‘When did you get here?’

‘Seven.’

‘In the morning?’ Tove spluttered. ‘What were you here that early for?’

She gave a weary sigh. ‘This is a circular argument, Tove. Gotland. Biggest weekend of the year. Sunbeds . . .?’

‘You’re being weird.’ Tove shrugged, reaching into her bag and pulling out a stack of gossip magazines. ‘I got you some reading material. Figured you’re probably going insane without wifi. Got to keep up with what’s going on in the world.’

‘Because Hänt mag is really hot on current affairs?’ Bell quipped, picking it up anyway and flicking through it idly. ‘Thanks, babe.’ A moment later, she tipped her head back, not remotely interested in the newest moisturizer or Enrique Iglesias’s twins. ‘So tell me everything. What have I missed?’

Tove looked around them furtively, before leaning in. It was the clear sign that whatever gossip she was about to spill was going to be good. ‘Well, I’d better tell you this before they get back here. I mean, they’ll tell you themselves, no doubt, but just to give you the heads-up – Kris and Marc almost split. Well, actually they did split. But they’re back together again.’

‘What?’ Bell gasped. ‘But they just announced they are moving in together!’

‘I know, but Kris found some messages on Marc’s phone, some junior doctor dude, and –’ She shrugged. ‘It all sort of blew up. Kris got absolutely wrecked and needed to be carried home.’

‘But he hardly drinks.’

‘And Marc doesn’t usually stand in the street, shouting up at windows in the middle of the night either, but he did. It was all pretty bad.’

‘I can’t believe this,’ Bell said, aghast. ‘I’ve been gone for two weeks and the whole world’s gone mad! I saw Kris last week and he was fine.’

Tove gave her freckled shoulders a shrug. ‘I don’t know, maybe it was some sort of reflex to the enormity of what they are doing? Moving in together’s a big deal. Marc must have just freaked, panicked, had a brain fart? But they’re good now. They’ve talked, for like fricking days – I think they’ve worked through it.’ She wagged a finger at her. ‘But don’t say I told you, and look surprised if they bring it up. Kris’ll talk to you when he’s ready, but I think they both just want things to get back to normal.’

Bell nodded, but she felt upset that she hadn’t been there for her flatmate. She knew better than anyone that Kris had the looks of a god and the heart of a marshmallow. Her own life had been yoked to someone else’s itinerary and agenda – and where had it got her?

Tove swung her legs off the bed and got up. ‘More of the same?’

‘Sure. Make them doubles.’

Tove’s eyebrows shot up as she shoved her feet into a pair of fake Hermes slides. ‘Don’t look so worried, Bell. They’ll be okay. And the timing of your text was perfect; a massive blowout this weekend is exactly what they need.’