The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

“It literally takes ten minutes.” She reached for him,
tugging at the sleeve of his shirt. “You get there, they scan
your university badge. They give you the shot.” She felt his
muscles tense under her fingertips as she said the last word.
“Easy peasy, and the best part is, you don’t get the flu for a
whole year. Totally— Oh.” Olive covered her mouth with her
hand.
“What?”
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“Are you— Oh, Adam.”
“What?”
“Are you afraid of needles?”
He went still. Completely immobile. He wasn’t breathing
anymore. “I’m not afraid of needles.”
“It’s okay,” she said, making her tone as reassuring as
possible.
“I know, since I’m not—”
“This is a safe space for you and your fear of needles.”
“There is no fear of—”
“I get it, needles are scary.”
“It’s not—”
“You are allowed to be scared.”
“I am not,” he told her, a little too forcefully, and then
turned away, clearing his throat and scratching the side of his
neck.
Olive pressed her lips together, and then said, “Well, I used
to be scared.”
He looked at her, curious, so she continued.