Page 215 - The Love Hypothesis

up, until she had no choice but to meet his eyes. Then his fingers slid up to

her cheek, cupping it as he asked, yet again, “Olive. What happened?”
“Nothing.” Her voice shook. It kept disappearing somewhere, melting in
the tears.

“Olive.”
“Really. Nothing.”

Adam stared at her, questioning, and didn’t let go. “Did someone buy
the last bag of chips?”

A laugh bubbled out of her, wet and not wholly under her control. “Yes.
Was it you?”

“Of course.” His thumb swiped across her cheekbone, stopping a falling
tear. “I bought all of them.”
This smile felt better than the one she’d cobbled together earlier. “I hope

you have good health insurance, because you’re so getting type 2 diabetes.”
“Worth it.”

“You monster.” She must have been leaning into his hand, because his
thumb was stroking her again. Ever so gently.

“Is that how you talk to your fake boyfriend?” He looked so worried.
His eyes, the line of his mouth. And yet—so patient. “What happened,

Olive?”
She shook her head. “I just . . .”
She couldn’t tell him. And she couldn’t not tell him. But above all, she

couldn’t tell him.
Who do you think Adam will believe, Olive?

She had to take a deep breath. Push Tom’s voice out of her head and
calm herself before continuing. Come up with something to say, something

that wouldn’t make the sky fall in this hotel room.
“My talk. I thought it went okay. My friends said it did. But then I heard

people talking about it, and they said . . .” Adam really should stop touching
her. She must be getting his whole hand wet. The sleeve of his blazer, too.
“What did they say?”

“Nothing. That it was derivative. Boring. That I stammered. They knew
that I’m your girlfriend and said that was the only reason I was chosen to