Chapter 17
When Olivia opens her eyes in the morning, her mouth is dry and she doesn’t feel great.
She drank way too much yesterday. She hadn’t intended to have more than a couple of glasses of wine; she wants to make the most of the skiing now that they’re here, but somehow she ended up knocking back God knows how many cocktails.
She looks around, listens. There isn’t a sound from the other bedroom, and Olivia has a strong feeling that she is alone in the cabin. She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
Did Filippa sleep here last night? She has no idea.
What the hell came over Filippa yesterday?
Olivia groans and rolls over in bed. Filippa was crazy after dinner; it was as if she wanted to prove that she could party harder than any of them.
Presumably she’s still in the main house with Amir.
Olivia wishes her friend would be more careful with her heart.
Okay, so Amir is very good looking, with his dark hair and those warm, charming brown eyes.
But he is shallow, and way too conscious of his appearance.
The only thing Amir really cares about is what William thinks—whenever William clicks his fingers, Amir comes running.
He will do anything to be allowed to hang out with William and his rich childhood friends.
If only Filippa could see that. Realize that she will always come second as far as Amir is concerned.
Not that Olivia has a problem with William and his wealthy pals.
She likes his style, and they’ve had a kind of on-off relationship for a while.
However, she is well aware that William is very spoiled, and mainly interested in himself.
She won’t stand for any of his nonsense, and she has no intention of falling for a guy who gets bored as soon as he has what he wants.
If Olivia fell in love with him, he would run a mile.
A glance at her phone tells her that it’s time to get up if she wants to hit the slopes. She pulls on yesterday’s thermal underwear in merino wool, and looks into Filippa’s room.
It is empty, as expected. That means Filippa didn’t come back to the cabin last night—but if she thinks she and Amir are going to be a couple just because they slept together when they were drunk, she is going to get hurt.
Olivia shouldn’t feel guilty—she did her best to persuade Filippa to leave with her more than once. She can’t help worrying, though; she already feels sorry for her best friend, waking up with a hangover and a sense of anxiety as the memories of the previous evening come flooding back.
When Olivia walks into the main house, she is struck by the overwhelming smell of stale beer. She stamps the snow off her boots, slips them off, and heads for the living room, where Emil is busy clearing up the mess.
A red-eyed Pontus is standing by the coffee machine, spooning powder into the paper filter. He is a lot quieter this morning.
There is no sign of Filippa, Amir, or William.
“Okay?” Olivia says, gathering up the empty bottles from the coffee table.
Emil gives her a wry smile. He was the one who drank the least, and looks fresh and wide awake. “I’m fine. How about you and Filippa?”
Olivia pushes back her hair and yawns. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee begins to spread from the kitchen, which immediately makes her feel better.
“I’m good. But apparently Filippa spent last night somewhere else.”
The door of the master bedroom, where William is sleeping in his parents’ double bed, opens with a crash. William emerges, wearing a dark-blue robe with the Ralph Lauren logo.
“Morning everyone!” he shouts with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Time to hit those slopes!”
Olivia’s attention is drawn to the window.
The weather isn’t great—it’s overcast and misty.
A thick layer of fog has settled over Lake ?re, and half the valley appears to be wrapped in grayish-white cotton wool.
The thermometer is showing minus seventeen, and if the wind gets up, it will feel even colder.
But that doesn’t matter. She can’t wait to be out in the fresh air, moving her body.
She goes over to the refrigerator and starts to take out what they need for breakfast: ham, jelly, salami. “Anyone want eggs?” she calls over her shoulder.
Sounds come from the loft, where Amir’s bedroom is located. Olivia looks up to see him making his way down the stairs. He is barefoot and looks very much the worse for wear, with tired eyes and dark stubble. Bearing in mind that he’s probably just had a fuck, Olivia thinks he ought to look happier.
“Is Filippa awake?” she asks as he comes over to the kitchen island.
He raises an eyebrow. “How should I know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why should I know anything about Filippa? I’m not her mother.”
Olivia puts down a carton of milk. “Didn’t she spend the night with you?”
Amir shakes his head. “Nope.”
Olivia doesn’t understand. “But she stayed here when I went back to the cabin. I thought she was with you.”
Amir runs his fingers through his hair. He is starting to get annoyed. “I just told you she didn’t stay,” he snaps.
A little flame of anxiety springs to life in Olivia’s chest. She tries to quash it, focuses on Amir instead. “So where is she? She wasn’t in the cabin when I woke up.”
“She probably went to bed in one of the other rooms. How the fuck should I know? There are plenty of bedrooms in this house.”
His breath smells unpleasant. He clearly didn’t bother to brush his teeth before coming down to breakfast.
Olivia thinks for a moment. There are five bedrooms—the one in the loft, where Amir is sleeping, and the luxurious master on the ground floor.
Downstairs there is a study and three more bedrooms. When all the boys had chosen, there was one spare.
Olivia sighs with relief—of course, that’s where Filippa must have slept.
“Okay,” she says, closing the refrigerator. “I’ll go and check. Can you make a start on breakfast?”
Before Amir can object she hands him a carton of butter and leaves him to it.
She hurries down the stairs. The first room is a complete mess, with crumpled sheets and clothes all over the floor, but she recognizes Pontus’s suitcase.
The next room must be Emil’s—it is much tidier, and the bed has been made.
So Filippa must have taken the last room, the one on the other side of the sauna and the chill-out area.
Olivia walks toward the closed door. In a way she is relieved that Filippa doesn’t seem to have spent the night with Amir—he can be a total shit. She might have gotten irritated yesterday evening, but she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her friend.
She doesn’t want Filippa to have her heart broken.
“Time to get up!” she calls cheerfully as she flings the door open.
Then she stands there, frozen to the spot. The bed is empty and untouched.
Filippa isn’t there.