What Was Meant To Be
Copyright © 2022 by Q.B. Tyler
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, 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 publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination and used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Editing: Ellie McLove—My Brother’s Editor
Cover Design: Emily Wittig Designs
Formatting: Stacey Blake—Champagne Book Design
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Playlist
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Also by Q.B. Tyler
About the Author
“Figures”—Jessie Reyez
“Rolling in the Deep”—Adele
“After the Storm”—Kali Uchis
“Save Your Tears”—The Weeknd
“I’m Still in Love With You”—Al Green
“Ordinary People-“ John Legend
“Love in the Dark”—Jessie Reyez
“You’ve Got the Love”—Florence + the Machine
“Woman”—Doja Cat
“Make You Feel My Love”—Adele
“I Want To Know What Love Is”—Foreigner
“Earned It”—The Weeknd
“It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”—Celine Dion
“A Sunday Kind of Love”—Etta James
“Love on the Brain”—Rihanna
“By Your Side”—Sade
“Leave the Door Open”—Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak & Silk Sonic
“A Thousand Years”—Christina Perri
This book is dedicated to the entire book community.
To anyone and everyone that reached out to me these past six months.
To all of you that kept me going.
Thank you for being there in my darkest hours.
I hope each and every one of you know how much I appreciate you.
As I said in a different book, everyone needs a home team.
Thank you for being mine.
“She’s getting fucking married?” The words come out harsher than I intended, leaving my mouth through gritted teeth. I have one hand gripping the phone tightly and in the other, the engagement party invitation that I want to rip to shreds. Seeing the names Whitney Monroe and Parker Anderson printed in gold script makes me fucking enraged. I clench my fist, damaging the crisp white paper in the process before I toss it towards my desk. I can’t bear the sight of the words another second.
“Together with their families.”
Whitney’s family. My family. The thought of watching her get married sends a wave of sadness through me. Followed by a wave of anger. Then regret.