"With you."
"Yeah?"
My breath quickens when he lowers his head, giving me a kiss filled with a lifetime of promises. When he finally breaks it, we're both panting and flushed. I grip the back of his neck to bring him back to me when he shakes his head, his eyes blazing with heat.
"Do you know where my favorite place in the world is?"
I shake my head in response, but my stomach flip flops. The way Noah looks at me tells me exactly where that is. He leans in, brushing his lips against mine gently. His mouth continues a path up my cheek, nipping his way up my neck until he gets to the spot behind my ear.
The spot.The one he knows will cause my legs to go all wobbly.
“In case you didn’t know.” He moves even closer now, his hands tracing the curve of my back before they wrap around me with tenderness and protectiveness. He slides a hand down the curve of my waist down to my thigh. He parts my legs, standing right in between them.
Noah winks at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes before his lips crash down on mine and we become lost in each other, in love.
Forever.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing “IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW'' was incredibly difficult but I am so proud of it.
It’s the culmination of months of research and writing amidst some of the toughest months of my life. Through the course of writing this novel; I’ve lost a few loved ones, gotten sick quite a few times and went through some of the worst bouts of depression and anxiety I have ever had.
Writing Ria and Noah’s story helped me go on and kept me going. Even during the times when I couldn’t see the end, I pushed through because I am so in love with their love that I knew I had to give it my all despite pouring from a nearly empty cup.
Why am I telling you this? Because I hope they can be there for you like they were for me.
I hope Ria inspires you with her resilience and strength.
I hope Noah encourages you to have faith and be patient through the tough moments.
I hope I did them justice and they help you believe again.
In life.
In the possibility of love.
In yourself.
There are quite a few people I need to thank but the person I want to thank the loudest is my husband. The man who inspired Noah (aka AgentThomas).
Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. You have never wavered in your faith in me. In the darkest of times, you’ve held my hand and encouraged me, providing the light I needed to see past my deepest fears and insecurities. You believed in me when no one else did and provided me with the strength I desperately needed to keep moving forward and reach for a dream I thought was out of reach. Thank you for everything you do for our family. Thank you for this life we have. I love you.
To my daughter: Reach for the stars baby, over and beyond. Everything I do is to show you that no matter what life throws at you, you have it in you to come out better and stronger in the end. I love you to the moon and back.
To my sisters: Thank you for supporting me in this journey and for always having my back. I hope you see yourself in Ria and know you are just as resilient and strong as she is.
To Sierra Thomas; my editor, proofer and friend. Thank you for believing in “In Case You Didn’t Know” and its potential. You took what I wrote and helped me turn it into something that I am so incredibly proud of. Thank you for sharing your brilliance and time but most importantly, I am so grateful for your trust and friendship. Because of you, this book is ten times better than it was. You are incredible.
To the amazing bookstagrammers who have cheered me on, sent me encouraging DMs, shared their platforms with me –– I cannot thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart and I truly hope I am not missing anyone here.
Thank you: Jessica, Julia, Missy, Min Young, Lopke, Kate, Mel, Nikki, Daisy, Gabby, Sam, Hannah, Erika, Caryl, Erica, Rachel, Tammy, Chandler, Val, Allie, Felicity, Penny, Allison, Beatriz, Emma, Gaby, Camille, Corey and to the many others across all social media platforms who have supported me from “Glad You Exist” to “In Case You Didn’t Know.”
You have no idea how much your messages and posts mean to me. There are simply no words sufficient enough to express my gratitude. You are amazing! Thank you!
To Authors Sonia Palermo, Nylah-Myesha, Torie Jean, K.H. Anastasia, Anna P, Maan Gabriel, Kristy Moore, Elicia Roper and Emma St. Clair; I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am to be surrounded by women who encourage and support one another in a world where we’re conditioned to act the opposite. I am so in awe of your talent and grace. I hope you all know I am rooting for you just as proud and loud.
To Author Sarah Smith, I don’t even know where to start when it comes to expressing my sheer appreciation for all the support and encouragement you’ve shown me. This time last year, I had just discovered your books and shyly DM-ing you about how much I loved the Filipino representation in them and now I get to shout you out in my own books, like what? You’ve inspired me so much and I’m truly honored and humbled that I get to call you my friend.Maraming Salamat!