J.S. Lark - After You Fell

One More Chapter

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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2019

Copyright © J. S. Lark 2019

Cover design by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2019

Cover images © Shutterstock.com

Emoji © Shutterstock.com

J. S. Lark asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008366155

Ebook Edition © December 2019 ISBN: 9780008366148

Version: 2019-11-25

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page After You Fell J. S. LARK

Copyright One More Chapter a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2019 Copyright © J. S. Lark 2019 Cover design by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2019 Cover images © Shutterstock.com Emoji © Shutterstock.com J. S. Lark asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. Source ISBN: 9780008366155 Ebook Edition © December 2019 ISBN: 9780008366148 Version: 2019-11-25

Dedication This book is dedicated to an old and deeply missed friend from my school days, Caroline Wentworth; you passed on too soon.

Louise

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Helen

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

Revenge Versus Love

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

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

The Split

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Counting Down the Days

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

An End or Another Beginning?

Chapter 71

Chapter 72

Chapter 73

Louise

Chapter 74

Acknowledgements

About the Author

About the Publisher

This book is dedicated to an old and deeply missed friend from my school days, Caroline Wentworth; you passed on too soon.

‘Is there a heartbeat?’

Something presses into my neck.

‘Barely and it is weakening.’

A gurgling rumble struggles against the pressure on my throat.

‘Get back. Stay back, please.’ A distant, dominant voice.

There are lots of people here, talking in different tones. Some whispering.

‘Have some respect. The medical team need space. A woman is injured. This is not a circus. Move on.’

‘She’s losing a lot of blood.’

‘I’ll treat her head injury, you find out what else is going on.’

Hands touch my head and leg.

‘This is a nasty break.’

Another breath drags into my lungs. My eyes are open but I can’t see.

‘How bad is it? The woman’s husband is in the car park. He’s asking.’ Another voice.

‘It’s bad. We’ll be lucky if she’s alive when we reach the hospital. Cross your fingers or pray, whichever is your thing.’

‘I’ll keep her breathing.’ A mask presses down and the air is cleaner and colder but the pain of breathing is an excruciating shout.

‘Give her some morphine and get a splint for her leg.’

Where is he?

The air chokes me, as if I am a mile underwater, the weight filling up and crushing my lungs from the inside out.

‘Her airway is constricted. Get me a scalpel. I’ll try a tracheostomy.’

‘She has broken ribs. She may have punctured both lungs.’

I try to speak. My lips will not say a word.

The world is white.

‘Her pulse is fading.’

A siren wails in the distance as the white gradually darkens and becomes black.

‘Don’t touch me!’ An urge for flight darts into my legs and I step back; every muscle in my body is quivering, exhausted by the fight.

I imagine the feel of pavement under my feet. I am running – running and running.

‘You’re upsetting the children. All you think about is yourself. Your baby is crying in there!’ His hand thrusts out, gesturing in a circular motion directing my eyes to the noise coming from the kitchen.

The sound tears at my heart and rips through my head.

‘I can’t cope with her.’ Or you. I don’t want to hear the screams any more. Let me leave.

‘You wanted her.’ His pitch drops, accusing me of betrayal. ‘You promised you would try.’

‘I tried. I can’t do it.’ I can’t cope with the look in your eyes. I failed. But it is not just me. We have failed.

His clenched fist lifts and hovers an inch from my face. One day he’ll break, then he’ll hit me or put his hands around my neck.

‘I can’t help it.’ The words leave my throat in a whisper because he’s too close.