, I believed the best thing I could do was let him down gently now so he could move on.

  “Aw, man. Really?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry,” I apologized.

  That’s when it hit him. I saw the light go off in his head moments before he shook it and insisted, “No, it’s okay. I guess I’ll let you go then.”

  Awkward.

  It was always so awkward.

  “Sure. Thanks again.”

  My date dipped his chin. “Goodnight, Tillie.”

  “Goodnight.”

  When he walked back down the steps, I turned and slipped my key into the door. Once I was inside, I let out a sigh of relief.

  Or, at least, I thought it was relief. Part of me believed it was that mixed with some frustration. Was this what I was destined for? Was this it?

  I loved my life. Over the years, I’d worked hard in my professional life to build a successful ceramics business. I got paid to do something I loved. And I had a nice home, wonderful parents, and the two most loyal best friends I could ever want.

  Maybe I should have just been grateful for what I had. I was lucky. I had no doubt that plenty of people could look at my life and tell me that I should be happy to have what I did. And I was grateful for every blessing I had in my life. By the same token, I could admit that I was selfish.

  I wanted it all.

  And I was putting just as much effort into getting it all as I could. I mean, I’d been trying.

  For years.

  I was twenty-eight years old, for crying out loud. Where was he?

  Unfortunately, I’d yet to go out on a romantic date with a man that made me feel something… anything. I was searching for that spark.

  That spark that I’d only ever felt with one person.

  One man.

  His face flashed before my eyes. All I could do was sigh.

  I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me as I poured a glass of wine and moved to the living room. After several minutes of flipping through the channels, I muted the television and pulled out my phone. I found the name I was searching for and tapped on the screen.

  “Hey, Tillie.”

  Instantly, my mood lifted.

  “Hi, Zev,” I returned.

  “Uh oh, what is it now? Don’t tell me you had another bad date,” he said.

  He knew. I’d said two words to him and he knew it hadn’t gone well.

  “I’m trying, but I seem to be picking all the bad ones,” I defended myself.

  “What did this one do?”

  He wasn’t you, I thought.

  I took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Nothing specific. It’s just… I don’t know. I didn’t feel any kind of connection with the guy. He was… nice.”

  There was a moment of hesitation before Zev let out a chuckle and asked, “So, a nice guy took you out and you weren’t feeling it?”

  “Stop making it sound like I’m crazy!” I scolded him playfully. “It wasn’t going to go anywhere. I didn’t think it was fair to string him along until he figured that out.”

  “Oh, that’s even worse,” Zev started. “Let me guess. He walked you to the door, probably expecting a goodnight kiss, and you shut it down.”

  I stayed silent. Zev always knew.

  When he didn’t get a response from me, Zev continued, “Tillie, babe, if you don’t start trying, it’s not going to happen.”

  “I am trying,” I insisted. “This was my fifth date over the last two months.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not your fifth date with the same guy. Maybe if you gave one of these guys a second date, you’d get to where you want to be.”

  Being with them doesn’t put me inside your arms.

  I took a sip of my wine and disputed, “Going on a second date means they’ll have expectations. That’s the last thing I need to deal with.”

  “I’m going to have to help you figure this out,” Zev declared.

  “Hey, what about you?” I argued. “How are you going to help me figure this out? I mean, maybe it’s not the best idea for me to be calling you for advice about my dating life when you haven’t exactly settled down either.”

  As crazy as it sounded, I wasn’t exaggerating. Zev and I both seemed to be doomed to be single for the rest of our lives. The only difference was that I had been trying to turn things around for myself. Zev wasn’t.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t date. He did. In all the years I’d known him, though, Zev hadn’t ever had a steady girlfriend. I knew he’d gone out on plenty of dates, but that was the extent of it. In fact, I found it amusing that he was criticizing me for never giving out a second date when I was certain he was very much the same.

  I guessed it was part of the lifestyle. Zev was a professional skateboarder. He had women coming out of the woodwork for him. Or, at least, the last I knew he did. The truth was, for a while now, I’d stopped going online and searching for anything to do with Zev. There had been tabloids that took photos of him out in public. Occasionally, there’d be a woman with him at a restaurant or walking down the street. It was too difficult for me to see, so I decided not to torture myself with it anymore.

  Of course, that didn’t mean I didn’t sometimes say something stupid that could have ultimately left me heartbroken by his response. Luckily, that wasn’t the case this time.

  Zev laughed. “Ah, there’s plenty of time for that.”

  “Hm. Maybe I should call Liam instead. He’s at least trying. You’re as bad as me considering you don’t really give out any second dates either,” I noted.

  “Liam’s working on set this week,” Zev shared. “I can’t imagine he’ll be much help at all right now.”

  “I know. He gave me a call when he got the job,” I replied. “He was so excited about this one. I talked to him before he started filming at the beginning of the week.”

  “Yeah,” Zev agreed. “He appreciates every job he gets, but this one was definitely the one he was most excited about.”

  “I think it’s because they’re filming here in Saguaro,” I started. “How cool is that? It’s like a dream come true for him.”

  “That’s a great way to put it,” Zev replied.

  Talking to him, I realized something.

  Maybe I felt disappointed over the state of my love life, but I had something so much greater. In addition to being able to live comfortably doing something I loved, I had the two best friends a girl could ever ask for.

  No matter where their lives took them, they both remained true to their promise. They never forgot about me.

  Liam’s career as a professional stuntman had gone to the next level. The daredevil loved the work he did. With each new project he worked on, he seemed to line up another one. And as he’d always done since the very first one, whenever a new movie was released that he worked on, we’d always go together to watch it.

  Zev was just as successful. He never stopped skateboarding. When he signed his pro contract right out of high school and began competing, I thought he’d made it. Then, a few years ago, he was contacted by a new company, Blackman Boards, and ended up signing a deal with them. But as time passed and he fulfilled his obligations, he started cutting back. He still goes to the big contests but has stopped competing in a lot of the smaller events.

  Both men were wildly successful. I couldn’t have been prouder of them.

  “Alright, so are you going to at least make sure I have one good date this month and still meet me for lunch tomorrow?” I asked.

  “When have I ever missed any of our dates?” he shot back.

  The reality of it hit me and m
y voice was quiet when I replied, “Never.”

  Hearing my voice that quiet left Zev speechless for a moment. He snapped out of it and instructed, “Alright, babe, listen to me. Put the wine glass down, and go to bed. I’ll pick you up tomorrow to take you to lunch. And I promise to come with a solution for all your dating problems.”

  I loved that he knew I was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine. That’s what I wanted. Someone who knew me just as well as, if not better than, I knew myself.

  “Alright,” I agreed. “But if I don’t get this whole thing figured out in the next few months, I’m giving up completely.”

  “It won’t come to that,” he assured me.

  I hoped it wouldn’t. I’d been on this Earth for twenty-eight years and still had a lot of life left. I hated to think there were things I wouldn’t ever get to experience.

  Like love.

  Being in love and making love.

  A shiver ran through my body at the thought.

  “Okay, Zev. I’m counting on you,” I warned.

  “When have I ever let you down?”

  I didn’t respond because it was a question that needed no answer. Zev had never let me down. Not once. Not ever.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I remarked.

  “‘Night, babe.”

  “Goodnight.”

  I disconnected the call and sat there letting the good feeling of hearing his voice and knowing I’d see him in a few hours settle over me. I only gave myself a couple minutes to do it, but I never regretted giving myself that time.

  When I finished, I peeled my body off the couch and went to bed.

  “Alright, here it is,” Zev declared as he placed a brown paper bag down on the table between us.

  We’d arrived at the restaurant we were having lunch at and had just finished our meals. The moment the waiter took our plates away and brought the bill back, I was confronted with the bag.

  I looked at the bag, studied it, and shifted my attention to my best friend. “What is it?” I asked.

  Zev grinned. “It’s the solution to all of your dating problems. Just like I promised.”

  I narrowed my eyes trying to figure out what he could have possibly put in the bag that would fix my problem. The truth was, I already knew why it wasn’t working out with anyone else. I was in love with my best friend. I had been for a long time. Nobody else would ever come close to that.