Chapter 1
The atmosphere at the station in Uppsala is buzzing as Filippa Smeds?s hurries through the crowds to catch the night train to ?re.
Her best friend, Olivia Hallin, is right behind her.
Filippa’s light-brown hair falls forward as she groans, thanks to the bulky ski bag she is carrying over her shoulder.
Both she and Olivia are each burdened with a heavy suitcase as well.
The amount of stuff needed for a week in the mountains is ridiculous, although Filippa has tried to pack as little as possible.
It is after eleven; the train is due to leave in only five minutes. Olivia was late, which is typical of her, but Filippa is used to that by this stage. She rarely gets mad at her best friend.
“The guys are over there,” Olivia informs her breathlessly.
Filippa looks up. Farther down the platform she sees Olivia’s four fellow students from the economics program, who are also on the trip.
At the front is William Lowengren. As always he is standing with his legs apart, gesticulating eagerly and convincingly.
Nothing affects William’s self-confidence, which is something Filippa envies about him.
That’s probably why he and Olivia are drawn to each other.
There is a special aura about both of them, they invariably end up in the center of things and are used to attention.
Next to William, Amir is moving his feet up and down impatiently. He runs his fingers through his dark-brown hair, grins when William says something the girls can’t hear above the general noise. There is no mistaking the admiration in Amir’s gaze.
Filippa wishes that Amir would look at her like that. Something happens to her body when she sees his smile. She can’t stop staring at his intense brown eyes.
She has been trying to capture Amir’s interest for months, often when she has been in a bar with Olivia, but he barely seems to be aware of her existence. She hopes that will change in ?re.
Anticipation bubbles up inside her as she tightens her grip on her suitcase.
She is studying political science and doesn’t know the boys as well as Olivia does.
She should really be working this week, but she couldn’t resist it when Olivia kept talking about all the fun they would have.
Plus they have free accommodation in William’s parents’ house.
And Amir will be there.
She glances at him again, feels a tingle in her breasts. He is so good looking. Maybe a week together in the mountains will make him realize how she feels about him?
Pontus spots them and waves.
“Hi—we were starting to wonder if you were going to miss the train,” he says in his broad Sk?ne accent. A bottle is sticking up out of his jacket pocket. Pontus seems to have started partying already, even though they haven’t left Uppsala yet.
“This is going to be amazing!” Olivia shouts, flinging her arms around William’s neck just as the ?re train arrives from Stockholm.
Filippa greets the others—including Emil, who is standing a few yards away talking on his phone.
He is from Ume? in the north, and is the only one who doesn’t think Uppsala is cold in the winter.
He ends his call and puts the phone away as the doors open with a hiss.
Filippa finds herself at the back of the people pushing to embark. She tries to locate Olivia, but her friend seems to have boarded already, so Filippa joins the crush, smiling broadly.
They have booked their own sleeping compartment with six beds. In just over nine hours, they will be in ?re.