The American Roommate Experiment (Spanish Love Deception #2)(129)

“I did,” I confirmed. “And I didn’t lie. My flight was tomorrow. But I couldn’t wait, Rosie. So, I got myself an earlier one.”

“You did?”

“I did, preciosa.” I heard her soft steps. Quick. As desperate as I was for her. “I couldn’t wait a single second more to see you, Rosie. To kiss you, to wake up every morning beside you for the rest of my days. To cook for you and remind you to drink water when you’re too lost in your writing. To hear my name off your lips every time I’m inside you. I couldn’t wait a second more to start our new life together, Rosie. I’ve waited enough. I’ve waited a lifetime without me knowing. So why don’t you open this door and let me show you?”





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


Holy smokes. So that really happened, huh?

To say the past twelve months have been a wild ride would be a complete understatement. And believe me, I don’t say that lightly. If you’re new here, and this is the first time you’ve heard of me, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about, and that’s okay-I’ll just THANK you for trusting me with your book moonies and hope you loved Rosie and Lucas as much as I do. But if you do know what I’m referring to… that means you were there about a year ago. It means that you picked up my debut, The Spanish Love Deception, read it, and felt passionate enough to talk about it. To do your magic. And yes, you probably screamed to everyone and their mother (me included) about our grumpy homemade-granola-bar lover: Aaron Blackford. So it means that thanks to YOU, and your love and your passion, I am here, typing these acknowledgements while I sit in my full-time writer’s office, instead of on some corporate laptop, sneaking hours in-between a job that didn’t make me happy and a life that was missing something. This. So thank you. To every single one of you that made this possible, THANK YOU.

Ella, hi. I know you’re going to roll your eyes, but you started this. You’ve been here since that sucky first manuscript of The Spanish Love Deception, and even when it sucked (I can’t stress that enough how sucky it was) you still encouraged me. Because that’s who you are. That’s why I love you and value our friendship so much. That’s why you will never get rid of me and why you’re stuck in my acknowledgements—FOREVER.

Jessica, you’ve held my hand, pushed me forward, guided me through the craziness, told me when to chill and take a breath, and reminded me when I should be proud of myself. Honestly, I think I’d be rocking in some corner without you. Thank you. Andrea, Jenn and everyone at Dijkstra, thank you for your infinite patience (and sorry for continuously cramping your inbox).

Kaitlin, I just read your note on the print proofs I just received in the mail, so overall, I’m a little emotional. I won’t repeat the words you dared write about me but I will say that having your trust and faith in my words and work is something I value more than I can say. And something I’m still coming to terms with, not gonna lie. Megan, Katelyn, Morgan, and the incredible Atria team, you guys have been working on the clock for months now and I couldn’t be more grateful and thankful to have you in my corner. Thanks to you I have accomplished things I never even dreamed of.

Molly and the marvellous team at Simon and Schuster UK, thank you for always being amazing and for the incredible job you are doing. The day I finally get to experience seeing my books on Waterstones, I’ll probably faint.

Mr. B, you once told me “you’re not just lucky. For luck to find you, you have to work hard and put yourself out there first” when I was having One Of Those Days, and somehow, that managed to be the most reassuring thing I’ve ever been told. I love you. Even when you don’t get me flowers on release day. Or a cover-themed cake? Or, like, a puppy? Honestly, I don’t ask for much.

To you, the reader, hi again. Thank you again. Rosie and Lucas’s story was a little more emotional and a lot more personal, and I really, really hope you loved it. I also hope that if, like Rosie or Lucas, you feel lost, or stuck, you don’t ever, ever stop pushing forward. I mean, come on, like Joey would say, you can’t give up. Is that what a dinosaur would do?