You’re Not Alone

YOU’RE NOT ALONE G.M. LAWRENCE Published by Inkubator Books www.inkubatorbooks.com Copyright © 2023 by G.M. Lawrence G.M. Lawrence has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work. ISBN (eBook): 978-1-83756-097-4 ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-83756-098-1 ISBN (Hardback): 978-1-83756-099-8 YOU’RE NOT ALONE is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. Previously published by the author as See You Fall. CONTENTS Inkubator Books 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 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Thank You For Reading Inkubator Newsletter Acknowledgments About the Author JOIN THE INKUBATOR MAILING LIST You will be the first to learn about new releases plus the many FREE and discounted Kindle books we offer! bit.ly/3dOTSW2 1 The heat from the man’s stare, this stranger, radiated towards Chloe as he watched from the bar. She felt it, of course, because the sense of being watched was so much more than catching something, or someone, in the corner of one’s eye. It was a sixth sense; a residual instinct carried forward from more primitive times. An awareness designed to protect. And now, as she felt it penetrate every part of her, inhabiting her, she didn’t need the confirmation, but a quick glance his way indeed revealed his attentive eyes in the lights of the club as he followed her movements. She wasn’t surprised. Places like this were prime hunting grounds for men like him. She didn’t need to consider what his intentions were because they were obvious – he wore them on his sleeve and, although she understood his motives, an ever-present feeling haunted her mind that this was both the beginning and the end for her somehow. Of what, she wasn’t quite sure, but she shrugged it off, knowing that tonight it didn’t matter. Nothing did, except keeping her focus on the task of getting her life back on track. A life that had collapsed over the last few months since David had abandoned her. Everything had blurred since he’d gone. She needed respite. After enjoying a meal in the restaurant upstairs with her friends, washed down with plenty of prosecco, they had come to the basement club for a dance. The sunken blue and pink LED ceiling lights cast a purple hue across the room, illuminating the white padded seats of the booths dotted around the edge of the dance floor so they glowed in ultraviolet. It was oppressively hot in this subterranean vault, tomb-like, the minimal ventilation trapping the air within until it became a cloying mix of sweat, perfume, and dry ice. The music pumped through her body, and the crowds bustled around her. If she took another jab of an elbow to her ribs, she would make a scene. ‘I’m going to get a drink,’ she shouted over the music to Laura, who was lost in the beat. Laura didn’t hear, so Chloe tapped her arm. ‘I said, I’m getting a drink. Do you want one?’ ‘No,’ Laura bellowed back, clutching Chloe’s arm. ‘Stay, I love this song,’ she cried, as she raised her hands to the ceiling. ‘Wish I could,’ Chloe replied. ‘But I need a break and a drink.’ ‘Ah, okay,’ Laura called. ‘Well, I’ll be over in a second.’ Chloe smiled at her friend’s delight in the music, and knowing that Laura would be staying put for the foreseeable meant Chloe was now on her own. She fought her way through the heaving dance floor, pushing her way past barely clothed, gyrating bodies towards the glitter-fronted bar where crowds of people congregated. The air was no cooler here, so she grabbed an abandoned serviette on the bar and fanned herself as she waited to be served. A group of girls further along were busy with their phones, posing and taking Instagram-worthy shots of themselves with the club’s signature candyfloss and rainbow cocktails. It made Chloe a little sad that they chose to do that rather than just enjoy themselves and make memories they could reminisce over in years to come. Something about a photo saved to a social media site felt cold to Chloe. Considering the possibility she might be getting old, she turned away to glance elsewhere and caught the eye of the man who had been watching her all night, still standing at the end of the bar. Why would he stop now? Ignoring the claustrophobic air that had descended around her from his scrutiny, she tossed her clutch bag onto the bar, grabbed a menu and focused her attention on whether she’d have the espresso martini or the pink gin fizz. If she could get the butterflies in her stomach to settle, of course. Laura hadn’t taken no for an answer when Chloe had muttered something about devouring a box set instead of going out. Ignoring Chloe’s lack of enthusiasm, Laura had waited tight-lipped as Chloe took an age to find a suitable outfit for the evening. She had critiqued each one until she was satisfied that the little black dress and strappy shoes exuded an equal mix of sexy and classy before dragging her out for the evening. The only stipulation Chloe made was that she got to choose the club. But Chloe appreciated the effort Laura took to get her back out into the world. She’d looked after Chloe in the months following the collapse of her marriage and all the devastation that ensued in its wake, and Chloe appreciated her support in a way she could never fully