The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

“You scared me,” Jeremy repeated once more. “Are you
working on your report, Ol?”
“Yeah.” She stole a quick glance at Adam, who was
motionless and expressionless next to her. “Just taking a quick
break. I was about to go back, actually.”
“Oh, cool. Me too.” Jeremy smiled, pointing in the
direction of his lab. “I need to go isolate a bunch of virgin fruit
flies. Before they’re not virgins anymore, you know?” He
wiggled his eyebrows, and Olive had to force out a small,
unconvincing laugh. She usually enjoyed his sense of humor.
Usually. Now she just wished . . . She wasn’t sure what she
wished. “You coming with, Ol?”
No, I’m fine right here, actually. “Sure.” Reluctantly, she
stood. Adam did the same, gathering their wrappers and his
empty bottle and sorting them in the recycling bins.
“Have a good night, Dr. Carlsen,” Jeremy said from the
entrance. Adam just nodded at him, a touch curtly. The set of
his eyes was yet again impossible to decipher.
I guess that’s it, then, she thought. Where the weight in her
chest had come from, she had no clue. She was probably just
tired. Had eaten too much, or not enough.
“See you, Adam. Right?” she murmured before he could
head for the entrance and leave the room. Her voice was
pitched low enough that Jeremy couldn’t possibly have heard
her. Maybe Adam hadn’t, either. Except that he paused for a
moment. And then, when he walked past her, she had the
impression of knuckles brushing against the back of her hand.
“Good night, Olive.”