Page 180 - The Love Hypothesis

“There’s only one left on this floor. I think someone’s bringing them

home and reselling them.”
He grinned, and—Malcolm was right. Had been right for the past two
years: there really was something easygoing and effortlessly attractive

about Holden. Not that Olive seemed to be interested in anything but tall,
broody, sullen hunks with genius IQs.

“Can’t blame ’em. I’d have done the same in my grad school days. So,
how’s life?”

“Um, fine. You?”
Holden ignored her question and casually leaned against the wall. “How

bad is it?”
“Bad?”
“Adam being gone. Hell, even I miss that little shit.” He chuckled.

“How are you holding up?”
“Oh.” She took her hands out of her pockets, crossed her arms in front

of her chest, and then changed her mind and dropped them woodenly by her
sides. Yep. Perfect. Acting natural. “Fine. Good. Busy.”

Holden looked genuinely relieved. “Great. Have you guys been talking
on the phone?”

No. Of course not. Talking on the phone is the hardest, most stressful
thing in the world, and I can’t do it with the nice lady who schedules my
dental cleanings, let alone with Adam Carlsen. “Ah, mostly texting, you

know?”
“Yeah, I do know. However buttoned-up and sulky Adam is with you,

please know that he’s making an effort and he’s a million times worse with
everyone else. Me included.” He sighed and shook his head, but there was a

fondness behind it. An easy affection that Olive couldn’t miss. My oldest
friend, he’d said about Adam, and clearly he hadn’t been lying. “He’s

actually gotten a lot better, since you guys started dating.”
Olive felt on the verge of a full-body cringe. Unsure of what to say, she
settled for a simple, painful, awkward: “Really?”

Holden nodded. “Yep. I’m so glad he finally scrounged up the courage
to ask you out. He’d been going on and on about this ‘amazing girl’ for